Faith Conversations: Recent Episodes

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 130 – John 8:12-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 129 – John 7:37-44 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 11.1.24

1. I do have to say that the MAGA rally in New York last weekend was particularly soul sucking and it certainly wasn’t the ‘lovefest’ they say it was. Not even close.

When we lose civility, when we forget the lessons history teaches, when cultish behavior becomes normative and facism is embraced, we’re in deep trouble.

Jimmy Kimmel quipped:

“This is the first election where reporters have to ask the candidates ‘Who did you root for when you watched “Saving Private Ryan”?’”

1. “Every bombed village

is my hometown

every dead child

is my child,

every grieving mother

is my mother,

every crying father

is my father,

these people

they are all ours,

they belong to us

and we belong to them.

They are not “other” to us.

They are all ours

and we are theirs.” ~ James Baldwin

Baldwin, I believe, found the heart of Jesus. I bet we can do that too.

1. Retired Methodist Bishop Kenneth Carder said: “I’m no Solomon, but here’s my proverb for the day: “Power, privilege, and pride without character, conscience, and compassion equals corruption, chaos, and catastrophe.”

It’s a no-brainer to stand against politicians who habitually bring corruption, chaos, and lack of character to the table. I feel compelled to speak out. It’s what I’ve been taught people of ‘faith’ do.

In the face of such ‘danger’ I often wonder how anyone can stay quiet?

Do I pray for those politicians?

I do pray (admittedly not as often as I could) for the MAGA guy, in particular, to be seized by the power and glory of God, to fall to his knees, to repent of his sins and then to humbly begin to make amends for harm done.

Could that happen? Sure, it could. However, I’m not holding my breath. I hope it does because the actual act of repenting sins and making amends would be good for him.

And it should keep him busy and quiet for quite a long time. That would be great for the rest of us.

1. So, on November 5th, it’ll be as if the whole world is waiting for a biopsy to come back.” ~ source unknown

I confess to being a little antsy. There are so many unknowns, so much that lacks clarity. Here’s what I’m leaning into:

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus…” ~ Philippians 4

The world around us might be in turmoil but in the Kingdom of God there’s no worry or instability. Lean into God’s Kingdom agenda and keep leaning.

1. Genocide is biblical.

Loving your enemies is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Slavery is biblical.

Chain-Breaking is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Patriarchy is biblical.

Counter-cultural elevation of women is biblical.

But only one is Christ like.

Retributive violence is biblical.

Grace-filled restoration is biblical.

But only one is Christ like.

Segregation is biblical.

Unity is biblical.

But only one is Christlike.

Christ transforms, not the Bible. Be wary of those who know one but not the other. ~Jordan Harrell

Take aways?

Bible reading and study is a very good thing but discernment is necessary.

Pay attention when Christ-likeness shows itself.

Don’t lift the Biblical text out of its context, attempting to make it say what it doesn’t say.

1. “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago

The dividing line between goodness and evil is razor thin. Anyone with even a smidgeon of a prophetic voice and a conscience struggles with speaking out against evil for it requires dealing with their own ‘stuff’ first.

1. I confuse some people. Heck, I confuse myself sometimes.

In particular, folks who lean to the far right politically are suspect of someone like me who leans left politically and who also claims to be a follower of Jesus. How can that be? After all, in their world Jesus leans to the right and absolutely adores all things MAGA. And then someone like me comes around and says “not so fast.” It doesn’t compute.

And when I quote someone who’s not part of their tribe they don’t know what to do with it. It’s someone like Richard Rohr (who I held at arms length for far too long) for instance, who cuts against the grain of their beliefs when he writes:

“Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, non-violent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established “religion” (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. One could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain in most of Christian history, and still believe that Jesus is one’s “personal Lord and Savior” or continue to receive Sacraments in good standing. The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on Earth is too great.”

1. “Visionaries, prophets, and Jesus have all warned us that this journey that we are on will be beset by troubles. In this life, you will have trouble. How we handle that trouble is our witness to future generations.” ~ Barbara Holmes, Center for Action and Contemplation. RIP

How blessed we are to live in such interesting, troubling times. Could it be that God chose us specifically “for a time such as this?”

1. How then shall we pray? This works.

“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Then silence.

Be present to the very Presence (of God).

Listen.

Respond.

Finally, an Amen.”

10, As we enter the path of transformation, the most valuable thing we have working in our favor is our yearning. Some spiritual teachers will even say that the yearning you feel for God is actually coming from the opposite direction; it is in fact, God‘s yearning for you.” ~ Cynthia Bourgeault

God yearns for me.

That’s both sobering

and life giving.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-01-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 128 – John 6:35-40 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.25.24

1. The countdown has begun for what astute people say is ‘the most consequential election of our lifetime.” They’re right.

Get ready, however, to ‘embrace the suck’ because Tropical Storm Donald is primed and ready to wreak havoc on everyone and everything whether he wins or loses.

That’s what he’s saying.

That’s who he is.

That’s his promise.

That’s what his version of ‘faith’ requires.

And it’s what the ‘Bible Trumpers’, who believe he is ordained by God for this moment, will demand.

Sad and scary isn’t it. Such is the fruit of vengeance.

Vote wisely. I’m all in on Harris/Walz because they’re all in on democracy and I don’t think the other team is. If they lose, they will lose with dignity. If they win, liberty and justice will be well served. They are not perfect and I’m not fully aligned with all they say and do but I do believe they are trying hard to do what’s right and honorable. And I do believe that, if elected, that they will listen to and respect opposing points of view.

A big plus is that Harris, unlike her opponent, speaks clearly, using complete sentences. Seriously, that’s a big deal to me. And unlike her MAGA opponent she doesn’t take 10 minutes talking about Arnold Palmer’s genitalia. Whew, that was an awkward moment.

Win or lose, I’m committed to inhabiting whatever space God lays before me. And in that space I will endeavor to continue to stand against evil and on behalf of all that is good. That’s what ‘Kingdom of God’ folks do. No election can change that. Right?

If you’ve never done so, perhaps now is the time to tell family and friends who you are voting for. If you’ve already done that, remind them again. A simple declarative sentence is all that is needed. “I’m voting for _______________.” That’s it.

If you get an immature, shaming response, ignore it and if you can’t ignore it, delete it. Immature, shaming people don’t want to have a discussion, only an argument. Walk away. Above all stand tall and brave in the power of your convictions. But make sure people know what they are.

The power of your simple, non-argumentative testimony might be the very thing that helps someone make a wiser, ballot box choice

1. Then Jesus said unto the sick: “You better have insurance.”

Then Jesus said unto the stranger: “Are you here legally?”

Then Jesus said unto the hungry: “My taxes better not be paying for these loaves and fishes.”

Then Jesus said unto the poor: “This is your own fault.”

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Rev. Benjamin Cremer reminds us of what the real Jesus doesn’t embrace.

1. “In Christian monastic fixed-hour prayer … the sacred pause at first light is called lauds … Brother David Steindl-Rast distills the holy message of lauds to the notion that each sunrise, each new beginning, is a never-ending gift. In turn, in response to this unasked-for benevolence, our reciprocity is to ask ourselves, “What gift might I bring to this day?” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation, Barbara Mahany

2. “You either quit or keep going.

Both hurt.

Choose wisely.” ~ source unknown

1. As Trump danced on stage for 30 awkward minutes a couple of weeks ago, I wondered if Putin went to bed, with a big smile on his face, thinking:

“I never thought it would be this easy.”

1. As the world threatens to break apart weird religious types, sketchy politicians, wannabe authoritarians, durn fools, and ever ready scam artists show up and begin messing with our heads and weaponizing our fear.

Could it be our #1 task is to refuse to let them rent space in our heart and head?

1. “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu

We are made to be right side up people in an upside down world, inviting everyone (and I mean everyone) to come taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

1. “A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what’s going on inside him/herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good.” ~ Parker Palmer

A good leader needs to know him/herself. He/she takes the time to do some serious soul searching. That’s a good and necessary process. It shapes and defines a person.

We are all called to some form of leadership. Get to know yourself. Wrestle with your demons. Find your ‘true north’. You and those you interact with will be the better for it.

1. “The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true.” ~ Galadriel, “Lord of the Rings”

As long as the Company is true hope remains. Never underestimate what a loyal, committed band of people can do. Better yet, be part of one.

1. “I’ve been forced to explain homosexuality to my kids age three and four because their uncle is gay. This incredibly difficult and traumatic experience went as follows:

Child: Why does Uncle Bob go everywhere with Pete?

Me: Because they’re in love just like mom and daddy are.

Child: Oh. Can I have a biscuit?

We’re all scarred for life.

Scarred, I tell you!” ~ Skeptical Kitten

Common sense, a caring heart, simple age appropriate answers and a lack of hysteria can make all the difference when discussing hot button issues.

If someone shows me a glaring lack of common sense, an unkind heart, and a genuinely scary way of being, I know a good discussion is probably out of the question.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 10-25-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 127 – John 6:25-29 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.18.24

1. We’ve decided to “chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We build all manner of walls and fences around ourselves and then wonder why we feel so alone.” ~ Barack Obama

Walls and fences?

I’m on the lookout for bridges. On the other side there’s people to meet, good things to do, and ideas to be explored.

1. “Are they here legally?” That’s a modern version of “Who is my neighbor?” Both are questions used to determine if we have justification to mistreat and harm others.”~ prophetic imagination

The ‘hate’ towards immigrants is beyond the pale these days isn’t it? A fire has been lit and someone (guess who) keeps fanning the flames. Imagine what his presidency would look like this time around. I shudder when I think about it.

I’m continually saddened by the number of people who claim faith but keep looking for loopholes so they don’t have to actually live it out.

Stephen Colbert suggests that “ … either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.”

1. Irenaeus, writing toward the end of the second century, said “ Christ became what we are in order to enable us to become what He is.”

The more I look at the person and work of Jesus, the more I am blown away by his ability to not major in the minors and to make the main thing the main thing.

1. ”I used to think they

believed his lies.

That’s not it.

They know he’s lying

and they don’t care.

He hates who they hate,

that’s enough.” ~ source unknown

Who are they? I’m particularly interested in the ones who brazenly maintain that their faith is what compels them to behave so badly. I’m now referring to them as “Bible Trumpers”.

Are they Christians? I think at one time they held a deep affection for Christ and the Word of God but then they got seduced by a rather troubled personality who openly and proudly defies the person and work of Jesus. So saying they’re a follower of Jesus’ becomes very problematic.

Oh, I still pray for them. I wish them a happy birthday and inquire about their kids but I no longer count on them for anything substantive. The Jesus they proclaim is not even close to the Jesus I want to emulate.

1. “We grow spiritually by passing beyond some perfect Order, through an often painful and seemingly unnecessary Disorder to an enlightened Reorder … Apparently, God enjoys doing this because it never stops happening …” ~ Richard Rohr

Going through a season of disorder isn’t necessarily fun but it sets the table for what God wants ultimately to do with and through us. Reordering is always a bit scary but it helps us to adjust what needs adjusting so we can start breathing in all the better things God has for us.

1. “It is said that before entering the sea the river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,from the peaks of the mountains and the long winding road, crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more

than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.” ~ Khalil Gibran

I’ve posted Gibran’s poem before and probably will again. It is so beautiful, so layered, and so worth contemplating. In our world there is a growing number of people who want to go back to the good old days (which for many, many weren’t very good at all). But we can’t go back. It’s really not possible. In our own way “we must become the ocean.”

On those very rare days that I’m smart, I look around and say: “I wonder what God is up to now.”And when I discover it, then I join in. I become, in a mystical sense, the ocean. I go with God’s flow and rhythm.” Those are my happiest days.

1. “Studying history will sometimes disturb you. Studying history will sometimes upset you. Studying history will sometimes make you furious. If studying history always makes you feel proud and happy, you probably aren’t studying history.” ~ source unknown

The study of history is disruptive, challenging our assumptions about what really happened back in the day and it rocks our world a bit. That’s a good thing.

1. “MAGA Republicans are now lying about the federal response to recent hurricanes. And they lied about Haitian migrants bringing chaos and disease to Springfield, Ohio. Both disinformation efforts are flat-out lies, and both are designed to demonize immigrants. Immigration was the issue Trump was so eager to run on that he demanded Republican lawmakers reject the strong border bill a bipartisan group of lawmakers had hammered out.” ~ Heather Cox Richardson

The New York Times reports that “when the former president endorses violence and proposes using the government to attack his enemies, many of his supporters assume it’s just an act.”

It’s not. They’ve put blinders on.

Someday, people will study these turbulent times in our country and they will conclude that ‘sin’ ran rampant and that too many who could have done something to stop the nonsense didn’t make the effort. Instead, they shrugged their shoulders and joined the chorus of those who, with great emphasis, embraced the lies and vilified the innocent.

1. As I grow older, I aspire to be a sage elder, someone who desires to be a willing listener, a perceptive mentor and a wise and interesting companion. Let me know if you actually see that happening.

2. Hurricane season, in Florida, for sure, measures your psychological, physical, and spiritual stamina. This is our second go around in a month. It stretched us especially hard because it came on the heels of two weeks of COVID. Yes, I’m whining a bit . My privileged self does that now and again.

Mea culpa, mea culpa,

mea maxima culpa. OK, I’m better now.

Thanks for your love, prayers, and messages of concern. The Sun Coast was slammed hard and is still cleaning up and trying to figure out what snowbird season looks like now. Disorder has descended (reread Rumble #5) and prayers for hard hit business owners and residents are appreciated.

We are so grateful for the friends who opened their home to us and we are sad for those in our specific housing community where significant damage was done to about 200 homes. Not all were insured and those that were don’t have platinum coverage. Such is the state of insurance protections in Florida.

My prayer is a simple one. “Lord, here I am. Melt me, mold me, use me.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings 10-18-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 126 – John 5:24-30 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 125 – John 5:1-9 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 10.4.24

1. Christians: We will spread the Gospel by spending a week in a third world country, and maybe go on safari.

God: I am going to bring the developing world to your community. By the way, they already know and follow me. Just welcome them and care for their needs.

Christians: No, not that way. ~ Kevin M. Young

There’s so much sad truth in this. Is a mission trip a stupid idea? No, not at all. I recommend them. It softens our hearts and gives us a vision of a bigger world.

But let’s face it, the world is already at our doorstep. When we finally see the families at our border as children of God and the Haitians in Ohio as mattering greatly to the Lord, then we will know our faith is truly maturing.

Opportunities abound for all of us to build relationships with the ‘other’, embracing them as brothers and sisters, not enemies. But there is a nefarious, anti-Jesus force, masking as a pro Jesus movement, that is trying to tell us that they are not our brothers and sisters but rather ‘enemies’ determined to destroy our way of life.

Russell Moore hammers it home. “To sing praise songs in a church service while trafficking in the bearing of false witness against people who fled for their life, who seek to rebuild a life for their children after crushing poverty and persecution, is more than just cognitive dissonance. It’s modeling the devil himself, whom Jesus called ‘the father of lies’ (John 8:44)…”

1. “These two men were both a heartbeat away from being interesting this evening… In the end it was 90 minutes of constant talk that made one thing clear: Tonight was like Thanksgiving with your most nervous uncle, and your smuggest nephew. It was unpleasant, awkward, and thankfully you only have to do it once every four years.” ~ Stephen Colbert’s reaction to the VP debate

Walz, who admitted to being a bad debater, proved it. It was painful and awkward at times but when Vance refused to acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 election, Walz had his moment and he looked him in the eye and declared “That’s a damning non-answer.” He became the favorite uncle again.” Still not a very good debater though.

Vance was smooth and polished for most of the debate. He was asked, I’m sure, not to be snarky and smug but sincere and laid back. He was playing to an audience of ‘one’. Guess who? He had to do some pretty heavy lifting and laundering of Trump’s (and his) positions on all kinds of issues. That’s a whole lot of shifting sand and a whole lot of “Hey, they took it out of context” which translates to “We were just kidding” but they never kid and never, ever provide the proper context.

Nothing changes for me. Character and preserving our democracy is what’s on the ballot in November. I’m going with the nervous uncle and the woman who had her debate opponent down for the count.

1. ”The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a [person’s] life, to get behind the façade of conventional gestures and attitudes which he/she presents to the world, and to bring out his/her inner spiritual freedom, his/her inmost truth, which is what we call the likeness of Christ in his/her soul.” ~ Thomas Merton

I am a spiritual director as is my wife. We both go to a spiritual director. We all need help going beyond the facade that all too often defines our lives. Self honesty needs to be encouraged. Confession needs to be normalized. Freedom needs to be found. The likeness of Christ in our soul needs to be coaxed out.

Interested in finding out more? Let me know.

1. How does trickle down economics work again?

The top 1% of the richest of the rich gets all the money.

Then what?

That’s it.

Sorry, trickle down enthusiasts but something very basic keeps getting in the way. Plain and simple, it’s greed.

1. “It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers, will bring us to Him. We must not use the Bible as a sort of encyclopedia out of which texts can be taken for use as weapons.” C.S. Lewis

2. “There was a 60 Minutes documentary many years ago that took a look at the monks and monasteries on Mount Athos in Greece. The journalists who made the episode were interested in understanding the life of the island and what the monks there did. So in one scene, the reporter asks a monk who is out in a field, picking olives and trimming trees, “what is it that they do here?” To which the monk, looking around at his menial task, replies, casually, as if it should be obvious to everybody, “This is an arena of unseen warfare. We fight against the angels of the dark side, the Demons, the devil, Satan.” ~Colin Miller, ”We Are Only Saved Together”

In other words, they simply inhabit the spaces they’ve been given and as they do they stand against that which is evil and for all that is good. We can do that. I know we can. It’s a ‘ministry of presence’ and it is insanely powerful.

1. I do have to say that Saturday Night Live came out of the gate swinging. Their satirization of both the Dems and MAGA was spot on funny and a bit cringeworthy. My guess is that the Dems were pretty much OK with the needling and MAGA wasn’t. Humor, especially satire, isn’t their strong suit.

2. Hurricane Helene left its mark. It’s heartbreaking.

Now is the time to open our pocketbooks to help those in desperate need. And the need is indeed great. We are choosing to give to a local food bank (All Faiths) and the Salvation Army. Both organizations have boots on the ground and are already feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted. They are proven good stewards of the funds people give to them.

I’m sure you have your own ’go to’ non-profits (no need to name them). Your gifts are a blessing to them and allow them to bless others. It’s a win/win.

1. Pope Francis told his priests to “be shepherds who smell like sheep.”

Makes sense doesn’t it? It should.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 10-04-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 124 – John 4:46-53 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Christine Valters Painter joins me again on the podcast. Her book, A Midwinter God, just released. It’s all about encountering the Divine in seasons of darkness and I highly recommend it. Our conversation is enlightening and informative as we talk about how we deal with darkness and grief in our culture and realize those moments are actually the path of true prayer.

Find Christine at Abbey of the Arts.

The post Christine Valters Paintner – episode 388 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.27.24

1. “Donald Trump owns many properties; American Christianity cannot be one of them.” ~ Russell Moore, Christianity Today

Unfortunately, he has already staked out a majority position through a wide swath of Evangelical Christianity. It ain’t pretty is it? Evangelicals may not be the totality of Trump’s religious brand but I’m not sure what second place looks like. It’s a sad state of affairs.

1. “The problem is many of the people needing saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

And God doesn’t see the world as White, Christian and American. I’m not even sure ‘red’ is His favorite color. If you’re disappointed, so be it. Sometimes reality really bites.

1. Them: “Are you afraid of losing friends over your posts on controversial topics?”

Me: No. “I’m afraid of remaining silent and watching evil advance. I’m afraid of seeing friends and their loved ones suffer because they lack knowledge.” ~ Author unknown

1. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer finished reading through the Bible and said: “ Everyone in this book is a mess, except this one guy.”

Yep. There’s that one guy.

1. For four long, torturous years, the news was filled with Trump this and Trump that. Frankly, it was exhausting. Just the thought of four more long years of meanness, lying and asinine concepts masquerading as sound policy is mind numbing. But it is a possibility. The polls are close.

I’m asking myself a basic question:

“If he somehow manages to win, how then shall I live?

And if Kamala wins? Same question, with far less urgency and no fear attached to it.

1. I have come to a reluctant peace over the fact that I am unable to neatly sort out all the life issues facing us as a country. As a result I don’t have a pretty little ‘life’ package with an even prettier bow to show you. And even if I did, I’d be reluctant to share it with you. Life issue discussions, I’ve discovered, bring out the worst in people.

I’ve accepted the messiness of it all.

And it is messy.

Life issues are worth talking about. Finding the right conversation partners is where the difficulties arise. It’s getting harder and harder to find those willing to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” (Covey, 7 Habits)

1. “… Imagine the surrender necessary for those who have been oppressed for hundreds of years to continue to work peacefully for justice. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can do it without contemplation. How do we get to that deep place where we do not want to publicly expose, humiliate, or defeat our opponents? When we are hurt, we want to hurt back. This is our ego’s natural defense mechanism. Through prayer and contemplation, we change from the inside—from a power position to the position of vulnerability and solidarity, which gradually changes everything.

True contemplation is the most subversive of activities because it undercuts the one thing that normally refuses to give way—our natural individualism and narcissism. Once we are freed from our narcissism that thinks we are the center of the world, or that our rights and dignity must be defended before other people’s rights and dignity, we can finally live and act with justice and truth.” ~ Richard Rohr

1. “Nonviolence is the use of power to try to resolve conflicts, injuries, and issues in order to heal and uplift, to solidify community, and to help people take power into their own hands and use their power creatively.”~ James Lawson

Non violence is considered by many to be a weakness, perhaps even a character flaw. Let’s face it. Someway, somehow, assertive, mean spiritedness and confrontational posturing has become the default position for a whole lot of folks.

Unfortunately for them, it’s not Jesus’s preference. Unfortunately for us, we have to navigate around and through such sinfulness without responding in kind.

1. The Bible says lots of things. I especially like it when it urges us to turn the page to read more about God’s love and compassion.

2. Nice tribute. I needed the smiles it gave me. It has the ‘feel’ of a long ago, and much missed style of sports writing.

“Guys tend to have three kinds of days: “meh, good and I’ll-never-have-to-buy-a-drink-again for the-rest-of-my-life.”

Until last week, there were only three of this last kind:

Neil Armstrong walks on the moon

Michael Jackson wins eight Grammys in one night.

Lyle Lovett marries Julia Roberts.

But then came last Thursday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese giant Shohei Ohtani had the single greatest day in the history of professional baseball, which, admittedly, has been a thing for only 155 years.

In a single nine-inning game, Ohtani went 6-for-6 and drove in 10 runs, with three home runs, two doubles and two stolen bases. His three hours and six minutes of work not only clinched the Dodgers a playoff spot but vaulted him into the 50-50 club — 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.

“I’ve never seen anybody do that even in Little League,” Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux said.

The 50-50 club is not large. Here’s the roll call:

-Ohtani

His was the best day anybody has had since Neil Young wrote three hit songs in one afternoon. No other player has even sniffed 50-50 and the 30-year-old Ohtani did it with nine games to go. Not only that, but one of his homers went 440 feet, which is farther than a lot of people travel during an entire game of pickleball.

Ohtani was so ridiculous in this game, the crowd made him come out of the dugout and take a bow. And he was in Miami.”

… I hear you screaming “Babe Ruth!” C’mon, now. Ruth, standing next to Ohtani, would look like his neighborhood grocer. Ruth ran like a guy with a fridge on his back. The guy never even joined the 20-20 club, forget 53-55. Ohtani is Ruth with abs and a jetpack.” ~ Rick Reilley, WAPO

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-27-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 123 – John 4:19-26 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.20.24

1. I’m pretty sure the “I hate Taylor Swift” posting was not a particularly sound political move.

2. History’s dark side is filled with people who chose not to know and those who knew full well and chose not to do anything about it.

3. Even the best of us have days where everything starts to unravel around us. And then we begin to unravel. I bet you know what I’m talking about.

Back in the day, I somehow learned that when the unraveling begins I should give myself permission to inhabit, with integrity and wisdom, that space between stimulus and response, giving myself permission to take an ATO (Adult Time Out) and to not leave that space until I sort things out a bit.

I’m still a work in progress.

1. Life got scarier for Haitian immigrants last week.

Some people, such as the MAGA Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, have never learned how to zip their lips. No thought, no matter how denigrating and nonsensical, is left unexpressed. Concern for the ‘other’ and truth checking is never an option for them. It’s a sin. Flat out, it’s sin. How low will they go?

J.D. Vance finally admitted he was lying about Haitians eating pets. But it wasn’t his fault. Somehow Kamala & friends forced his hand. He had no other choice. (Pause here for a giggle and/or a deep sigh of disgust)

And MAGA didn’t even blink. They’ve been brainwashed so many times and at this juncture truly believe the end justifies the means, even when it terrorizes the innocent.

1. “ …The public doesn’t see the extent of the harassment journalists face. What you do not see are the nasty letters or packages or emails. The threats of physical violence, … “I hope you get raped and killed,” one person wrote to me just this week. ‘Raped and killed.’ Not just me, but a couple of my female colleagues as well.” ~ Katie Tur, MSNBC

“It is our mission (as journalists) to defend freedom of expression -even if you die- …to put light into dark areas and show the truth…journalism is a social change agent…

These days It is very unsafe and the violence against women journalists is worse than anything else. This is a different type of violence – they want to create fear and stop the flow of information. It is barbaric …” ~ Loyola University Chicago Magazine.

It’s tough to be a journalist anywhere in the world these days. Did you know that major network journalists in our country are now protected by security at MAGA rallies? When you’re verbally attacked from the podium and people are given license to give you the finger and threaten you, what choice do you have?

Is it possible to have a free country without a free press? I think not and pray we will never have to face that possibility. But we’re inching closer to that possibility.

1. NIL—Name, Image, and Likeness—is now a common term in college and even high school sports. Athletes can earn money by leveraging their personal brands. Barry Switzer, the legendary Oklahoma coach, humorously remarked, “You know what NIL means, don’t you? Now It’s Legal.”

2. “The Church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I want to make sure we all catch this. The church’s primary play is towards the victims, not the victimizers and towards the oppressed, not the oppressors.

We are signed on, so to speak, to live as citizens in what many theologians call “The upside down kingdom of God.” There, the Lord doesn’t keep score the way we do. Down is up. Less is more. Status and acclaim is not the end game.

We gotta get this right.

1. Emmett Till’s mother had this conversation with her son days before he was brutally murdered. He was 14. The year was 1955.

“Don’t start up any conversations with white people. Only talk if you’re spoken to. And how do you respond? “Yes, sir,” “Yes, ma’am.” “No, sir,” “No, ma’am.” Put a handle on those answers. Don’t just say “yes” and “no” or “naw.” Don’t ever do that.

If you’re walking down the street and a white woman is walking toward you, step off the sidewalk, lower your head. Don’t look her in the eye. Wait until she passes by, then get back on the sidewalk, keep going, don’t look back. If you have to humble yourself,” then just do it. Get on your knees, if you have to.”

Emmett replied, “Oh, Mama, it can’t be all that bad.” Looking him in the eye and driving the point home by invoking his nickname, Mamie countered, “Bo, it’s worse than that.”~ Robert P. Jones, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy (one heck of a read by the way)

And it turned out that hell, itself, was unleashed on Emmett Till.

By the way, that discussion in various forms is still being had today. Why? Because Black parents want their kids to live a long and meaningful life.

Don’t kid yourself. Racism never left the building. Just ask the Haitians.

1. “God did not say: You will not be assailed, you will not be belabored, you will not be disquieted, but he said: You will not be overcome. God wants us to pay attention to his words and always to be strong in our certainty, in well-being and in woe, for he loves us and delights in us, and so he wishes us to love him and delight in him and trust greatly in him, and all will be well.” ~ Julian of Norwich

2. During a “Pray as you Go” session this week, Josh Garrels with The Porters Gate sang “Christ Has No Body Now But Yours.”

“Christ has no body now but yours,

no hands, no feet on earth but yours.

Yours are the eyes with which He sees,

Yours are the feet with which He walks,

Yours are the hands with which

He blesses all the world:

Yours are the hands.”

I am and we are the Body of Christ. And what do we do with that?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-20-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 122 – John 3:31-36 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.13.24

1. James Baldwin wrote: “The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed the collection of myths to which white Americans cling: that their ancestors were all freedom-loving heroes, that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen, or that Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace…”

Baldwin’s sharp critique lays bare the uncomfortable myths many white Americans have adopted about their country. These myths obscure the historical injustices against marginalized groups, creating a national identity built on selective memory.

Historian Jemar Tisby echoes this sentiment: “I am increasingly convinced that the critics on the Right are intellectually unserious about a fuller and accurate understanding of history. Perhaps even worse, they are incurious. I suspect they prefer valorous mythology rather than a precise past.”

I especially want adults who have never heard of Baldwin and Tisby to read Baldwin and Tisby. Both authors offer insights that challenge the narratives we’ve been conditioned to believe, and their voices are more relevant and needed than ever.

I regularly interact with people whose patriotism blinds them to the darker aspects of American history and I wonder if they’re even open to exploring a more complete version of our past. I won’t know until I ask them, huh?

My gut tells me that Baldwin’s and Tisby’s insights would be seen as an attack on their core beliefs, not an invitation to reflection and conversation. Plus, their tribe would shout ‘no flippin way!’

1. Hans Küng wrote, “The Kingdom of God is creation healed.”

What a beautiful thought.

In the end, everything is restored to its original, intended state. It makes sense that our role in the here and now is to participate in that healing and restoration. Easier said than done, of course, but isn’t that what makes it worth striving for?

1. Trevor Hudson, a Methodist minister from South Africa who marched with and was jailed with Bishop Desmond Tutu during apartheid, reflects deeply on race. He says, “From the moment of my birth, I was recruited into whiteness.”

His words resonate with me, hopefully with you too. Every white person in America has, in one way or another, been “recruited” into whiteness. It has influenced how we have seen ourselves and others, where we live and how we participate in our community. I’ve been sitting with this for a while and grappling with the full implications of the privilege that accompanies it.

1. Corrie ten Boom wrote, “What a sad mistake we make when we think that God only cares about Christians.”

Does God also care for:

Muslims? Yes.

Buddhists? Yes.

Atheists? Yes.

Raging materialists? Yes.

Securalists? Even secularists.

MAGA and its subsidiary Christian Nationalism? Yes. But I think He wants to have a long conversation with them.

God cares about all of us. However, It doesn’t mean He’s OK with our behavior.

1. Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: “I’m not screwing around. All of this pretending and performing—these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt—has to go.

Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy and lovable, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever. Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think.

You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”~ Brene Brown

Brown is simply using different, but powerful words, to describe the dichotomy between true self/false self. As we age we need to shed the armor we’ve built up to protect ourselves. It’s time to live authentically.

1. “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people, so let’s be clear about that and clearly he’s having a very difficult time processing that. We cannot afford to have a president of the United States who attempts as he did in the past to upend the will of the voters in a free and fair election.” ~ Kamala Harris

As I listened to the debate this week I used this as my prayer.

“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” ~ Khalil Gibran

1. From time to time, someone points at me and essentially declares that I am “dead” to them and to God. It’s like a scene from “Goodfellas”.

The judgment (minus any kind of conversation) most often comes from someone who is upset that I no longer follow their particular blueprint for what my life should look like. They’re disturbed that I have a different way of approaching politics, cultural issues and spiritual formation. It’s confusing to them. I get it. They need a box to put me in and I’m not cooperating. You see, I don’t like boxes. Too confining.

What I do know is that I’m on a journey that draws me into the life and teachings of Jesus and the example set by good, thoughtful, and prayerful people who have trekked with Him throughout the ages. ‘Tis a good place to be. I’m in good company. It’s better than living in a box.

1. “The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be. Only when your roots are deep can your fruits be abundant.” ~ Henri Nouwen

So, what’s your ‘take root’ plan? Do you need help? Will you look for and accept help?

1. Ridding our country of assault weapons is a pro-life initiative we need to start taking seriously. It requires, however, abandoning our cult-like worship of the 2nd Amendment. That’s not going to happen soon. There’s still a mob of folks who believe that holding The King James Bible in one hand and an AR15 in the other is the American way, endorsed totally and fully by Jesus, and they find their justification somewhere in the good book they keep on misquoting.

Lord, have mercy.

And yes, I know. Some of you are going to say “You’re dead to me and God”. Reread Rumble #8.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-13-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 121 – John 2:3-11 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 120 – John 1:14-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 119 – John 1:6-13 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda joins me again on the podcast as we continue our series on how to Survive and Thrive in 2024. This episode is all about friendship and how our friends are a significant source for our thriving! We talk about various categories of friends from acquaintances to small “f” friends and capital “F” Friends. And some suggestions on how to deepen your friendship pool. If you’re feeling low on friends, or need reminding of the quality friends that you have, I think this conversation is for you.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 387 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 08-23-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina Matthew 16:21-27 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda joins me again on the podcast as we continue our mini series about surviving and thriving in 2024. Today we focus on an interesting article about Getting Out of Despondency. Check out the podcast if you want to know if you are despondent as well as learning some action steps to move you out of despondency.

Here’s a link to the article we reference.

Consie Sindet is an artist offering simple ways into the creative process.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 386 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 8.16.24

1. “Most young adults I know aren’t looking for a religion that answers all their questions, but rather a community of faith in which they feel safe to ask them.” ~ Rachel Held Evans

It’s not just young adults. It’s people in all age groups (including the ancient ones like me) who want to be respected and taken seriously even when they wonder aloud about something that their religious culture doesn’t want to talk about.

1. Rev. William Sloane Coffin once said that “there are three kinds of patriots – two bad, one good.

The bad ones are the uncritical lovers and the loveless critics.

Good patriots carry on a lover’s quarrel with their country, a reflection of God’s lover’s quarrel with all the world.”

By that definition, I’d like to consider myself a good patriot. I’m in a persistent and consistent lover’s quarrel with this country of ours. My fists are clenched at times and then the next thing I know my hands open wide enough to welcome all that is so good and beautiful.

To live as an uncritical lover or a loveless critic is a waste of a life. I want no part of it.

1. “… our two political parties are increasingly animated by two starkly different visions of the nation’s past and future: Is America a divinely ordained promised land for European Christians, or is America a pluralistic democracy where all stand on equal footing before the law? Most Americans embrace the latter but a desperate, defensive, mostly white Christian minority clings to the former.” ~ Robert P. Jones, “The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy”

2. Ulysses S. Grant said: “If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other.”

Well, he was pretty much on target. In short order, stupidity, blind ambition, white supremacy, and ignorance squelched patriotism and intelligence and found a dastardly travel companion named ‘Jim Crow’. That unleashed a torrent of laws, primarily in the Confederate states, intended to batter, bruise, marginalize and intimidate Black America and keep them in their place.

For decades after the Civil War and well into the 20th century, Jim Crow Laws and their offspring made it clear that there was a way to continue the ‘war between the states’ while all the while pretending it was over.

That war is still being fought and it shows up in all kinds of sordid ways. Many of the actions taken by states recently impact African Americans adversely. All the gerrymandering, the voting restrictions, reproductive rights legislation, and the banishment of books, have all attacked people of color in disproportionate ways.

There’s still “miles to travel before we sleep.”

1. “Everyone of us needs half an hour of prayer each day, except when we are busy – then we need an hour.” ~ Francis de Sales

For those of you who are truly busy, I recommend these free apps.

– Pray as You Go

– Hallow

– Lectio 365

Each helps connect busy people to God, through prayer.

1. I know people who work in the dark places in this world of ours. They’ve responded to a deep call of God, living simply and faithfully, without fanfare, amidst the poor and oppressed. They are a visible expression of light and hope and in return they are deeply blessed by those they love and serve.

I think all of us have a meaningful call of God beckoning us. It leads us most often not into arenas where there is great applause but rather great need. If we respond to that call with a ‘yes’, we’ll need to pray for the courage to take the next step. That response, that prayer, that step, just might define the rest of our lives and be the very thing that gives others hope.

1. My faith in ‘organized religion’ fluctuates. My faith in the true God they’re trying to codify and institutionalize stays pretty consistently high.

2. I’ve learned, over time, that I need to find ways to love those who inhabit a radically different moral universe than the one I favor. In their universe, absurdity trumps virtue and truth is considered to be absurd. So, finding common ground is tricky. Scripture tells me if “I seek, I will find.” In other words, keep trying.

3. Ya, he (you know who) said this.

“The crowd I drew on January 6 was bigger than those who gathered in 1963 to hear the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his famous I Have a Dream speech.”

It’s a lie.

Here’s the truth.

The bi-partisan House January 6 Committee pegged his crowd at 53,000 people, about one-fifth of the 250,000 estimated to be at King’s famous address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The NAACP posted photos from both days and said of the crowd comparison: “Not only is his claim completely false, but here’s what is more important: “MLK’s speech was about democracy. His was about tearing it down.”

1. Life’s most critical journey is away from the facades and props that enable us to pretend we are what we’re really not and then to embark on a pilgrimage to discover who we really are.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 08-16-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina Matthew 16:13-20 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt is back with me as we talk about surviving and thriving in a chaotic 2024. Mark Nepo said, “When we heal ourselves, we heal the world. For the body is only as healthy as its individual cells, the world is only as healthy as its individual souls.” (From The Book of Awakening:Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have)

Today’s topic is about the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina. It’s a favorite of mine and it’s helped me on my healing journey. You can find my weekly release of a Lectio practice on this podcast each Wednesday.

Book mentioned by Jim Wilder: The Other Half of Church

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 385 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 8.9.24

1. “Jesus did not call his followers to defend Christianity; he called them to defend the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, and the hurting.

Stop being offended. Get to feeding, healing and peacemaking.” ~ Carl Rodriguez

There are those in the Christian world who seemingly can’t wait to be offended yet one more time, even if it’s much to do, about next to nothing. I think they’re addicted to being ticked off.

If that’s your addiction, please take a good, hard look at your life. And then start getting your facts straight. Don’t post rumors. Learn to apologize and delete. Quit being an embarrassment to yourself and your family. Talk to God about what’s going on in your head and heart. Ask Him to heal you.

1. “Snowflake? Yes, I’ve heard this term, I think sociopaths use it to discredit the notion of empathy.” ~ John Cleese, Actor

2. The MAGA standard bearer exhausts me. His entire way of being exhausts me.

There is a joyful buoyancy to Kamala’s speech and manner.

I’ll go with joyful buoyancy over exhaustion all day, every day.

1. “It’s not the task of the church to “Make America Great Again.” The contemporary task of the church is to make Christianity countercultural again. And once we untether Jesus from the interests of the state, we begin to see just how countercultural and radical Jesus’ ideas actually are.

Enemies? Love them.

Violence? Renounce it.

Money? Share it.

Foreigners? Welcome them.

Sinners? Forgive them.

These are the kind of radical ideas that will always be opposed by the principalities and powers, but which the followers of Jesus are called to embrace, announce, and enact. And the degree to which the church is faithful to Jesus and his radical ideas is the degree to which the church embodies a faith that is truly countercultural.” ~ Brian Zahnd, Postcards from Babylon

Most people of faith work hard to fit into their church culture which often doesn’t encourage free styling. So, one goes along to get along.

But that’s not what Jesus taught and lived out. He infuriated the Jewish religious leaders and made Rome nervous and uncomfortable.

Most of us like meek and mild Jesus. Walk on the wild side Jesus, not so much.

1. “My Spiritual Director said to me many years ago, “Your longing for God is your bus ticket home.” ~ Trevor Hudson

Who or what are you longing for?

1. “We’re producing more energy than ever before in this nation. We have the strongest economy in the world, …more people went to work this morning in America than at any other time in our nation’s history. So I’ve got a message for Donald Trump with all his negativity and whining: Stop trash talking America. This is the greatest country on earth, and it’s time that we all start acting like it.” ~ Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Governor

I’m a Shapiro fan. He was my choice to be Kamala’s running mate but Tim Walz from MN got the nod. And I’m quite OK with that. With vigor, humor, great clarity and sincere resolve he knocked it out of the park in Philly this week.

Sal Gentile of Late Night summed it up: “Vice President Harris had a very deep bench from which to choose a running mate, but her choice of Walz seems to have been widely popular. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who are usually on opposite sides of the party, both praised the choice, prompting Ocasio-Cortez to post: “Dems in disconcerting levels of array.”

Living as I do in Florida, I swear I am hearing the sounds of weeping and gnashing of teeth coming from the direction of Mara Lago. That crew has been out maneuvered and cornered. Going forward, expect the absolute worst from them. Don’t expect a message of joyful buoyancy.

Let the games begin.

1. Me: Do you think I’m made in the image and likeness of God?

Anita: Technically yes, but right now you’re more like an unfinished sculpture, a little rough around the edges.

Me: So, you’re saying “I have flaws?

Anita: Everyone does.

Me: Do I have many?

Anita: Not a lot.

Me: How many?

Anita: 57

Me: Seriously?

Anita: I’m sorry. I misspoke. 58. I forgot about ‘argumentative’.

1. “… Three nights later, our home was bombed. Strangely enough, I accepted the word of the bombing calmly. My experience with God had given me a new strength and trust. I knew now that God is able to give us the interior resources to face the storms and problems of life.

Let this be our ringing cry…that there is a great benign Power in the universe whose name is God, and he is able to make a way out of no way, and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. This is our hope for becoming better people. This is our mandate for seeking to make a better world.” ~ M.L. King Jr.

Hmmm. “… God … is able to make a way out of no way, transforming dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.” That’ll preach.

1. The saddest words in the Bible are in the book of Mark. It’s Pilate sending Jesus to his death because he wanted to “satisfy the crowd”.

I get it.

I know what that’s all about.

Bet you do too.

How many times did trying to ‘satisfy the crowd’ backfire on us? Too many times is my hunch. Way too many.

1. “Just let Jesus live His life through you.” ~ Bob Mitchell, Young Life

That pretty much sums up what I believe my journey of faith needs to be about. I’ve still got some work left to do. But I’m making baby-step progress. And you?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 08-09-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 116 Matthew 16:5-12 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 08-02-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt is back with me on the podcast. It’s been a while! Lots has happened in 2024 and we started the year talking about thriving and surviving. There’s been more of the survive vibe going on. This week we are back to encourage all of us on the thriving path and what that might look like for the last half of this year.

We talked about soul care, creativity, and how to move out of despondency. Here are the links to what ignited out conversation. Feel free to email us with your feedback!

producer@anitalustrea.com

Soul Care article

Consie Sindet and creativity

Getting Out of Despondency

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 384 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 115 Matthew 15:29-37 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 7.26.24

1. President Joe Biden did America right by pulling out of the presidential race. It was a courageous move by a good man, a man of character and a true patriot. He has served America and the world well.

Now, the Democrats will have to figure out how to come together quickly without short circuiting the give and take that ‘democracy’ demands. That’s beginning to get sorted out. There will be a bit of scuffling but I don’t think it will be a polarizing fist fight. They know that too much is at stake.

When push comes to shove, Kamala Harris will be the Democratic nominee. Who will be the VP? She’s got a lot of choices. It’s a deep and talented bench. When she chooses one they’ll have to move fast, capitalizing on a reinvigorated base and some very good momentum.

It helps that they won’t be defending Project 25 (the playbook of MAGA). Instead, they’ll be warning voters about it. As well they should. It’s toxic stuff.

1. “Christian nationalism is impoverished as it seeks a kingdom without a cross. It pursues a victory without mercy. It acclaims God’s love of power rather than the power of God’s love.

We must remember that Jesus refused those who wanted to ‘make him king’ by force just as much as he refused to become king by calling upon ‘twelve legions of angels’. Jesus needs no army, arms or armored cavalry to bring about the kingdom of God.

As such, we should resist Christian nationalism as giving a Christian facade to nakedly political, ethnocentric and

impious ventures.” ~ N.T. Wright, Anglican Theologian

Trust me. N.T. Wright deserves to be taken seriously.

1. America Is A Gun

“England is a cup of tea.

France, a wheel of ripened brie.

Greece, a short, squat olive tree

America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.

Argentina, Maradona’s hand.

Germany, an oompah band.

America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.

Hungary, a goulash stew.

Australia, a kangaroo.

America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.

Scotland is a highland fling.

Oh better to be anything than

America is a gun.” ~ Brian Biltson, British Poet

It’s not always easy seeing what others see. Biltson very cleverly reminds us that we have a problem we are unwilling to address. Until we do, people will continue to die unnecessarily and civilized people all over the globe will shake their heads in bewilderment.

1. “In our time, when not only the language but the reference points of the Christian faith have been appropriated by and have come to connote right-wing visions of the world, it is important for us to remember that there has never been a conservative prophet.

Prophets have never been called to conserve social orders that have stratified inequities of power and privilege and wealth: prophets have always been called to change them so all can have access to the fullest fruits of life.” ~ Obey Hendricks, Jr., PhD, Columbia University

Can I get an Amen?

1. “To the limit of my own faith vision, I have sought to describe God‘s good news that Jesus proclaimed. It is, however, important for me to say that reimagining the life God gives does not mean that I have attained it. I constantly seek to catch up to the words I write. There’s always a painful gap between the radiant …life that I see in Jesus and my own life … But I am slowly learning not to despair … God always meets us where we are…” ~ Trevor Hudson, Seeking God

This is also my confession. I know that painful gap. I, too, struggle to catch up to the words I write. And then God shows up and loves me anyway.

1. “The 3rd commandment, Do not take the Lord’s name in vain, isn’t about using curse words . It is about (among other things) appropriating God’s sacred Presence for one’s own gain and schemes. This would be the case, for example, if a political party were to claim God is with them and/or their leader and with no one else. Hypothetically speaking.” ~ Pete Enns

2. The first time I went to the Mall of America in MN I was overwhelmed by its size and I was grateful that at every intersection there was a map and on the map …was a pointer saying – “You are here’. That was a game changer.

I know how to get lost. Knowing where I was helped me to get my bearings so I could get to where I needed to be.

Where are you?

How do you get from there to where you need to be?

That’s the sacred journey.

1. “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” – Charles Spurgeon

What a fascinating insight.

1. “Quit your worship charades.
   I can’t stand your trivial religious games:

Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!

You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,

I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.

Go home and wash up.

Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.” ~ Isaiah 1:13-17 The Message

Whew, this is what a prophetic voice sounds like. Thus saith the Lord. This hits home, calling us to account. Let those who have ears, hear.

1. Almost all developed nations have universal health care for all their citizens.

The USA, the richest nation, is the notable outlier. The desire to figure this out isn’t in our DNA I guess. Without that desire nothing can happen and special interest groups work hard to squelch that desire. Why? It’s profit over people for them

When I talk with folks about our biggest national problems, the cost of health care is always near, if not at the very top of their list.

When I chat with Canadian friends and others who have universal health care, they’ll admit that it’s not perfect (what is) but they’ll admit to feeling quite OK, knowing there’s a medical safety net that works and gives them a sense of security.

I am grateful for Social Security and worry when politicians wonder aloud if it’s worth the expense. They should be thinking of expanding it to everyone.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 07-26-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo, Anita-Murphy-20

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 114 Matthew 15:21-28 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 113 Matthew 15:10-20 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 7.12.24.

1. “In Matthew 9 Jesus told Matthew to “Follow me.”

And then we hear that Matthew “got up and followed him.” The verb used here in the Greek is the same verb used to describe the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead: Matthew rose.

Conversion means a transition into a higher life, arising from a preoccupation with the goods of the world and a reorientation to the things of God… The call of Jesus is meant to get into your mind, and then past your mind into your body, and then through your body into your life, into your most practical decisions. …” Bishop Robert Barron

Have you had a conversion experience lately? Actually, I have had many in my life. I’ve needed many. And I’m sure I’ll need many more. It’s never been one and done for me.

1. “See the super patriot. Hear him preach how he loves his country. Hear him preach how he hates liberals.

And moderates.

And intellectuals.

And activists.

And pacifists.

And minority groups.

And aliens.

And unions.

And teenagers.

And the very rich.

And the very poor.

And people with foreign sounding names.

Now you know what a super-patriot is. He’s someone who loves his country while hating 93% of the people who live in it.” ~ Mad Magazine circa 1960

Ha, the prophet Alfred E. Neuman still speaks. By the way, if this (super-patriotism) describes you, help is available. Just like Matthew (Rumble #1) you can choose to cut against the grain and recover your life.

Or not.

I think it’s a no-brainer. But that’s me.

1. “The prosperity gospel and christian nationalism offer to us everything Satan offered to Christ when he tempted the Savior in the wilderness.” ~ author unknown

By the way, I’m deliberately using lower case letters from now on whenever I refer to christian nationalism. It doesn’t deserve an upper case mention. For that matter, neither does the prosperity gospel.

1. When a politician’s message is low on facts and heavy with doom and gloom, my cringe level rises and my trust level takes a nosedive. Fear mongering is what lazy politicians do. Trusting those politicians is what lazy citizens do.

2. “The price of privilege is the moral duty to act when one sees another person treated unfairly. And the least that a person in the dominant caste can do is not make the pain any worse.” ~ Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents

She’s right, but the privileged/dominant caste likes the status quo. Rock the boat and that status could be jeopardized. It becomes a battle royale between self preservation and moral duty.

And the winner is …?

P.S. Wilkerson is a brilliant writer. I highly recommend her books Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns.

1. The Netflix documentary, “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial” described Hitler as being “a fundamentally lazy person. He did not like to work at something he didn’t find interesting. He would sleep in late. He would have a kind of leisurely lunch, then maybe he would receive government ministers or military commanders and hear some reports and then give some orders…

Hitler had a very unusual leadership style. He was not someone who gave orders all the time. Instead, he seems to have rather consciously developed a technique where his subordinate people and subordinate agencies would have to compete for his favor. It was their task to work towards the Fuhrer…everything in the whole governmental machine was desperately trying to figure out what he wanted.”

One of my initial reactions was “Whoa, one of our presidential candidates (you can figure out which one) pretty much has the same habits and approaches to governance as Hitler.”

Yep, this is all too familiar territory. It gives me the willies just thinking about it.

1. What drum is God asking you to bang on these days?

Are you saying yes or no?

1. And the child said: “When I was hungry you put up posters of the Ten Commandments in my classroom and then voted against subsidizing lunches at school.”

Pretty whacked out isn’t it?

Putting a religious poster up is not my idea of being a credible witness. Feeding hungry kids is very credible.

“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me.” ~ Jesus

1. “Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.” ~ Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

I read this for the first time in 1967. It grabbed me then and it grabs me now. Imagine it – “harnessing for God the energies of love.”

1. “The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” ~ Frederick Buechner

Where is that for you? Not sure? That’s OK. Keep searching and stay available. And when you finally know where the world’s hunger and your gladness meet, go for it. Swing for the fences.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 07-12-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 112 Matthew 14:28-36 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

1. Independence Day was tough this year. Ever since the debate and then the unimaginable rulings by the Supreme Court, I find myself a bit lost and deeply worried about the state of our union.

I feel as if I’m in a boat, adrift during a horrible storm. The country I knew and loved is feeling like a stranger.

So the debate was pretty much a disaster.

Biden was off his game. Way off. It was a dismal performance. He looked dazed and confused. However, the next day he spoke clearly and cogently at a rally in NC, admitting his debate performance was sub par and that he’s learned over time that ‘when you get knocked down, you get back up.” I suspect that will be a campaign slogan.

Trump lied during the debate. Bigly, he lied. Over and over and over again he brazenly ignored the truth and refused to answer uncomfortable questions. It’s what he does. It’s what he’s been doing all his life. The next day he too was back on the campaign stump peddling disinformation. He proved and keeps proving once again that he is an integrity avoidant man.

So, where does that lead us? Octavia E. Butler wisely shows us a way forward.

“Choose your leaders

with wisdom and forethought.

To be led by a coward

is to be controlled

by all that the coward fears.

To be led by a fool

is to be led

by the opportunists

who control the fool.

To be led by a thief

is to offer up

your most precious treasures

to be stolen.

To be led by a liar

is to ask

to be told lies.

To be led by a tyrant

is to sell yourself

and those you love

into slavery.”

I’ll use her words as my compass heading. Maybe you should too unless of course, you find cowards, fools, thieves, tyrants and liars to be acceptable leaders.

If the debate was a disaster, what happened at the Supreme Court was an epic fail. In effect, the conservative justices declared that a President is above the law, immune from prosecution. They effectively handed him/her a forever ‘get out of jail free card’.

In a blistering dissent Justice Sonia Sotomayer wrote: “The relationship between the president and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably …In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.” Ouch.

Wannabe kings and tyrants are licking their chops. And guess what? Such a person is on the ballot in November.

All this gives me the shivers. I can see, feel, and taste the raging storm surrounding me. I know I need to find a safe harbor. I need God and the faith that sustains me.

I have to remind myself that I am first and foremost a citizen in the Kingdom of God. In that Kingdom, the way of Jesus is not the way of the proud, the narcissist, or the liar. The way of Jesus is the way of humility and honesty. It is the way of those who admit to others that they fail and have weaknesses and those who, when knocked down, dare to stand up again.

The way of Jesus is certainly not the way of christian nationalists, who are led by people who deliberately distort, politicize, and weaponize the Gospel. They appear obsessed with making sure The Handmaid’s Tale becomes tomorrow’s reality. If you choose to be on that team, so be it, but don’t be surprised if others begin to distance themselves from you.

Friends, we’re in the middle of a big storm and the boat we’re on is taking on water. What do we do? Let’s go back to square one, praying for God to show up and for us to show up for Him.

This week God showed up for me in the words of Bishop Robert Barron. He’s responding to the story of the calming of the sea in Matthew 8.

“Friends, in this wonderful story …we witness some of the spiritual dynamics of fear and trust. The disciples stand symbolically for all of us journeying through life within the narrow confines of the fearful ego.

When they confront the storm and the mighty waves, they are immediately filled with terror. Similarly, when the trials and anxieties of life confront the ego, the first reaction is fear, since there is no power beyond itself upon which it can rely. In the midst of this terrible storm, this inner and outer tension, Jesus symbolizes that divine energy that remains unaffected by the fear-storms generated by the grasping ego.

Continuing to read the story at a spiritual level, we see that it is none other than this divine power that successfully calms the waves: he “rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.” This beautiful narrative seems to suggest that if we but awaken to the presence of God within us, if we learn to live and to see at a deeper level, if we live in basic trust rather than fear, then we can withstand even the most frightening storms.”

“… if we learn to trust, rather than fear, then we can withstand even the most frightening storms.” That’s a big ‘if’. I’m choosing to trust cuz fear has never worked well for me. We live in turbulent times and the weather outside is frightful. But in the unshakable, unbreakable Kingdom of God there is always hope, comfort and the resolve to stand against great evil.

That’s all I got for this week. It’s the best I could do.

Blessings

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings 07-05-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 111 Matthew 14:6-14 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 06-28-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 110 Mark 5:25-34 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 109 Matthew 13:24-29 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 6.14.24

1. I’ve been watching a NETFLIX documentary entitled “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial.” It’s all a bit scary. The ‘Oath of Loyalty’ for government officials grabbed my attention.

In Germany, as of August 14, 1919 the oath read like this:

“I swear loyalty to the Constitution, obedience to the law, and conscientious fulfillment of the duties of my office, so help me God.”

That oath was changed in August of 1934:

“I swear I will be true and obedient to the Führer of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, observe the law, and conscientiously fulfill the duties of my office, so help me God.”

Fifteen years.

That was it. Fifteen years.

Loyalty to the Constitution was replaced by fealty to a tyrant. A Democracy, very quickly, became a dictatorship. And all hell broke loose.

We’re about six years into a very conscious attempt to call the question as to whether or not we wish to remain a democracy or give ourselves over to an authoritarian leader. We need to wake up.

1. “Beware of those who pray pretty, but live ugly, who drink in Jesus, but spit out hate, who pursue a Christian nation, but not the Sermon on the Mount, who boast of faith but rely on fear and who hear God’s promise of abundance but not God’s cries for sacrifice, servanthood, humility and compassion.” ~ Chris Kratser

“Today Christ is knocking from inside the church and wants to get out.” Jorge Bergoglio, S.J., now known as Pope Francis

There are many moments when I wonder how tired Jesus must be watching us play stupid, little religious games that have nothing much to do with the Kingdom of God he delighted in talking about.

1. “Compulsive liars shouldn’t frighten you. They can harm no one if no one listens to them. Compulsive believers on the other hand: they should terrify you. Believers are the liars’ enablers.” ~ Nick Cohen, British political commentator

The simple step of the courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. ~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.

Just the other day a woman told me that she’s not voting for Biden because he’s giving each person crossing the border illegally, a car and ten thousand dollars. Yep. That really happened.

1. “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you”. ~ Romans 12:1-2 msg.

2. “God of justice and mercy …as I open my heart to You now, comfort me where I’m unsettled, and unsettle me where I’m comfortable. Challenge me and change me, disturb and rearrange me, not for my own sake, but for the sake of those who are hurting and helpless, ostracized and oppressed. Amen. ~ Lectio 365

3. The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.” ~ Hannah Arendt.

Has empathy died? No, but it’s in a battle for its life. I’m so grateful for those who lean in with a desire to listen, help, and pray for others who are hurting, confused, and belittled. They are the ‘saints’ who beckon us to do better things and be better people. May their numbers only increase.

1. “Outside of the Spirit, authority becomes domination. Inside of the Spirit, authority becomes service. Outside of the Spirit, politics becomes control. Inside of the Spirit, leadership is something we know is given to us to offer to others: not authority over people but authority to call forth the presence of God within so they can be in the same flow and enjoy the same freedom.”~ Richard Rohr

Do you remember this by ‘Jesus Culture’?

“Oh, Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place

And fill the atmosphere

Your glory God

Is what our hearts long for

To be overcome

By Your presence, Lord …”

I wonder if the Holy Spirit is still welcome these days? And where?

1. When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.” ~Isaac Asimov

To have a point of view that is thoughtful and discerning will almost certainly put someone you know, who is willfully stupid, on the defensive. And that could lead to trouble.

What’s the remedy? There is none. Our job is to be consistently faithful and that, as many of you have already discovered, is a bumpy road.

1. “In 1959 Senator Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican from Maine, stood up to a vile and slanderous GOP colleague, Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin. She stated boldly: “I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.”

Bravo.

“Courage,” Amelia Earhart once said, “is the price life exacts for granting peace.”

We desperately need brave people these days to take a risk and stand tall.

1. Preachers don’t get to stay out of politics. We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God. ~ Rev. Dr. William J. Barber

Barber is right. Preachers dare not become chaplains of empire. But we are seeing that happen aren’t we?

I’m enamored by those preachers who believe they have a prophetic role to play. They’re the ones speaking truth to power. The very best of them talk plenty about the real Jesus, the red letter one, not the counterfeit Jesus the chaplains of empire proclaim.

That can make folks in the pew feel uncomfortable. They might even bolt. That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Nobody said this would be easy.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 06-14-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com, or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 107 Matthew 13:1-9 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.31.24

1. So what do we say to the churches nurturing Christian Nationalism and its subsidiaries?

The main character in Michael O’Brien’s apocalyptic novel “Father Elijah” gives us a very good answer.

“I would 1000 times rather have a persecuted Church than a compromised Church.”

We should tell them that.

1. “Outside of the Spirit, reading the Bible can also become nothing more than ego ammunition. Without the Spirit, Bible study does not lead to divine intimacy and union; rather, it can lead to self-sufficiency and confirmation about why we’re right. Instead of leading us to God, it becomes a way for us to protect ourselves and to judge and diminish other people …” ~ Richard Rohr

How we read and apply scripture matters.

1. “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool, then to open it and remove all doubt.” ~ Mark Twain

Oops.

1. “There is a famous black-and-white photograph from the era of the Third Reich. It is a picture taken in Hamburg, Germany in 1936, of shipyard workers, a hundred or more, facing the same direction in the light of the sun. They are heiling in unison, their right arms rigid in outstretched allegiance to the Führer.

If you look closely, you can see a man in the upper right who is different from the others. His face is gentle but unyielding… He is surrounded by fellow citizens caught under the spell of the Nazis. He keeps his arms folded to his chest, as the stiff palms of the others hover just inches from him. He alone is refusing to salute. He is the one man standing against the tide.

Looking back from our vantage point, he is the only person in the entire scene who is on the right side of history. Everyone around him is tragically, fatefully, categorically wrong. In that moment, only he could see it.” Isabel Wilkerson, Caste

“… he is the only person in the entire scene who is on the right side of history.” Chilling, isn’t it? The same thing is happening right now in America. And what are people doing? A whole lot are heiling actually. But not all. Some are boldly standing resolute in their determination to be on the right side of history. And then there’s a whole lot of people who are merely trying to blend into the shadows, as if the shadows can somehow protect them.

Where are you? Heiling, standing boldly, or shadow walking?

1. “ …In every single theater and church I visited on a 17 city book tour, people in the audience shared their terror and despair about what is happening in America, post-Dobbs. And this was before Mr. Trump’s comments about wanting “a unified reich.”

I reminded people that faith is hope with a track record: look at all that we have overcome, individually, as families, as a nation. My husband Neal preaches (to me) that Life tilts towards the good …

John Lennon said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, it’s not the end.” And I do believe this; I just do. I wrote in “Somehow”: “Are love and compassion up to the stark realities we face at the dinner table, and down the street, and at the melting ice caps, and our own Congress? Maybe; I think so. Somehow.”

I believe that love is sovereign here, and goodness, and that Grace bats last. So we push back our sleeves, and become part of the somehow, today, we can do it movement … ” ~ Anne LaMott

1. “If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire. if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.” ~ C.S. Lewis

When we name our desire we are doing a good thing. When we take steps to live into it, we start to feel alive. I like that feeling.

1. “Throughout my Jesuit life, whether I was working in a hospital or a homeless shelter or a prison or a refugee camp, I discovered that I didn’t have to ask myself, “What would Mother Teresa do?” or “What would Francis of Assisi do?” Certainly their lives are superb models for Christian action, but a better question is “What should I do?” I tried to bring all of myself to each of these jobs: all my talents and skills and gifts, as well as my struggles and limitations and failings. I brought all of those things because that’s who God brought there.” ~ James Martin, SJ

Bring your truest self (who God created you to be from the beginning) to whoever you meet and whatever you do.

1. J.R.R. Tolkien told us that “There is some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for.”

The heroes in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy could rightly be called ‘the resistance’, refusing to buckle under intense pressure nor bow to the one who so desperately wanted the ring of power.

They knew who he was and acted accordingly.

1. Daniel Berrigan, an American Jesuit priest, anti-war activist, Christian pacifist, playwright, poet, and author, said: “One is not commanded to be on the winning side, but to be in the right place when the Lord returns.”

“… but to be in the right place when the Lord returns.” I’ve heard it said that “we have far more control over our location than we do outcomes.” Victory is often elusive and even when granted can be disappointing.

I know this. I don’t need to wait for the Lord’s return. Jesus long ago beckoned me to hit the road with Him. So, if you want to find me, I hope that’s where I’ll be. It’s where I need to be. And if I’m not there, find me and talk some sense into me.

1. “Do all the good you can

in all the ways you can

to all the souls you can

in every place you can

and all the times you can

With all the zeal you can

as long as ever you can.” ~ John Wesley

Pray for all our Methodist friends who are knee deep in a rather lengthy and messy conversation regarding the future of their denomination.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-31-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 106 Matthew 11:20, 25-30 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.24.24

1. Harrison Butker, the kicker for the KC Chiefs, delivered a commencement address at Benedictine College in Kansas recently. There’s one cardinal rule for commencement speakers. It’s the same rule kickers have for making field goals. Hit it straight down the middle and people will be happy. Kicking it to the right or left of the goal posts is problematic and you’ll pay for it.

His words proved to be problematic for the Benedictine Sisters who founded the school and they kindly, but with firm resolve and insight let him know they were not happy. Butker, from their vantage point, abandoned the middle and veered to the right.

“The Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have been so invested.

Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division.

One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God’s people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers.

Our community has taught young women and men not just how to be “homemakers” in a limited sense, but rather how to make a Gospel-centered, compassionate home within themselves where they can welcome others as Christ, empowering them to be the best versions of themselves…”

I learned a long time ago not to ‘mess with the nuns’.

My prayer is that Butker and the good Sisters will be inspired to carve out some time to talk this all through. My hunch is that there’s a fair amount of common ground just waiting to be discovered. To get there, however, might require some heavy lifting.

1. “Christianity rooted in patriarchy will always define women first and foremost by their relationship to men.

A Christianity rooted in the gospel of Jesus, will see women, first and foremost, as human beings created in God’s image.”

May we understand the difference.” Rev. Benjamin Cremer

1. Recently, Anita and I went to a concert by ‘Musica Sacra’ based in Sarasota. The program was entitled “American Spirit” and it was wonderful, a true celebration of American creativity.

The artistic director wrote this in the program notes.

“In planning tonight’s program some of my friends began to call it the “patriotic concert”, which made me wince a little. Not because I don’t love my country, but that term has often implied unqualified approval of our past, a whitewashing of our flaws, and an air of superiority over other nations and ethnicities.

We must quickly admit that we were imperfect in our beginnings. Equality for women and for persons of color was so controversial at our founding that both of those issues had to be deferred to a later time. And yet there is something bold and wonderful about a nation dedicating itself to equality for all. This was a remarkable achievement in 1776 and we are still struggling and stumbling toward our ideal – a nation that is “of the people, for the people, and by the people” to quote Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

I am a patriot. Not because I don’t see our many places of inconsistency and injustice, but because I do and refuse to give up on us. The America I love is moving towards equality. It opposes corruption and hypocrisy and tyranny. It works to protect and perfect its democracy.”

I’m all in on the America he loves. May it continue to be so. It’s a crap shoot though cuz right now, democracy is being severely threatened by those who think injustice, corruption, hypocrisy, and tyranny are virtues.

1. In the last week how has God shown Himself to you? What was the experience, who was the person, what was the piece of art, what story from scripture, what reminder from nature did God use to get your attention?

2. ”Read. Seek intimacy with the scriptures. Read things more than once. Read across time, space, culture, ethnicity and experience. Read things that are too hard. Read things that are too easy.”~ Beth Felker Jones, Rules for Doing Theology

3. “During my theology studies, one student asked our New Testament professor about Jesus’ self-knowledge. I remember the fellow stood up to ask a series of long and impassioned questions: When Jesus thought about himself, asked the student, did he know he was divine? When he prayed, how did he relate to God the Father? How did he know what he was supposed to do? Did he know that he was the Messiah? What did he think about the miracles he performed? Overall, what was his inner life like? My professor, a distinguished scholar and dedicated priest, listened carefully, paused for a moment and said, “We have no idea.”

Still, it’s a fascinating question, and one that every serious Christian needs to grapple with.” ~ James Martin, SJ

What are your questions? Are you OK if the answer is “We have no idea?” For some of you, I know that cuts across the grain of your beliefs and/or training but, seriously, a faith without mystery is no faith at all. Attempts to make everything fit together perfectly and coherently are doomed to failure. A life of faith is defined, in part, by accepting and appreciating the many, many moments of unknowing, trusting that God is still alive and well and passionately in love with us.

1. Journalist and Presbyterian Minister Chris Hedges reminds us that “Economics dominates politics-and with that domination comes forms of ruthlessness.”

“The promise was that when the glass was full, it would overflow, benefiting the poor. What happens instead is that when the glass is full it magically gets bigger, but nothing ever comes out for the poor.” ~ Pope Francis

Trickle down economics insists that if we cut taxes for the rich and their enterprises a ‘trickle down’ effect will take place and it will be a blessing for the downtrodden.There will be less need for government subsidies and investment in programs that help the impoverished. Nope. Study after study indicates that the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

Selfishness is a ruthless habit that easily becomes a lifestyle.

8.”The wrong idea has taken root in the world. And the idea is this: there just might be lives out there that matter less than other lives.” ~ Greg Boyle, Homeboy Industries

1. “Why do we have to spend our lives striving to be something we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things which, if we only stopped to think about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for?” ~ Thomas Merton

Why indeed.

1. “Something beautiful,

something good

All my confusion He understood

All I had to offer Him

was brokenness and strife

But he made something beautiful

of my life” ~ Bill Gaither

This chorus has spoken to my heart many times, especially when I failed, caved in to selfishness, got mired in disappointment and walked away from what I knew was true. And then God (how sweet are those three words) breathed life into my troubled and wounded soul.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-24-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 105 Matthew 11:1-6 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Lesa Engelthaler joins me to talk about her delightful new children’s book Joan of Art. It’s the perfect book to get into the hands of kids of all ages. It’s an inspiring story of self expression where young Joan harnesses the bravery of her namesake, Joan of Arc, as she finds the courage to be herself. A message that rings true for any age! You’ll enjoy the conversation and you will have also found a wonderful gift for the children in your life!

Where to find Lesa Engelthaler:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

The post Lesa Engelthaler – episode 383 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings.5.17.24

1. To remain silent when people are being treated unjustly, is problematic at best. At its worst it is flat out sinful.

Folks justify their silence, though, by saying “I don’t want to make waves.” Or, “It’s none of my business.” Or if “I say something my friends at work, school, and/or church will wonder if I’m still one of them.”

I understand these things. I’ve done my fair share of not doing anything and fear is something I’m acquainted with, perhaps even too acquainted.

However, I also claim to be a follower of Jesus. The Jesus I know made it his business to speak truth to power and in the process he made some waves. Religious leaders didn’t care much for His truth telling nor were they thrilled with the waves he created so they came after Him hard.

It seems to me that where there is injustice, good people need to find a way to speak up and make those Jesus style waves because someone has to remind the bad people that what they are doing is unconscionable.

1. Wisdom from Anne Lamott:

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.”

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.”

“I’m here to be me, which is taking a great deal longer than I had hoped.”

1. Around

every corner

opposition

and

opportunity

show up

prepare

for both.

1. “Our whole business in this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.” ~ St. Augustine

I really, really love this. I see it as an invitation to first restore to health the eye of my heart and to help others do the same.

1. Hunter S. Thompson was a writer and social critic in the latter part of the last century. It was said of him “that he feared the straight-laced and bland existence” and so he “often made himself ugly to expose the ugliness around him.” Sadly, he ended up taking his own life.

I confess I’m drawn to thoughtful rebels. That’s why so many Christian ‘saints’ appeal to my sensibilities and why I find ways to hear the echoes of the prophets in the writings of people like Hunter Thompson. As Mother Theresa said: “God often comes to us in a distressing disguise.”

Thompson wrote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

It gets me thinking. How then shall I finish my life? Now, I’m just speaking for myself, but straight laced and bland doesn’t sound nearly as inviting as “Wow! What a Ride?””

How about you?

1. I’ve been rereading James Martin’s book “ Becoming Who You Are. Insights on the True Self.” The book is only 99 pages long but it sure does explain true self/false/self in a winsome way. Here’s a sample:

“Thomas Merton identified the false self as “the person that we wish to present to the world, and the person we want the whole world to revolve around…”

James Martin, a Jesuit priest, says of the false self. “I had created, over many years, this persona, this other self, which I thought would be pleasing to everyone: to my family, my friends, my professors. And this “false self,” separated from my true desires, was sure that a life in corporate America was the right path. This false self was sure about everything.”

Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest, says “Our false self is who we think we are. It is our mental self-image and social agreement, which most people spend their whole lives living up to—or down to. Keeping this false self alive requires a good deal of work…”

1. There is a centuries-old aphorism, sometimes attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, that states, “God writes straight with crooked lines.”

The meaningful movements in our life very rarely follow a straight course. At least that’s true for me. Nothing is wasted in our walk and talk with God. It’s just that sometimes we get lost in the twists and turns of life and discouragement sets in. If we lay claim to the discouragement we’re sizzled. When we embrace the twists and turns and prayerfully try to make sense of them something good begins to happen.

9.. “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.” ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“The winner is the last man standing” they’ll proclaim. So stinkin’ sad. For them. For us. There’s a lot of folks talking about and doing evil these days. They are almost impossible to ignore and if you can’t spot them – well, that says something doesn’t it?

1. This is from Heather Cox Richardson:

“…Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow in the Washington Post revealed that last month, at a private meeting with about two dozen top oil executives at Mar-a-Lago, Trump offered to reverse President Joe Biden’s environmental rules designed to combat climate change and to stop any new ones from being enacted in exchange for a $1 billion donation.

Trump has promised his supporters that he would be an outsider, using his knowledge of business to defend ordinary Americans against those elites who don’t care about them. Now he has been revealed as being willing to sell us out—to sell humanity out—for the bargain basement price of $1 billion (with about 8 billion people in the world, this would make us each worth about 12 and a half cents).

Chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration Richard Painter wrote: “This is called bribery. It’s a felony… even a candidate who loses can be prosecuted for bribery…”

Quid pro quo is one of his favorite games and finding players for it is never a problem for him but playing it at the expense of environmental protections is ‘mad man’ crazy.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-17-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 104 Matthew 8:28-34 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-10-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 103 John 17:13-19 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Our soul speaks, but can we hear it? This is the question Marsha Crockett poses in her new book Speak, My Soul: Listening to the Divine With Holy Purpose. What does it look like to search for quiet in the midst of our noisy and overcrowded lives? Crockett invites us in to conversation with and opens up space for sitting with the Divine. If you are looking for a way to discern the Divine’s prompting in your daily life, check out this weeks podcast.

Find Marsha in the following places:

Website

Facebook

The post Marsha Crockett – episode 382 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.3.24.

1. “Can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the United States at an event that doesn’t begin with a bailiff saying ‘all rise’?” ~ Colin Jost, White House Correspondents Dinner

Our previous president hated this event and stayed far away from it. He couldn’t handle the thought that people would have a little fun at his expense. He also lacked the requisite skills to do any kind of smart and clever humor sparring.

1. How then shall we live as people of faith in a troubling political climate? I recently attended a program at our church featuring NY Times Opinion Columnist, David French, who addressed this question. He suggested taking a long hard look at Micah 6:8.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.”

Good advice. But then he suggested that we flip it upside down and start with learning how to “walk humbly with our God.” From his vantage point ‘humility’ in Christian circles has gone into hiding.

He’s spot on. If we prioritize walking humbly with God perhaps loving mercy and acting justly will become second nature to us. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“Step out of the traffic!

Take a long, loving look at me,

your High God,

above politics,

above everything.” ~ Psalm 46:10 MSG

1. “Christian spirituality is a spirituality of descent. It invites us to follow Jesus on a journey of self-emptying surrender.” David Benner

And through that descent and surrender we don’t necessarily get to the place we aspire to be but we will find ourselves in the place God intends us to be.

1. “I might believe in the Redeemer if his followers look more redeemed.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

‘Christians behaving badly’ is far too common. They make Jesus look a little suspect. But there’s still a whole lot of true Christ followers who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. They don’t flaunt their Christianity. They don’t politicize their Christianity. They just try to live it out fully. We dare not forget about them. They are the church.

Author David Gushee challenges us by saying:

“Better is one day in the company of those bullied by Christians but loved by Jesus than thousands in the company of those wielding scripture to harm the weak and defenseless.”

1. “Franciscan spirituality asks us to let go, to recognize that there is enough to go around to meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed. A worldview of enoughness will predictably emerge in us as we realize our naked being in God instead of thinking that more of anything or more frenetic doing can fill up our infinite longing and restlessness. Francis did not just tolerate or endure simplicity; he loved it and called it poverty. Francis dove into simplicity and found his freedom there. This is hard for most of us to even comprehend.

Francis knew that climbing ladders to nowhere would never make us happy nor create peace and justice on this earth. Too many have to stay at the bottom of the ladder so some can be at the top. Living simply helps level the playing field and offers abundance and enoughness to all, regardless of our status or state of belonging to religion or group.” ~ Richard Rohr

“There is enough to go around to meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed.” Yes, that’s true.

1. “It’s OK to be heartbroken for more than one group of people at the same time.’ – Source unknown

I can weep with the Jews and mourn with the Palestinians.

I can weep for the people of Ukraine and still mourn for the citizens of Russia who are oppressed.

1. “…Native people are listening to the wind to see if there’s a song in it for us. It might sound esoteric, but we’re listening to the way that we “spin in silence” by hearing what I believe is perhaps Creator’s most communicative means on earth—which is creation.  

I think of that when I read Luke chapter 4, the story where Jesus goes out into the wilderness for forty days. The idea we’ve been taught is that he is tempted for forty days, but everybody knows that you can’t be tempted for forty days. Let’s say the temptations took up ten days—well, what about the other thirty? What was he doing? Jesus was watching creation. He was observing what was going on around him. He was listening. The reason that we know that is because when he comes back, he talks about creation for the rest of his life. He talks about flowers and birds and trees and seeds and crops and the earth, and the soil. He could have talked about all kinds of things—Roman chariots and their power and aqueducts and the ingenuity involved—but that’s not what we have a record of. What we have a record of is someone who seemed to be at peace with the quietness of creation.…” ~ The Center for Action and Contemplation, Randy Woodley

Creation speaks. Just go to a sunset.

1. “Any message that is not related to the liberation of the poor in a society is not Christ’s message. Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology.” ~ James Cone

Check your personal and your church’s messaging and theology. If it doesn’t contain the language of liberation I’d start asking questions.

1. “Take Jesus out of the box you’ve put him in and he’ll help you get out of that box you created for yourself.” ~ Source unknown

There are boxes everywhere and they all need to be opened and then possibly destroyed lest we cave into the temptation to use them again.

1. The brilliant comedian and movie actor W. C. Fields was not known as a religious man, but as his death approached he began to look through the Bible. When a friend asked him about this behavior he humorously explained that he was just “looking for loopholes.”

In one way or another, we all do that don’t we?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-03-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 102 John 17:6-12 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.26.24

1. “The Good Samaritan story is not just an example of compassionate spirituality. It is a critique against religious passivity. If church people won’t work for justice and mercy, God will find some other people who will.” ~ Rich Villodas

No doubt about it, church people are and have been working for justice and mercy for a long time. But it’s not all church people. Too many are still on the sidelines. Is God looking elsewhere to find people willing and able to take up the slack? Sure. That makes sense and comes as no surprise to me that sideline Christians are miffed by that. You see, they don’t want in on the action and at the same time don’t want anyone else taking their place.

That’s just not the way it works. When God has a mission, he finds those people willing to fulfill it. Those who say no can be miffed if they want but that doesn’t stop God from finding those who will say ‘yes’.

1. “People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’ … If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” ~ Martha Gellhorn

How deeply we invest ourselves in politics will vary from person to person, right? Some invest too deeply and become too absorbed with it and find their lives are out of balance. But that can be easily corrected. But to dismiss politics altogether is frankly, irresponsible.

1. Jordan Klepper on the Daily Show asks the question -“Has Trump ever considered paying himself hush money?”

After the ex-president seemed to fall asleep in court, Jimmy Kimmel said it was “nice to see even Donald Trump is exhausted by Donald Trump.”

He exhausts us all. He takes up way too much space and energy. He’s noisy even when he’s being hushed. And he does it without much real effort but in the process still manages to conjure up malice towards many.

Pray for the jurors in the trial in Manhattan. They’re between a rock and a hard place.

1. “My life is a megaphone through which God speaks.” ~ Albert Haase OFM

This week my life as a megaphone has been saying ‘let’s give peace a chance’.

1. “The good news is that amidst our searching lives, our broken relationships, our battles with addiction, our desperate, reaching out for something more, our fractured, and hurting world, Jesus Christ reaches out to us with the compelling vision of another kind of life. He comes to us in his risen presence and says to each one of us.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Another kind of life is available to you. You are invited into a legitimate pilgrimage to the heart of my Abba father, who loves you beyond your wildest imaginings. As you keep company with me, my sisters and brothers will become your new family. Overtime I will reveal to you God‘s personal calling for your life. I will show you how you can partner with me in healing my Father’s world. Along the way, I will slowly transform you into the loving, compassionate, and generous person you were meant to be. My powerful spirit will set you free from whatever enslaves you and will empower you to act on behalf of the common good. Above all, there’s nothing that will ever separate you from the Father’s love with which I love you. This is the divine vision I have for your one life on earth.” ~ Trevor Hudson, Seeking God

I think all this is extraordinary good news. Hudson reminds us that this kind of life is not for passive observers but rather “for those serious enough to ache for it, reach out for it, and turn into it …if we want to enter this life that God gives, you and I must become seekers.”

1. The Christian Coaching Network offers this perspective.

“Christian nationalism is just plain old nationalism in which Jesus is trotted out as a mascot to endorse something that bears absolutely no resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount or apostolic Christianity.”

Mascot Jesus is essentially powerless but in the wrong hands can be used to help create a counterfeit version of Christianity. How can we know what’s real and what’s counterfeit? Read and reread and pray through the Gospels. Immerse yourself in the person, words, and work of Jesus. Do this consistently and in no time at all, anything counterfeit will be easy to spot.

1. A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.” ~ Booker T. Washington

Be diligent and discerning. Look for truth and proclaim it. Fight wrong. Stand against evil. Oppose the liars. Become the resistance. Don’t just go along to get along. Throughout history a committed minority challenged the status quo and became change agents.

9. “I have come to regard with some suspicion those who claim that the Bible never troubles them. I can only assume this means they haven’t actually read it.” ~ Rachel Held Evans

Some have told me that “if the Bible says it, I believe it.” Hmmm. Here’s my take. Scripture consoles me and welcomes me. It teaches me and reminds me that there’s a God and it ain’t me. Often, I wrestle with scripture, ask questions of it and look to the heavens and say “seriously?”

Evans is right. If the Bible you read doesn’t trouble you at times, you’re reading it wrong.

10. “A system in which the power of the “good guys” is derived from opposing the “bad guys” is a bad system. A very bad system. No matter who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are.” ~ Karen Swallow Prior

‘Tis indeed a bad system. Very bad actually. There is nothing noble about it. Immaturity and vindictiveness defines it.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 04-26-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 101 Matthew 5:1-10 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.19.24

1. Listening to ‘Pray as You Go’ recently, I was touched by The Kyiv Chamber Choir singing the Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”

In the midst of growing uncertainty in Ukraine about its future as a country, voices there are still being raised in song to proclaim belief and allegiance to their God.

It was, therefore, quite humbling to join them in their profession of faith knowing full well the devil was on their doorstep.

In our country MAGA legislators are increasingly hesitant to offer Ukraine continued aid and support. Why? Because their standard bearer doesn’t want them to and they lack the courage to defy him.

‘Tis a sad state of affairs when Americans turn away from friends, listen to scoundrels and give a tip of the hat to tyrants.

1. “When our story is told a century from now – and it will be – how much of the American church ran after idols and delusions, false christs and conspiracies, history will not only fault the pastors for not confronting us with the truth but the congregations who forbade them to.” ~ Beth Moore

“Friends, I honestly believe that the container of American Christianity is breaking apart in ways that cannot be fixed. This is painful and scary. But what might get itself born in the ashes? How could the peace-making, enemy-loving, neighbor-serving Way of Jesus find new and dynamic life in our aching world? In you and me? What goodness and justice and healing are we going to be FOR? Bring it on.” ~ Aaron Niequist

1. You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

I see that happening in big and small ways every day. It’s easy to look at the ‘crazy people’ but they aren’t in the majority. They just think they are.

1. Hundreds of people walk the 2,000 plus miles of the Appalachian Trail every year for a variety of reasons. They seem to find something, often themselves, during the journey. Many find the contentment and happiness that has been lacking in their life. Others come to grips with a deep wounding and begin healing. Some find peace after a loss of some sort. Some see it as a pilgrimage of sorts or a test of fitness and resolve. Whatever the reason, something changes in them.

May we all embark on a journey that brings us to an understanding of the truer meaning of self, of God, and our place in the thick of it all, huh? It doesn’t have to be a two thousand mile walk but whatever it is, make it epic.

1. Which state will come up with the most stupefying anti-abortion legislation?

Arizona is the current front runner. They’re way ahead of the pack but rest assured other states will do whatever is necessary to catch up. And the unifying thread will be that the life of the mother will be an afterthought, medical professionals will be put in a moral quandary, and resources to enrich the life of the child who is in born will be scant.

And the legislators will insist they’re doing God’s will.

1. I was challenged to think about people by asking the question: Is he/she a hero, villain, or victim?

What a great discussion starter.

Grab some thoughtful friends. Throw some names of newsmakers into a hat. Pull them out one at a time. Ask the question. Hero, victim or villain? Could make for a great evening.

Throw your own name into the hat and make it dicier or use hero, victim, villain as a private Examen. I promise that it will prove to be a sobering reflection.

1. Well the eclipse came and went but the rapture never arrived. Surprised? Or did the rapture occur and none of us made the cut?

I’m not a member of the ‘left behind’ fan club. The theology supporting it is iffy and those packing and repacking their bags while awaiting the trumpet call, look a little silly. Plus they miss the point of being a true disciple. They want out of the troubles in our world. Unfortunately for them, Jesus has always called us to be healers, beckoning us not to escape but rather to engage.

But if we engage will we have enough time left to peddle those other time consuming things – like conspiracy theories? The answer is no and that will be a blessing for you and to others. The absence of stupid things will give you the freedom to breathe life into your tired soul and people will begin to trust you again.

1. As I continue the next steps of my own journey I continue to wrestle with the realization that the world wants young and pretty. Is there still room for someone who’s old and cute? OK, maybe not cute. That might be a stretch. How about winsome? Instead of old, maybe weathered is a better word. Or seasoned. So, instead of old and cute, is there room for someone who’s winsome and weathered?

2. After eight years attending and serving at Church of the Palms, PCUSA in Sarasota, we signed on the dotted line and became members.

Amidst the packet of materials we were given was this gem of a statement regarding the Bible. It reads: “We Presbyterians don’t believe that the authors of the Bible were ‘the pens of God’ but rather they were inspired by God to reveal God to all people.”

I’m always encouraged by the thought that the words in the Book are the real words of real people who were divinely inspired to write about their authentic experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly) with the Living God.

I’m further encouraged by the thought that even today ordinary people are still inspired to write, revealing what they know of God to others. They build upon the old stories and the wisdom of the spiritually curious across the ages, and then apply it in the words of today, all the while inviting the Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of their readers. In many respects they’re writing the 29th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

1. Great prayer. Linger a bit in each pause.

Be still and know I am God. (pause)

Be still and know I am (pause)

Be still and know (pause)

Be still (pause)

Be (pause)

Be still (pause)

Be still and know (pause)

Be still and know I am. (pause)

Be still and know I am God. (pause)

The post Mike’s Rumblings 04-19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 100 John 10:11-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 99 John 20:24-29 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.5.2

1. “All four gospels witness to Mary Magdalene as the premiere witness to the resurrection – alone or in a group, but in all cases named by name. . . All four gospels insist that when the other disciples are fleeing, Mary Magdalene stands firm. She does not run, she does not betray or lie about her commitment, she witnesses. But why, one wonders, do the Holy Week liturgies tell and retell Peter’s threefold denial of Jesus, while the steady, unwavering witness of Magdalene is not even noticed? …” ~ Cynthia Bourgeault, The Meaning of Mary Magdalene

When the guys continue to interpret and tell the story of faith some of the very best ideas and people get pushed to the side. It’s sad. It still happens. It needs to stop.

1. “I’m so tired of him. I’m tired of people pretending he’s not a fool. I’m tired of his lies. I’m tired of his sickening amorality. I’m tired of his face, his voice, his smirk. I’m tired of his inability to say even one thing remotely kind or humble or appropriate, ever.” ~ Source unknown.

I am so tired of him too. The man really needs to get some help. Intellectually, he’s shallow. Physically, he’s a mess. Spiritually, he’s dead. Ethically, he’s a joke. Emotionally, he’s a toddler. When you consider his patriotism, nothing rings true.

And my prayer is that he’ll hit rock bottom, get the help he desperately needs, seek God and then just fade away, vowing to no longer do harm.

That’s the best prayer I can offer at the present time.

1. “My desire to be well informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.” Don’t know who said this but he/she is spot on.

I’m choosing to be informed. I think that’s the responsible thing for me to do. But in smaller doses.

1. Our church in Sarasota, as well as most others throughout the world, held a simple Good Friday Service. After each somber movement in our liturgy the lights were dimmed until at the very end, there was no light at all. Just darkness. And we were dismissed into that darkness and invited to sit in it until the glow and delight of Easter revealed itself.

Another church in town met in a park on Good Friday and went high octane with a big crowd, a circus high wire act, a celebrity testimony, Good Friday food stations (huh?), a helicopter dropping candy and there was face painting and bouncy houses for the kids Whew. All this on the day Jesus died.

A bit much? I think so. I’m not saying people weren’t blessed but from my vantage point, jumping from death to resurrection so quickly misses the point. There’s a formational piece that needs attention. There’s much to learn in the darkness. And it takes time to learn it.

Ever taste really good brisket? The grill masters know it’s all about low and slow cooking. Good Friday and Holy Saturday beg us to go low and slow, to give the story a chance to reveal its full flavor.

1. In an exclusive excerpt from his forthcoming biography, McKay Coppins reveals what drove Senator Mitt Romney of Utah to retire. The hypocrisy and cynicism of his party, and the loneliness he felt within it, had worn him down. Romney said, “A very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.”

Romney is right. The party he once represented has fallen apart and punched their ticket to the dark side of a constitutional abyss.

A democracy depends on good will, win/win decision making, sincere effort, a commitment to rule of law and a fidelity to a constitution. Ouch. Our democracy is in trouble. Sincere efforts and good will have gone into hiding. Win/win decision making is seemingly out of vogue, and constitutional loyalty is on life support.

It’s not too late to right the ship but whoa, I sincerely doubt that the party Romney walked away from, is up to the task.

1. The cartoon by Dave Waymond was of a mother and two daughters walking. They were dressed in Handmaid’s Tale garb. The oldest of the two daughters asks her mother: “But why didn’t you vote against them? Why didn’t you try to stop them from taking it all away?”

Mom responded: “Well, back then gas prices were quite high honey …?”

In other words, she chose the quick fix and ignored the big picture. May we all resist the temptation to take shortcuts.

1. Two pathways.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ~ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.” ~ The Great Gatsby (1925)

Be beautiful, not careless.

1. March Madness. I have especially enjoyed watching the women play. There’s something about the way they approach the game that is really captivating. It’s not a dunkfest. They’re playing below the rim. It’s four quarters, not two halves. There’s a practiced precision at work. The players are enjoying themselves. Bravo. Plus, they are drawing huge, huge numbers.

2. “Christianity can be confusing, but the way of Jesus was pretty clear:

Move toward the poor

Empower women

Throw parties

Poke holes in oppressive systems

Forgive your enemy

Don’t store up wealth

Be present w/ people

Push back darkness

Heal

Announce

Love well

The kingdom is near” ~ Dan Sadlier

The post Mike’s Rumblings 04-05-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 98 John 20:19-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.29.24

1. Find a Good Friday service that will allow you to linger with all the stories of Holy Week, to feel the sting of betrayal, the deep emotion of the Cross, and the fear of the disciples. Find a service that will allow you to wrestle with the uncertainty of the moment, that invites you to experience the silence of Saturday. Find a service that allows you to put yourself into the narrative and urges you to stay expectant.

Do that and Easter Sunday will be all the sweeter.

1. Frodo: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”

Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

There are days when I’m convinced we are standing before the very gates of Mordor, outnumbered and afraid. If you experience it similarly, join me in spending some time today sitting quietly in the Presence of God, who is never outnumbered and never fearful.

1. “You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what you will

Give me only your love and your grace

That is enough for me.

Amen.” ~ Pray as You Go

What a challenging, aspirational prayer. “Give me only your love and grace. That is enough for me.”

Praying these words as part of my spiritual practice has reminded me that my desire for a God who is ‘enough’ is still strong. Without that desire, I’m sizzled.

1. Let nothing disturb you. / Let nothing upset you. / Everything changes. / God alone is unchanging. / With patience all things are possible. / Whoever has God lacks nothing. / God alone is enough.” ~ Teresa of Ávila

I believe this but am often befuddled by the aura of mystery contained within it, delighted with the simple truth it proclaims, and frustrated by my inability at times to live in a less perturbed manner.

1. In the 20th century (generally speaking) “Protestant Christians set out to make America Christian and ended up making Christianity American.” ~ Stanley Hauerwas

“If our Christianity causes us to look at how a poor person spends their welfare check with inherent suspicion all while we look at how the exorbitantly rich accumulate mass amounts of wealth with inherent admiration, we need a grand reversal.

Beware of any Christian movement that demands the government be an instrument of God’s wrath but never a source of God’s, mercy, generosity, or compassion.” ~ Rev Benjamin Cremer

1. On his deathbed Francis of Assisi said: “I have done what was mine to do, may Christ now teach you what you are to do.”

Francis also said: “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

True. However, I’d like to see more than one candle. Just sayin’.

1. Adam Kinzinger, former GOP Congressman who served on the Jan. 6 Committee writes:.“I watched a Trump rally (so you don’t have to) and was repeatedly struck by one thing: The number of seniors, who should be enjoying the sunset years of their lives, consumed with rage and anger.”

The platform of the Republican Party is the MAGA agenda and the MAGA agenda consists of two words – Donald Trump – and those two words can be translated as Chaos. That kind of chaos produces rage and anger. And some of you reading this are OK with the chaos, welcome it, and say it is ‘of the Lord’.

That’s where you lose me. There is no moral substance to your argument. There is nothing suggesting the fruits of the Spirit are in play.

1. It seems we Christians have been worshiping Jesus’ journey instead of doing his journey. The worshiping feels very religious; the latter just feels human and ordinary. We are not human beings on a journey toward Spirit; we are already spiritual beings on a journey toward becoming fully human, which for some reason seems harder—precisely because it is so ordinary.” ~ Richard Rohr

2. Maggie Kuhn, forced to retire from the Presbyterian Church at the age 65, decided she had a whole lot of living left to do and so she founded the Gray Panthers, an advocacy group for older Americans. Ms. Kuhn famously said. ”Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.”

“A ship in harbor is safe — but that is not what ships are built for.” ~ John A.Shedd

Thoreau once wrote: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” To which someone added: “and die with their song still inside them.”

Ships are meant to sail. Lives are meant to be lived. Songs need to be sung. Speaking your mind, shaky as it might be, on behalf of others, is a noble endeavor.

Why live in quiet desperation when there’s still so much before us that can breathe life into our troubled souls? For those who are truly hopelessly desperate, let’s be there for them.

1. “Earth’s crammed with heaven

And every bush afire with God.

But only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit around and pluck blackberries.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The post Mike’s Rumblings 03-29-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 97 John 19:12-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.22.24

1. “As my spiritual director and I transitioned into a new kind of relationship I was still thinking that the answers would come primarily through verbal exchange. I was hoping for advice and a quick fix—in 3 easy steps if possible! Now, I thought, rather than doing psychological talking we would do spiritual talking. And we did do some talking but eventually this wise woman said to me, “Ruth you are like a jar of river water all shaken up. What you need is to sit still long enough so the sediment can settle, and the water can become clear.” ~ Ruth Haley Barton, The Transforming Center

May ‘sitting still often enough’ become a foundational habit of our lives. I’ve been doing just that this week. Too much sediment floating around in my life. I need things to settle a bit.

1. “There is an old tale where the rabbi was asked by one of his students “Why did God create atheists?”

After a long pause, the rabbi finally responded with a soft but sincere voice. “God created atheists” he said, “to teach us the most important lesson of them all – the lesson of true compassion. You see, when an atheist performs an act of charity, visits someone who is sick, helps someone in need, and cares for the world, he is not doing so because of some religious teaching. He does not believe that God commanded him to perform this act. In fact, he does not believe in God at all, so his actions are based on his sense of morality. Look at the kindness he bestows on others simply because he feels it to be right.

When someone reaches out to you for help. You should never say ‘I’ll pray that God will help you.’ Instead, for that moment, you should become an atheist – imagine there is no God who could help, and say ‘I will help you’.” ~ Martin Buber, Tales of Hasidim

Brilliant. I can picture Jesus smiling.

1. “To show compassion for an individual without showing concern for the structures of society that make him an object of compassion is to be sentimental rather than loving.” ~ William Sloan Coffin, Jr.

In other words, embrace both the person and his/her circumstances. Help fix what needs fixing. Think wholistically.

1. It’s well past the time for Netanyahu to call for new elections in Israel.

2. As the MAGA rhetoric becomes more and more extreme and combative, those who are deliberately unaware become pawns in a very nefarious effort to destabilize our country and to damage democracy across the globe.

Most people, I’ve discovered, don’t really want the truth. They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth. So, they spend their time in an echo chamber of ideas that won’t tax their intellect nor challenge their assumptions. It’s a very, very, sad and sinful way to live.

Rev. Benjamin Cremer reminds us that “a Christian approach to politicians should sound like, “how will their policies impact my neighbor who I am called to love?” not “do they dislike the same people I do?”

1. “It is a serious thing

Just to be alive

on this fresh morning

In this broken world.” ~ Mary Oliver

Yes, it is. Every day is an Esther (for such a time as this) moment, waking us to the possibilities before us in the ‘here and right now.’ May we embrace that which is offered to us.

1. “And it is here that I realize how lucky I am.

I could so easily have learned to be afraid of diversity.

I could have believed the lie that my whiteness is better.

I could have been polluted by toxic religion enough to hate queer people.

I could have imagined that America was the totality of the world.

I could have learned to parrot back myths about Muslims and migrants and transgender teenagers.

I could have fallen for the dangerous conspiracies and been taken in by the big lies.

I could have weaponized God and country.

And I know the fact that I somehow haven’t isn’t necessarily a matter of greater character or higher intelligence than those who grew up in similar privilege—but a combination of better information, dumb luck, and the presence of some really beautiful people who helped me transcend the smallness and the sameness of my surroundings when others were not able to.” ~ Jon Pavlovitz

1. The man on Facebook said to me: “Trump is the best thing that’s ever happened to America.”

My response: “I will pray that God gives you a much more compelling vision of best.”

1. “Putin has criminalized the expression of any alternative opinions. This is not an election; it’s a selection.” Alena Popova, Russian Human Rights Activist

I will remember these words of warning as I prepare to vote. I hope you will too for there are those already in our midst who want selections, not elections.

1. Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat Head Coach, has always asked his players to live into a simple philosophy: “Significant success is a result of a commitment to the collective. It’s about selflessness and sacrifice and always about what-about-we, never what-about-me.”

I find this to be quite refreshing.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 03-22-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 96 Mark 14:1-6 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Sarah Bessey joins me on the podcast to talk about her latest book, Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith. Sarah is one of the founders of Evolving Faith, a conference and an online community for people who are reimagining their faith with hope. One of the reasons I wanted to talk with Sarah Bessey is that she has spent time in the wilderness. She is a faithful and trusted guide for those pursuing a reconstruction of spirituality centered on compassion, truth, and inclusion. Check out our conversation. Field Notes for the Wilderness might just be the companion you are looking for on your journey.

Find Sarah in the following places:

• Website
• Substack
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Sarah Bessey – episode 381 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.15.24

1. “It was kind of a tense night, because it feels like this might be the last time we get a State of the Union. Depending on what happens in November, next year might just be a Kid Rock concert and an immigrant catapult.” ~ Stephen Colbert

What needed to be called out at the State of the Union was called out. And so the battle lines keep being drawn.

Authoritarianism vs Democracy.

Toddler vs Grownup.

Retribution vs Justice

Truth vs Lies

Order vs Chaos

1. What is premeditated ignorance?

“It is the quality or condition of deliberate unawareness. It is when people do not know because they do not want to know. For, if they did know they would have to take responsibility for that knowledge and they would thereby be required to renegotiate their identity and to relinquish the status, privilege and authority that are derived from the false order of knowledge. At the very worst, they would be compelled to leave their comfort zone.” ~ Source unknown

Of course, MAGA, and its various subsidiaries are the gold standard for cultivating premeditated ignorance and as Katie Britt reminded us – they’re also really quite adept at premeditated lying.

Perhaps a 12 step program for the deliberately unaware is needed. But who would attend? Who is going to break rank and admit they need help?

1. Love these pithy tidbits from Shane Claiborne.

“Those who follow Jesus should attract the same people Jesus attracted and frustrate the same people Jesus frustrated.”

“I can’t imagine Jesus waving an American flag any more than I can see him wearing a “God Bless Rome” shirt.”

“Patriotism is too small.”

Our Bible doesn’t say “For God so loved America. It says “For God so loved the world. America First is a theological heresy.”

1. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German pastor, theologian and martyr was asked, in 1943, how it was possible for the Church to sit back and let Hitler seize absolute power. His firm answer was that cheap grace was being offered and costly discipleship was being dismissed.

“Cheap grace,” Bonhoeffer suggested, “is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, and absolution without personal confession”

My friend Charles Emery reminds us that “we live in a time and culture that not only teaches cheap grace…but praises it.”

1. Norm Chomsky: “Education is not memorizing that Hitler killed six million Jews. Education is understanding how millions of ordinary Germans were convinced that it was required. Education is learning how to spot the signs of history repeating itself.”

Where are you seeing history on the verge of repeating itself? If it’s a repeat of something hurtful, what should you be doing to help stop it?

1. “You take the lies off him, and he’ll shrink to the size of your hat. Take the malice out of him, and he’ll disappear.” ~ Mark Twain

We should be so lucky.

1. During my years in full-time ministry, I found myself writing and preaching sermons I knew would rattle more than a few cages, even my own. Oftentimes, even when I wanted to play it safe, the biblical text of the day just wouldn’t allow it, for it had a fierceness and a challenge that could not be ignored.

I preached one of those kind of sermons in Reno back in the day. At the end of the service a very prominent man, who I knew was at church to take another look at the Christian faith he had long abandoned, approached me. He shook my hand, smiled and simply said: “Well done. You really are a provocative S.O.B.”

And then he walked away.

He wasn’t being crass. Not at all. He was paying a compliment.

I appreciated the fact he didn’t mind getting his cage rattled. Others, over the years, did mind but that’s a storyfest for another time.

1. “An entire branch of the Christian family has lost its way. We were more discipled by the American Dream than Jesus’ peace-making, enemy-loving, neighbor-serving Way, and the natural outcome was to rally around a truly anti-Jesus-way strongman who promised us power. We exchanged the beatitudes for the bluster of Barabbas …” ~ Aaron Niequist

“Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion – which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God’s will – from their own.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

1. “We need the wisdom of a “full prophet,” one who can love and yet criticize, one who can speak their words of correction out of an experience of gratitude, not anger. We have to pray to God to teach us that.” ~ Richard Rohr

Let’s join him in that prayer.

1. Thanks for your prayers for my knee surgery last week. I’m on the mend. During my two day hospital stay I met and had conversations with medical staff who had immigrated from Mexico. Argentina, the Philippines, Columbia, Korea, and Viet Nam.

Word on the street advises me that I’m lucky to have gotten out alive, that I survived the wrath of the immigrants. But guess what? No one threatened me. There was not one gang member, thief, criminal, drug trafficker or rapist in the bunch. Not one of them looked like the ‘poison in the blood of our country.’ That can’t be right. I’ve been told over and over again to be afraid, very afraid.

So, where do all the waves of misinformation come from? Who’s behind it? Basically, it all comes from one man who just makes stuff up as he goes along. He is both the origin and transmitter of crap. It’s garbage in/garbage out. And his peeps eat it up and can’t get enough.

From my vantage point, these immigrants I met all seemed like regular folks who came to our country looking for an answer to a problem they were facing. They weren’t interested in becoming a problem. They came looking for freedom, not to be punched in the face by those wanting to deny them that freedom.

We can fix border issues. It won’t be easy but it’s doable. But can we fix the hateful rhetoric that fuels our response to those issues? Going forward, we can certainly deal with the hate if we choose to vote for people who aren’t haters.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 03-15-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 95 John 13:12-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.8.24

1. I’ve been thinking about Christian Nationalism. Here’s my current best shot at explaining/reacting to it.

“Christian Nationalism is a conservative political/religious movement that weds MAGA to Evangelicalism. It is a movement of mostly grievance laden. white people who are distrustful of diversity, who believe America would be better as a theocracy, admires authoritarian leaders and thinks we should have one as President. Its adherents basically think that the Sermon on the Mount is more than a bit too touchy-feely and that perhaps Jesus should have thought twice before rejecting Satan’s temptations. Stoking fear and telling lies keeps the movement moving forward. I agree with Rob Reiner who said “This idea of Christian nationalism is not only a danger to democracy, but it’s a danger to Christianity itself.””

That this movement is being rightfully put under the microscope and critiqued is a very good thing. Contrary to what you hear and read, they are not under attack nor are they being persecuted. They’re just being held accountable. And that movement hates being held accountable. That’s why it’s so dangerous.

1. “We should measure the prosperity of a nation not by the number of millionaires, but by the absence of poverty, the prevalence of health, the efficiency of the public schools, and the number of people who can [and] do read worthwhile books.” ~ W. E. B. Du Bois

Our measurement of prosperity says a whole lot about who we are as a people and a nation.

1. “… As we approach the critical decisions this nation faces this year, ask yourself who is asking you to listen to your best self, to support positive, loving, helpful and hopeful solutions to national and international problems. Ask yourself who is asking you to decide based on your fear of one another, prejudices, anger, lies, and baseless propositions. Just ask yourself what is right and fair and never let your fear decide for you.” ~ Charles Emery, Attorney, Methodist Pastor, and Friend

“Never let your fear decide for you.” Amen.

1. Biden spoke directly to his opponent: “Instead of playing politics with the issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me, or I’ll join you, in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together….Let’s remember who the heck we work for. We work for the American people, not the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. We work for the American people.”

Biden was being gracious in offering his rival an opportunity to do something righteous. Of course, the silence is deafening over in that political camp. I think there’s some confusion and they’re desperately trying to find someone in their circle who can explain to them what working together and passing bills for the common good actually looks like. It might take awhile.

1. Erin Sanzero, writing in Oneing asks an interesting, thought provoking question:

“Can I walk a spiritual path that encompasses both the vitality and enthusiasm of youth and the wisdom and depth of maturity, marrying what is mystical and meditative while also being intensely practical and pragmatic?”

1. If Trump is as innocent as he says he is he’d prove it by insisting his trials move along quickly.

But he knows he’s not innocent. So, he’s playing a bit of a shell game and hoping that before it all caves in on him that he’ll win the election and then use the power of the Presidency to make everything go away.

And if that happens, we’ll have our very own version of Putin.

Seriously, it’s no joke.

I don’t want this next election to be our last one.

1. Last week the Center for Action and Contemplation provided some thoughts to help us think about exploring a theology of anger.

“Faced with outrage, anger is the price we pay for paying attention. It is the rage that ought to come out, because, when faced with an outrage, it is a sin not to be angry.” ~Allen Dwight Callahan

“The trick with anger is to let it inform us, maybe even to let it warm us if we have become too cold with indifference or apathy, but not to let the fire control or consume us.” ~ Sara Jolena Wolcott

“Embrace your anger with a lot of tenderness. Your anger is not your enemy, your anger is your baby. It’s like your stomach or your lungs. Every time you have some trouble in your lungs or your stomach, you don’t think of throwing them away. The same is true with your anger. You accept your anger because you know you can take care of it; you can transform it into positive energy.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

There is a way to be angry and to express anger that can be quite redemptive. Of course, there are quite ‘hellish’ ways to be ticked off. We’ve all been on the receiving end of ugly anger. Perhaps we still carry the wounds and grimace at the memories of cruel anger unleashed in our direction. That grimace and those wounds should remind us of some interior healing that still needs to be done.

If truth be told, most of us have also lashed out inappropriately sometime during our lifetimes, causing hurt and pain. And if we allowed God to do his work in our life, we probably experienced a deep sense of remorse, followed by repentance, and then awkward repair attempts that may or may not have been received well.

1. A woman at Navalny’s funeral compared him to Putin saying: “One sacrificed himself to save the country, the other one sacrificed the country to save himself.”

Thousands gathered to honor Navalny. Each of them is a portrait of courage. To speak out the way this woman did could very well end up costing her both freedom and her life.

1. Mahatma Gandhi famously said: ‘I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.’

I get it. Changing that perception isn’t easy. But here’s a way forward.

“Jesus never says to the poor: ‘come find the church’, but he says to those of us in the church: ‘go into the world and find the poor, hungry, homeless, imprisoned.” ~ Tony Campolo

We will be known scripture tells us “by our love.” Then we will walk in the footsteps of Jesus. And Gandhi will smile.

1. Cataract surgery last year gave me two new lenses for my eyes, tucked into my chest is a defibrillator, and by the time most of you read this (surgery today in the early morning) I will be the recipient of a brand new knee. I’m well on the way to becoming bionic.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 03-08-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 94 – John 12:27-32 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.1.24.

1. A story about America in 10 chapters.

Chapter 1. Normal day.

Chapter 2. Shootings.

Chapter 3. Panic

Chapter 4. Weeping

Chapter 5. Thoughts and prayers.

Chapter 6. Grieving

Chapter 7. The Funeral (s)

Chapter 8. Talking heads analysis

Chapter 9. Vigorous 2nd Amendment defense

Chapter 10. Nothing changes

Pretty crappy story, isn’t it?

1. When the world around me starts getting a bit ‘iffy’ I need to remind myself that I am first and foremost a citizen of the Kingdom of God and there’s nothing there that’s at all ‘iffy’.

2. I’ve said it before and I will say it again and again in the hope you will say it again and again to those in your spheres of influence. Here it is:

“Make no mistake about it, there’s only one issue on the ballot this fall. It’s about whether or not we will vote to preserve our democracy and its freedoms or take a giant step towards authoritarianism.”

1. “Choose your leaders

with wisdom and forethought.

To be led by a coward

is to be controlled

by all that the coward fears.

To be led by a fool

is to be led

by the opportunists

who control the fool.

To be led by a thief

is to offer up

your most precious treasures

to be stolen.

To be led by a liar

is to ask

to be told lies.

To be led by a tyrant

is to sell yourself

and those you love

into slavery.” ~ Octavia E. Butler

1. One of our presidential candidates is comparing himself to the Russian dissident Navalny who recently died in a Siberian prison.

Navalny was a courageous leader, a man of faith, a burr in Putin’s saddle, and a truth teller.

The presidential candidate is none of these things. He’s not brave and his faith is in himself, not God. He is a habitual liar who thinks Putin is worth emulating.

They are not even remotely alike. No comparison should ever again be attempted. But I’m sure he will try again and his crowd will giggle with delight. What foolish people they are.

1. “Never make fun of someone who speaks broken English. It means they know another language.” ~ H. Jackson Brown

Those who do ‘make fun of’ them, reveal a whole lot about the prejudices, rudeness, and immaturity that defines their lives.

1. How then shall we live out our faith?

“Sometimes the best evangelism is simply telling people you’re a Christian and then not being a complete jerk.” ~ John Pavlovitz

“You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut

1. When asked how Fascism starts, Bertrand Russell once said: “First, they fascinate the fools. Then, they muzzle the intelligent.”

To fascinate a fool isn’t all that difficult. Just remind them of their prejudices and then show them bright shiny objects.

Muzzling the intelligent (don’t make the mistake of measuring them by their degrees or title or lack thereof) is quite a bit harder for they have this tendency to move around and underground and then become the resistance. But even smart people like to be flattered. That’s what draws them out and that’s when they are far less muzzle resistant.

1. “Sometimes in the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper in the heart, giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, and hope to despair.” ~ Howard Thurman

“In the stillness of the quiet” God does some of His best work. What’s sad is that we choose to be noisy more often than not and we wonder why we haven’t heard from God.

1. “…One of the most remarkable things about the Bible is that in it we find the narrative told from the perspective of the poor, the oppressed, the enslaved, the conquered, the occupied, the defeated. This is what makes it prophetic. We know that history is written by the winners. This is true — except in the case of the Bible it’s the opposite! This is the subversive genius of the Hebrew prophets. They wrote from a bottom-up perspective.

Imagine a history of colonial America written by Cherokee Indians and African slaves. That would be a different way of telling the story! And that’s what the Bible does. It’s the story of Egypt told by the slaves. The story of Babylon told by the exiles. The story of Rome told by the occupied.

What about those brief moments when Israel appeared to be on top? In those cases the prophets told Israel’s story from the perspective of the peasant poor as a critique of the royal elite. Like when Amos denounced the wives of the Israelite aristocracy as “the fat cows of Bashan.”

Every story is told from a vantage point; it has a bias. The bias of the Bible is from the vantage point of the underclass. But what happens if we lose sight of the prophetically subversive vantage point of the Bible? What happens if those on top read themselves into the story, not as imperial Egyptians, Babylonians, and Romans, but as the Israelites?

That’s when you get the bizarre phenomenon of the elite and entitled using the Bible to endorse their dominance as God’s will. This is Roman Christianity after Constantine. This is Christendom on crusade. This is colonists seeing America as their promised land and the native inhabitants as Canaanites to be conquered. This is the whole history of European colonialism. This is Jim Crow. This is the American prosperity gospel.

This is the domestication of Scripture. This is making the Bible dance a jig for our own amusement…” ~ Brian Zahnd

We like to read scripture in ways that endorse our politics, justify our behaviors and to elevate our cause. In doing so, we lose sight of what it’s actually saying and ignore its prophetic edges. And then scripture becomes quite pedestrian, just words on a page, with no power to make a holy mess of our lives.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 03-01-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 93 John 12:20-26 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.23.24

Only one Rumble today.

Last week, David French, a NY Times Opinion Columnist, referenced a story told by Tony Campolo, a Baptist Preacher who taught Sociology at Eastern College in Pennsylvania. The story is about Campolo’s encounter with a hooker named Agnes.

I had the good fortune to hear Campolo’s story two or three times in person and it’s featured in his book “The Kingdom of God Is a Party”. He’s one of the best storytellers ever. No matter how many times I read about his encounter with Agnes, in a diner in Honolulu, something new begins to happen in my heart. Maybe it will stir something in you too. So here’s an edited version (my edits) of Campolo’s story about ‘Agnes’.

“…I found a little place that was still open at 3am. This was one of those sleazy places that deserves the name, “greasy spoon.” The gruff guy behind the counter, his name was Harry, brought me the coffee and donut I ordered.

As I sat there munching on my donut and sipping my coffee, the door of the diner suddenly swung open and, to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocatively dressed and boisterous prostitutes.

It was a small place, and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and crude. I felt completely out of place and was just about to make my getaway when I heard Agnes, who was sitting next to me, say “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m going to be 39.” One of the other women replied nastily ” “So what do you want from us? A birthday party. …Ya want us to get you a cake and sing ‘Happy Birthday’?”

Agnes replied …”Don’t be mean …I was just telling you, that’s all… I mean, why should you give me a birthday party? I’ve never had a birthday party in my whole life. Why should I have one now?”

When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women had left. Then I called Harry over and asked him, “Do they come in here every night?” “Yeah!” he answered. “The one right next to me, Agnes, does she come here every night?” “Like clockwork. 3:30 a.m….Why d’ya wanta know?”

“Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday …What do you say we do something about that? What do you think about us throwing a birthday party for her—right here—tomorrow night?”

A smile slowly crossed his face and he answered with measured delight, “That’s great! I like it! That’s a great idea!” … He called out his wife who was working in the back of the diner and told her the plan. She said: “That’s wonderful! You know Agnes is one of those people who is really nice and kind, and nobody does anything nice and kind for her.”

I said “Look, If it’s okay with you, I’ll get back here tomorrow morning at about 2:30 and decorate the place. I’ll even get a birthday cake!”

“No way,” said Harry, “The birthday cake’s my thing. I’ll make the cake.”

At 2:30 the next morning, I was back at the diner… I had made decorations and a big sign sign that read, “Happy Birthday, Agnes!” Word had gotten out that there was going to be a birthday party at the diner so the place was packed with prostitutes.

At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open, and in came Agnes. I had everybody ready and when she came in we all screamed, “Happy birthday!” …As she sat on one of the stools along the counter, we all sang “Happy Birthday.” As we came to the end of our singing her eyes moistened. Then, when the birthday cake with all the candles on it was carried out, she lost it and wept.

Harry gruffly mumbled, “Blow out the candles, Agnes! Come on! Blow out the candles!” …Then he handed her a knife and told her, “Cut the cake, Agnes. Yo, Agnes, we all want some cake.”

Agnes looked down at the cake. Then without taking her eyes off it, she slowly and softly said, “Look, Harry, is it alright with you if I keep the cake for a little while? I mean, is it OK if we don’t eat it right away?”

Harry shrugged and answered, “Sure! It’s O.K. If you want to keep the cake. Take it home, if you want to.” …

She got off the stool, picked up the cake, and carrying it like it was the Holy Grail, walked slowly toward the door. As we all just stood there motionless, she left.

When the door closed, there was a stunned silence in the place. Not knowing what else to do, I broke the silence by saying, “What do you say we pray?”

Looking back on it now, it seems more than strange for a Baptist Preacher to be leading a prayer meeting with a bunch of prostitutes, in a diner in Honolulu, at 3:30 in the morning. But then it just felt like the right thing to do. I prayed for Agnes. I prayed for her salvation and that her life would be changed and that God would be good to her.

When I finished, Harry leaned over the counter and said “Hey! You never told me you were a preacher. What kind of church do you belong to?”

In one of those moments when just the right words came, I answered, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for hookers, in a diner, at 3:30 in the morning.”

Harry waited a moment and then almost sneered as he answered, “No you don’t. There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it. I’d join a church like that!”

…

Everywhere we look there is an Agnes, someone who lives a hard, scary life. It’s someone who needs a cheerleader and who needs to know someone is for her and not against her. It’s someone who needs to know that God sees her.

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden”, said Jesus, “and I will give you rest.” I think he meant it.

Do me a favor. Like this and then Share it. I bet you know someone who needs to be lifted up today.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 02-23-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 92 – I Corinthians 1:20-25 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.Today’s prayer is titled Ground Myself in Today. It is anonymous.

The post Poem/Prayer 36 Ground Myself in Today appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.16.23

1. “I believe in God, but I detest theocracy. For every Government consists of mere men and is, strictly viewed, a makeshift; if it adds to its commands ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ it lies, and lies dangerously.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Theocracy. It gives me the chills just thinking about it. It has this tendency to breed tyrants and tyrant wannabes. It takes sacred writings and twists them to serve nefarious purposes. And it offers us prophets who have never once heard from God.

1. Lent matters. Here’s some advice from Pope Francis, over the years about what to do during Lent.

“Fast from hurting words. Say kind words.

Fast from sadness. Be filled with gratitude.

Fast from anger and be filled with patience.

Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.

Fast from worries and have trust in God.

Fast from pressures and be prayerful, contemplating simplicity.

Fast from bitterness; fill your hearts with joy.

Fast from selfishness and be compassionate.

Fast from grudges and be reconciled.

Fast from words; be silent and listen.”

1. People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future… If we mean to keep control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.’~ Martha Gellhorn

To be knowledgeable about political matters is a basic life skill. To use that knowledge wisely is an act of maturity. During this next election cycle everything we hold near and dear is on the table. We need to care about politics, lest we end up as proverbial puppets on a string.

1. Speaking of politics, the leader of MAGA and his surrogates started sending a disturbing message to NATO. It was a warning actually. They’re saying that if MAGA wins ‘all bets are off, everything will be up for grabs, allies shouldn’t count on us (especially those who don’t pay to play), and international bully ball will be encouraged. It’s the survival of the fittest, baby. If Putin is in your neighborhood, good luck.’

The NATO Secretary General spoke and said: “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”

Perhaps NY Times writer Thomas L. Friedman is on target when he wrote that the next GOP bumper sticker should be:

“Trump First.

Putin Second.

America Third.”

1. James Baldwin once said: “There are so many ways of being despicable, it quite makes one’s head spin. But the way to be really despicable is to be contemptuous of other people’s pain.”

Whether it’s towards refugees at the border, allies in need, or a rape victim who was impregnated by her attacker, portions of our society are becoming increasingly insensitive and even contemptuous of those in pain. It’s one of the signs of a culture in decline.

1. Most people who listened to the Chapman/Combs Fast Car duet at the Grammys were uplifted. I sure was. Luke Combs, who is a Country Music star, wrote this note to Tracy Chapman after their performance.

“Tracy, I want to send my sincerest thanks to you for allowing me to be a part of your moment. Thank you for the impact you have had on my musical journey, and the musical journeys of countless other singers, songwriters, musicians, and fans alike. I hope you felt how much you mean to the world that night. We were all in awe of you up there and I was just the guy lucky enough to have the best seat in the house.”

Class act. Chapman was indeed the main story of the night. Combs showed both humility and deep respect. He harmonized beautifully but only in a way that showcased her song, her guitar playing, and her voice. She was the star. She deserved the moment. I hope we see more of her.

1. “… To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes

to let it go, to let it go.” ~ Mary Oliver

1. “The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie.” Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

Courage will ask us to say ‘no’ to lies and liars. Doing so will cost us friendships, perhaps status, and just might result in lost opportunities. But we will also earn the applause of heaven.

In this upside down world of ours I’m asking God for the desire to live in a right side up kind of way and do it courageously, so that I, too, might hear that encouraging applause from above. I want that for you too.

1. How did I do with my Super Bowl prognostications? Well, I named the winner, missed on the score, predicted at least one Taylor Swift suite camera shot (I went way out on a limb on that one ) and correctly predicted that conspiracy theorists, who were sure Taylor/Kelce would announce their support for Biden, would have to lick their wounds and slink back to the Gates of Hell to get their next assignment. Actually, I think they have an express train these days.

Every Super Bowl half-time reminds me that, as I age, I know even less about current pop culture than I did the year before. But I watch, I listen, and I ask Google to fill me in. It’s tough for me. My first concert was Herman’s Hermits and the opening act was the Hollies. That was January 1,1967. Yes, I am that old.

1. As a pastor and spiritual director I’ve learned a lot. This one thing is basic. “Knowing a whole lot about God isn’t the same as actually knowing God.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings 02-16-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 91 Luke 9:18-27 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore join me again to talk about 60 beautiful prayers they’ve written to encounter the depth, creativity and friendship of God in ordinary moments in life.

The book, Liturgies for Wholeness, is the second book of Liturgies they’ve written. The first, Liturgies for Hope, was written in the middle of the pandemic when hope was in short supply. This new book of liturgies is relevant for any life experience you’ve had and a few you hope you don’t. Beautiful words written to address the needs of the heart and soul in the midst of ordinary life. You’ll love the book and I think you’ll be equally delighted by the conversation on this week’s podcast.

Find Audrey Elledge in the following places:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Find Elizabeth Moore in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Audrey Elledge & Elizabeth Moore – episode 380 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.9.24

1. Ruth Felker Jones, a theologian living in Chicago, writes about ‘rules for doing theology.’ I especially like these:

-Lay your weapons down. Bow your heads in prayer and come in unguarded.

-Read to seek intimacy with the scriptures. Read things more than once. Read across time, space, culture, ethnicity and experience…

-Knowing that God is God, relax into the fact that you will not master the subject. Let the subject master you.

-Embrace mystery over mastery.

1. Most sermons, I once was told, are based on the writings of Paul more than any other sources, even more than Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Paul was and remains a theological stalwart even though I think he could have benefited from counseling and a spiritual director. Seriously, I think he had issues.

Here’s the general outline of Paul’s letters. (I don’t know the source)

“Grace

I thank God for you.

Hold fast to the gospel.

For the love of everything holy, stop being stupid.

Timothy says hi.”

1. I don’t know Taylor Swift’s music very well but I’ve figured out she is an accomplished and generous businesswoman, a gifted song writer and an amazing performer. I also know she’s dating a football player, Travis Kelce, of the KC Chiefs, who will surely be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done. Kelce will be playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday and Swift will be in attendance.

They appear to be happy together.

Now, I know you will find this difficult to believe but conspiracy theorists are saying their romance is fake news and it is really part of an outrageous plot to use their popularity to somehow sway the next election. That plot will start to thicken, they’re saying, during the Super Bowl. Oh my.

My predictions.

-Chiefs 35. 49ers 21.

-No Swift/Kelce political endorsements during the game.

-More than one camera shot of Swift cheering.

-Conspiracy theorists will do what they can to save face and then rush to the very pits of hell or one of its many convenient subsidiaries to grovel for their next assignment.

1. “Instead of withdrawing from the world, whether as individuals or groups or nations, we are called to be fully immersed in the places we are…Our contemplative practices are always ways of being more alive in the world and more active for the good…Instead of a lonely, separatist, isolationist life, we can become the contemplative life of the party or the most hospitable hermit.”~ Gareth Higgins, Center for Action and Contemplation

“We can become the contemplative life of the party or the most hospitable hermit.”

That’s clever wording and it’s wonderfully thought provoking.

1. “ .. I look at all the brokenness around me, the constant news cycle of gloom and despair… and I lament about the state of the world… Lament is how you live between the poles of a hard life, trusting in God’s sovereignty. Lament is how we bring our sorrow to God.

Without lament we won’t know how to process pain. Lament fuels our prayers; it fuels our cry of ‘Lord, please arise, please be lifted up, please be exalted in our time.” ~ Lectio 365, a helpful Lectio Divina app.

Lament is a spiritual, pressure release valve for those times when we’re hit by a kind of sadness and grief that knocks us off our feet and threatens to paralyze us.

1. The documentary on Netflix, “The Greatest Night in Pop” is worth watching. It’s about how the song “We are the World” came into being and the incredible artists who sang it. It’s a feel good experience and the song still makes me tear up. It contains a much needed message for today:

There comes a time

When we heed a certain call

When the world must come together as one …

We are the world

We are the children

We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving …

1. “You may write me down in history
   With your bitter, twisted lies,
   You may trod me in the very dirt
   But still, like dust, I’ll rise…

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise… ” ~ Maya Angelou, And Still I Rise: A Book of Poems.

I’m currently reading Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” It’s a perfect read for Black History Month. The bonus I have is that I will have a discussion about it next week with fellow readers from my “Manasota Interracial Book Club.” It’s always a lively discussion.

How about you? What are your reading, watching, or listening to this month that’s expanding your awareness of Black history and achievement?

1. “Resilience is really a secular word for what religion was trying to say with the word faith. Without a certain ability to let go, to trust, to allow, we won’t get to any new place.” ~ Richard Rohr

Letting go requires us to live with a sense of abandon. That’s hard for those of us who are control freaks.

Will our control issues bite us if we’re not careful? And if we find a way to stay in control do we run the risk of bowing to and worshiping the god named SELF?

9 . “The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again … not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian.” ~ Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God

Brennan Manning was one of those writers who greatly informed my thinking around matters of faith and practice. The “Ragamuffin Gospel” really rocked my world.

1. “We believe that a democracy needs, among other things, a strong liberal party and a strong conservative party in order to flourish. Our concern is that the Republican Party has mortgaged itself to an antidemocratic demagogue, one who is completely devoid of decency…posing an existential threat to America and to the ideas that animate it …” ~ Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic writing for the entire Editorial Board

I agree. It should concern us that autocrats around the world are gleefully chomping at the bit over the prospect of another go around with MAGA’s presumptive nominee for president.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 02-09-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 90 – John 7:37-44 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. This is a prayer titled When I Need a Fresh Spirit.

The post Poem/Prayer 35 Fresh Spirit Prayer appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.2.24

1. “Courage, after all, is not being unafraid, but doing what needs to be done in spite of fear.” ~ James Farmer, Co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality

I have a long history with both fear and cowardice. This much I know. Farmer is right. Sometimes, we have to courageously face down our fear to do what we’ve been called to do. Whenever I let fear win, I lost something of myself and found it hard to look in the mirror.

Speaking up courageously, despite our fear, is a learned habit. It is one part knowledge, one part skill, and one part desire. But it starts with desire. It’s what primes the pump.

1. “A jury is there to determine how much Trump will have to pay, and we know he doesn’t like to pay, so he showed up to speak on his own behalf. And everything went smoothly until the judge asked him to tell the truth, the whole truth, and everybody busted out laughing.” ~ Jimmy Kimmel

Comedians see the former president, on one hand, as a really comical figure who has no ability to see the humor in his own words, actions and predicaments and on the other hand as a politician with absolutely no moral guardrails, who actually thinks he’s a virtuous guy. So comics see him as a goldmine of possible jokes, skits and quips.

The very best comedians are social commentators, who are not just going after the laugh but are using humor for a purpose. Think of them as an early warning system. They use humor to get our attention, poking and prodding us to ask questions of ourselves and the issues of the day.

1. What’s your goal as a person of faith?

Is it to be a habitual, winsome and Christ-like presence or is it to win the culture wars and own the libs?

1. Princeton Professor and MSNBC panelist Eddie Glaude came to Sarasota last week. He said something that was very simple but quite profound. He said that we need to “pursue the country we want and love a new world into existence.”

Pursue, to my way of thinking, means that we go after something with deep resolve and unwavering determination. Love is the blessing we offer along the way.

What do you really want this country to be?

What do you want it to stand for?

What do you think is standing in our way?

1. “I think the border is a very important issue for Donald Trump. And the fact that he would communicate to Republican senators and congresspeople that he doesn’t want us to solve the border problem because he wants to blame Biden for it is really appalling.” ~ Mitt Romney

It is truly appalling. Unfortunately, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. After all, on Planet MAGA wreaking havoc on people’s lives by not acting proactively comes easy, like breathing for most of us.

Further complicating matters is the stand being taken by extremist Republicans to not provide aid to Ukraine until the border situation is resolved. And they’re being told not to resolve it. Crazy, isn’t it?

I find it fascinating that the so-called pro-life party keeps showing us that their concern for life issues is actually quite narrow in both scope and application.

1. “It doesn’t matter how old we are; we all need stories to believe in. If there’s no storyline, no integrating images that define who we are or give our lives meaning or direction, we just won’t be happy. I can’t imagine I’m alone in longing for us collectively to embrace a better story, one with the power to change our hearts and minds and enliven our imaginations.” ~ Richard Rohr

Sign me up. I share that longing.

1. “Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open where it can be seen and dealt with.”~Martin Luther King Jr.

King was quite adept at shining light on the tension, defining it, and then challenging folks to deal with it. And he did this for a long time.

Guess what?

The tension is still there. The struggle continues. I don’t think that would have surprised King. He knew it was going to take awhile.

“We shall overcome – someday …” Remember the song and the words? Someday isn’t here yet. There’s still work to be done. It’s the work all of us must do.

By the way, February is Black History Month. Jump on board. There’s music to listen to, stories to be read, and movies to watch. Make sure you indulge yourself in something that makes you truly uncomfortable.

1. “Mike, you seem to be out of sync with evangelicals. What gives?”

Author Brennan Manning once said: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable.”

So, I am proudly out of sync with evangelicals who, in word and deed, carry the banner of Christian nationalism and accept the extremism that accompanies it.

I am proudly in sync with evangelicals who align with the Kingdom of God that Jesus talked about and live redemptively under that banner.

1. Sometimes I just need a dose or two of Anne Lamott. She’s pithy and wise.

“I’m here to be me, which is taking a great deal longer than I had hoped.”

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”

1. “When I shine your light

of love and goodness

into the world, the darkness

inside me recedes.

Help me shine brightly

in all that I do,

lest the darkness creep further

into my own soul.

Let it be so.”

Donald K. Nelson, ad gloriam Dei

The post Mike’s Rumblings 02-02-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 89 – Isaiah 40:25-31 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt is back on the podcast with me as we dive into our POV (point of view) on 2024! How are we going to lead ourselves and others in this new year we’re entering? How will we be light in the darkness and seed casters. How might we engage with change and maybe even change the history in our families and in our world. If you want some encouragement as you enter 2024 then come along with us and think about what your POV will be.

We mentioned a couple of books that might be helpful in the process.

• Build the Life You Want by Arthur Brooks & Oprah Winfrey
• How to Know a Person by David Brooks

Connect with Melinda on:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 379 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s poem is by Denise Levertov and it’s titled The Avowel.

The post Poem/Prayer 34 Denise Levertov appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 1.26.2

1. “Conspiracy theories are cheat codes for ignorant people. Acquiring expertise in a given field is hard. It takes effort and dedication. It’s a lot easier to write it off as bull s#!t than it is to put your nose in a book or spend hours in a lab. So, rather than put in the work, just convince yourself that they’re all liars and you are one of the few who see through it. …” ~ Steven Reynolds

Frankly, I’m tired of conspiracy theories and truly cannot understand how people can fall for the obvious nonsense spewing from the mouths of every Tom, Dick, Harry, Lauren, Marjorie and Donald.

1. “God, I don’t want my soul to shut down and dry up. Help me to be honest and curious, even when it’s hard. Remind me of all You have done before and give me faith for all You can do in the future. Give me perseverance. Today I yield to wild hope.” ~ Lectio 365

2. “It’s a strange affair to be Black and live in America, and even stranger to be Black and a person of faith in these yet-to-be-United States, to carry around the burden of a socially constructed idea called race and yet be filled with a divinely inspired mandate to eradicate all limitations to the human soul. Being Black means you are born with a Blues song tattooed on your heart, and at the same time you still have a Gospel shout that is welling up in your soul about to come out.

Another way to say it is that we live with repression and revelation simultaneously swimming in the same tributary of our spirit. There is nothing more confusing to the postmodern personality, to the millennial sojourner, than to have to exist between the strange life of dealing with your Blues and Gospel all the time. Madness and ministry, chaos and Christ. My father heard an elder in Georgia say it this way. When he asked her, “How are you doing, Mother?” she said, “I’m living between Oh Lord and Thank you, Jesus.” ~ Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III

“… born with a Blues song tattooed on your heart, and at the same time you still have a Gospel shout that is welling up in your soul.”

“I’m living between Oh Lord and Thank you, Jesus.”

Amen. Amen. Amen

1. “If change is to come, it will have to come from the margins.” ~ Wendell Berry

The established order is not known for championing meaningful change. It’s too busy defending what already is. Change threatens the status quo. And the status quo is very kind to those who have much power, privilege, and many resources. And it’s not very kind to those on the margins. And so those being marginalized reach a breaking point and with words and deeds, say “enough is enough”. They start squeezing the status quo, insisting on substantive, lasting change and demanding justice.

1. This is what I know about extremists. They don’t blush and won’t say “I’m sorry.” They will do emotional harm (some, even physical harm) to another person in the blink of an eye. If they are religious, they tend towards fundamentalism. They wrongly cherry pick biblical texts, quite often out of context, that bolster their agenda. They are not good conversation partners because they don’t like to listen. They don’t know what they don’t know and have no desire to find out.

You know what makes me both sad and angry? A rather large segment of the evangelical church has become a shelter and a launch pad for extremism and in the process linked the message of Jesus to hate and deceit. It has normalized the words and behavior of truly awful people, in effect canonizing them.

1. There are two ways to be rich: one is by acquiring much and the other is by desiring little.” ~ Jackie French Koller

Our desires are what drive us. If our desire is to have a lot of stuff, wealth and prestige, we’ll develop a game plan to get there. We’ll do whatever it takes to get what we desire the most, even if it’s not good for us and hurts others.

Something satisfying happens when we discover that ‘less is oftentimes more’ and living in simpler, saner ways is quite enough.

1. “I am talking about just holding the tension, not necessarily finding a resolution or closure to paradox. We must agree to live without resolution, at least for a while. I think opening to this holding pattern is the very name and description of faith.” ~Richard Rohr

He’s right. Not all things can be solved quickly. Not all things will be solved justly. The old hymn reminds us to “trust and obey for there is no other way …” That’s the way of the pilgrim, the way of faith.

1. Is this the time when the anti-Christ emerges and sets up shop? All I know is that a whole lot of folks seem to have their resumes ready in case staff positions open up.

2. Good news. DeSantis dropped out of the race. Someone quipped He was “Ted Cruz without the personality.” Ouch.

The bad news is that he’s ticked off and has a lot of time on his hands. Pray for Florida.

Seriously, pray for Florida.

The swing here is to the far, far right, which demands absolute loyalty to its cause, no matter how absurd it gets. They will get what they want as long as people who know better remain timid.

Perhaps that’s the real prayer. It’s a prayer for all of us no matter where we live. Pray for good people to reject timidity and to stand boldly for what is good and honorable. Pray for ‘encouragers’ willing to lift up those who have been beaten down. Pray for a different kind of standard to be raised. One that is opposed to absurdity, opposed to fear, opposed to talk of retribution and civil wars, and opposed to cruelty and lies.

1. “The moment Christians start looking for an authoritarian strongman to lead us is the moment we stop looking for the One who leads by washing feet, who rides a donkey instead of a war horse and who tells his followers to put away their swords and take up their cross instead.” ~ Rev. Benjamin Cremer

The Jesus many revere these days has nothing to do with the Jesus we encounter in the scriptures. You can see that, right? Please tell me you can.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-26-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 88 – Hebrews 5:7-14 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 33 Prayer Song from Ghana, traditional appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.19.24

1. “Have you read the Sermon on the Mount? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t say “when I was hungry you put me on a bus, when I was thirsty you booked me a one-way plane ticket,”or “when I was a stranger you treated me like cargo and shipped me off for political gain.” ~ Unknown

Using aliens and refugees as political footballs, kicking them whenever and however possible is not helping solve the problems of immigration and border security, of which there are many. ‘Owning the libs’ is a childish and sinful motivation. Cruelty is never the answer.

1. Judges, witnesses, and prosecutors involved in the trials of the former president are receiving death threats.

Not once have I heard the defendant say “Please, cease and desist.” Instead, he continues to use inflammatory rhetoric that eggs the haters on and keeps insisting that real retribution is right around the corner.

Sick, isn’t it?

1. We all know people who are indifferent about the great issues of the day. Indifference is defined as being “without interest or concern; not caring.”

Plato once said: “The price good people pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

1. “In the beginning, there was no doctrine of Jesus, only a radical ethic of Jesus… In the sermon on the Mount, there is not a single word in it about what to believe, only words about what to do and how to be. By the time the Nicene Creed is written, only three centuries later, there is not a single word in it about what to do – only words about what to believe.” ~ Robin Meyers, “Saving God From Religion”

I happen to like the Nicene Creed. It gives me some hooks on which I can hang my theological hat. That’s a good thing. I’m glad we have it. It helps me define my faith.

I am a bigger fan of the Sermon on the Mount. I think that was Jesus’s stump speech actually. How many times did he deliver it? Many I think, in long and short form. The rule keepers didn’t like it. It was too loosey goosey for them. Plus, it was an unwelcome reminder of their own attitudes and behaviors. Regular folks did like it, for they saw, in Jesus, a match between his words and conduct and they began to believe that they could actually live the way Jesus was asking them to live.

1. On the night before he was assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told the audience that, if God had let him “choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed.” King acknowledged that statement might appear to be strange “because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.”

Our world is still messed up, our nation is sick, there’s trouble everywhere we look and there is an ever present darkness throughout the land. Peer deeply into the darkness. Do you see what I see? Do you see the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of points of light? Yes? Good. That means you’re seeing hope revealing itself.

Do you see that teeny, weeny, barely visible point of light hanging low in the southern sky? Yah, that’s me. I know. It should be brighter. I’m working on it.

1. “The titles of my books reveal that I was encountering something in my faith tradition that didn’t sit right with me…. I felt like I was peeling an onion. I noticed, for example, that people who spend a lot of time in church often seemed to be some of the meanest, more arrogant, and most judgmental people that I met. I noticed the same being true of me at times as well…. It seemed that Christianity had become for many people an evacuation plan (how to get your soul out of earth into heaven) rather than a transformation plan (how to help God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven).” ~ Brian McLaren

Evacuation or Transformation? I’ll go with transformation. The evacuation option doesn’t smell like God.

1. “Winning at politics, while losing the gospel is not a win. Trading in the gospel of Jesus Christ for political power is not liberty but slavery.” ~ Russell Moore

All throughout history, Christian leaders have been seduced by political power. All too often they succumbed to that seduction. In recent history, a good number of evangelical leaders were seduced and fell in love with right wing power and the glory that went with it.

In his excellent book “The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory” author Tim Alberta noted that those seduced came to the conclusion that power was within their grasp but at a cost.

“Unsavory alliances would need to be forged. Sordid tactics would need to be embraced.”

Alberta suggests that “the first step toward preserving Christian values was to do away with Christian values.”

More than a few evangelicals could not do that. Bravo. Seriously. At great cost to their reputation and to their ministry they stayed the course and were faithful to their calling.

But a surprising number of very influential evangelicals dove right into the cesspool. They traded the gospel for proximity to political power. They said they were on committed to Jesus but began to follow and bow to the charlatans. They contorted scripture to fit a MAGA narrative. They abandoned truth tellers and fell in love with conspiracy theorists. And then they used their own influence to persuade their flock and followers to join them.

Read the book. It will rock your world. It will help you make sense of this tweet from Brian Zahnd.

“In the end, Southern Baptists were more comfortable with Donald Trump than with Beth Moore. Just think about that.”

8. “There are some conservatives who are trying to make this claim that somehow [President] Biden is a bigger risk than Trump. My view is I disagree with a lot of Joe Biden’s policies. We can survive bad policies. We cannot survive torching the Constitution.” ~ Liz Cheney

I wonder if… Cheney and those like her will decide to endorse Joe Biden’s candidacy and actively campaign against Trump, seeing him as a real threat to our democracy.

If that happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if after the swearing in of elected officials in January 2025, they would announce the formation of a new conservative political party, committed to the Constitution, not a personality, that would have candidates on the ballot in every state in 2026.

1. Jesus was not sent here to teach the people to build magnificent churches and temples amidst the cold wretched huts and dismal hovels. He came to make the human heart a temple, and the soul an altar, and the mind a priest.” ~ Kahlil Gibran,

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix

1. I find it helpful to remember that “God is always up to something.”

My job is to ask: “I wonder what He’s up to now?”

And when I discover what that is, to join the Lord in that endeavor and invite others to go on the journey with me.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 87 – Mark 1:29-39 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Joyce Rupp joins me again on the podcast to talk about the season of Lent and her new lenten devotional titled, Jesus, Guide of My Life. This is the completion of a trilogy of Lenten devotionals Joyce has penned and one that will take us into a space of reflecting on the life of Jesus as we walk through Lent with the gentle and thought provoking guidance of Joyce Rupp. Joyce also mentions and quotes from a book by Dacher Keltner titled Awe. Also mentioned is Joyce’s Boundless Compassion books and ministry. Here is a link to all things Boundless Compassion!

Find Joyce in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Joyce Rupp – episode 378 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. This poem is by Jenneth Graser and it’s titled One Word.

The post Poem/Prayer 32 Jenneth Graser appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.12.24

1. Rudolf Dreikeurs said: “Until I can risk appearing imperfect in your eyes without fear that it will cost me something, I can’t really learn from you.”

Yep. Nailed it. What will my vulnerability cost me? How will you react to my ‘less than perfect’ efforts? Can you accept me as I am or do I need to wear a mask and pretend?

1. “For better or worse, elections and referendums are not about what we think. They’re about what we feel.” ~ Yuval Noah Harari

The MAGA movement and its subsidiaries (like FOX News) know this to be true. Thus, it has become particularly adept at manipulating the feelings of their loyalists by simply distorting truth and discouraging discernment.

It’s all really quite sinister but in its own way, quite genius.

Even if they prevail (my whole being shudders even thinking this thought) one thing will remain true. Booker T. Washington said it well:

“A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.”

1. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ~ Rumi

The people I admire the most are the ones who do make positive life changes. I’ve always loved the song by singer/songwriter Sara Groves entitled Just Showed Up For My Own Life.

“Spending my time sleep walking
Moving my mouth but not saying a thing

Hoping the changes would take by working their way from the outside in

I was in love with an idea
Preoccupied with how a life should appear
Spending my time at the surface repairing the holes in the shiny veneer

There are so many ways to hide

There are so many ways not to feel

There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life

And I’m standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

I’m going to live my life inspired
Look for the holy in the common place

Open the windows and feel all that’s honest and real until I’m truly amazed

I’m going to feel all my emotions
I’m going to look you in the eyes
I’m going to listen and hear until it’s finally clear and it changes our lives…”

1. Heather Cox Richardson, on New Years Eve, reminded us of the vision President Biden laid out for our country in April, 2021. It sure beats the unseemly “rot in hell” diatribe we received on Christmas 2023 from you know who.

“In a time of rising autocrats who believe democracy is failing, can the United States demonstrate that democracy is still vital?

“Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us, created equal in the image of God, have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility?

Can our democracy deliver…to the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate, and fears that have pulled us apart?”

America’s adversaries are betting that the U.S. is so full of anger and division that it cannot. “But they are wrong,” “You know it; I know it. But we have to prove them wrong.”

Friends, three years ago we came dangerously close to losing our country. Insurrectionists, fueled by the sitting president’s anger and rhetoric, tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power. They wanted Mike Pence to hang, they hunted for Speaker Pelosi, they attacked the Capitol Police, they destroyed property and prevented Congress from doing its job.

Do you remember that?

I do.

And I don’t want to forget it.

I know what I saw.

And I know the sitting president did nothing to stop what he provoked. Instead, he watched it on TV and reveled in what he saw.

I’m still appalled by those who choose to believe and proclaim that what happened on January 6 was a peaceful and orderly protest. That includes Republican members of Congress who were rightfully shivering in fright during the assault they’re now choosing to ignore.

1. “It’s funny, isn’t it? That you can preach a judgmental and vengeful and angry God and nobody will mind. But you start preaching a God that is too accepting, too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind… and you are in trouble.” ~ Bishop Gene Robinson

“We find the God who comes down to visit us, not by basking in some elegant religious theory, but by setting out on a journey, seeking the signs of his presence in everyday life, and above all in encountering and touching the flesh of our brothers and sisters.” ~ Pope Francis

“People who’ve had any genuine spiritual experience always know that they don’t know. They are utterly humbled before mystery. They are in awe before the abyss of it all, in wonder at eternity and depth, and a Love, which is incomprehensible to the mind.” ~ Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

1. Alexandra Petri’s opinion piece in the Washington Post was entitled: “GOP baffled that ‘We Don’t Care if You Die’ is not a winning slogan.”

“The road to our version of the Handmaid’s Tale will be lined with smiling Christian Nationalists telling women to stop overreacting.” ~ Unknown

“First of all, come November I’m going to assemble all my thoughts and prayers and bring them with me into the ballot box.” ~ source unknown

1. Go off somewhere quiet and hidden and say to God:

“I don’t know.

I don’t know where to go from here.

I don’t know what is happening.

I don’t know how to process this.

I don’t know what to do with these emotions.

I don’t know how to handle this situation.

And then with whatever dusty, sand grain of faith you have, say,

But you know.” ~ Unknown

And then you sit for a while in the very presence of God, who loves you, and who honors prayers like this. You relax into the present moment and just ‘be’. Sometimes, that’s all we need to do.

1. “New leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding more wiley ways to manipulate the external world. It will come as we … find the courage to take an inner journey … to become healers in a wounded world.” ~ Parker Palmer

Now, more than ever, we need healers. There’s walking wounded wherever we look.

1. “Any god who is mine, but not yours, any god concerned about me but not with you, is an idol.” ~ Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Lots of idol worship going on these days. Lots of it.

1. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~ Viktor E. Frankl

When we get this right, everything changes. Everything. Thank God for a built-in pause button. What could happen if we actually used it?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-12-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

The post Lectio Divina 86 – I Samuel 3:1-10 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is by Jan Richardson and it’s titled Blessing the Threshold.

The post Poem/Prayer 31 Jan Richardson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.5.24

1. 1. Will this be the year that ends up haunting us? It appears there’s peril at every turn, in every country in the world, not just ours, and in every referendum. What do we do? Which way do we turn?

Above all else, I need the optimism that faith offers me. Thus, I turn my attention and affection to the Lord God Almighty. What is God saying?

“Christianity can be confusing, but the way of Jesus is pretty clear

Move toward the poor

Empower women

Throw parties

Poke holes in oppressive systems

Forgive your enemy

Don’t store up wealth

Be present w/ people

Push back darkness

Heal

Announce

Love well

The kingdom is near” ~ Dan Sadlier, Pastor, NYC

I can do this. As my baseball coach told me a long time ago: “As long as you keep your eye on the ball, you’ll be OK.”

1. Autobiography

in Five Short Chapters

by Portia Nelson

Chapter One

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost

I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault.

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in.

It’s a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter Five

I walk down another street.

1. “I told him to preach the Gospel. That’s our calling. I want to preserve the purity of the Gospel and the freedom of religion in America. I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form … it would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it. “ ~ Billy Graham recalling a conversation with Jerry Falwell in Parade Magazine, February, 1981

What happened? It was advice unheeded. Falwell and Co. were hell bent on politicizing the faith and they did it with great ferocity and ingenuity. And the hard core, political right exploited it.

And voila, we now have the culture wars, driven by a warped version of the Christian faith and supported by mean spirited, authoritarian political values. The result is a nation at war with itself.

If you want to know more about how this ‘mess’ came to be, check out the book “Jesus and John Wayne” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez.

And then grab some friends and sort it out together.

1. Pope Francis said: “Think of a single mother who goes to the Church or the Parish, and tells the secretary: “I want to baptize my son.” And the attendant says: “No, you can’t, because you’re not married.”

Let’s keep in mind that this mother had the courage to continue with a pregnancy, and what is she facing? A closed door. And so, if we continue on this path and with this attitude, we are not doing the people, God’s People right… Those who approach the Church should find the doors open and not find people who want to control the faith.”

When rule keepers and the guardians of orthodoxy call the shots, they all too often succeed in keeping people away from the real Jesus.

An alcoholic friend of author Philip Yancey once said to him:

“When I’m late to church, people turn around and stare at me with frowns of disapproval. I get the clear message that I’m not as responsible as they are.

When I’m late to AA, the meeting comes to a halt and everyone jumps up to hug and welcome me. They realize that my lateness may be a sign that I almost didn’t make it. When I show up, it proves that my desperate need for them won out over my desperate need for alcohol.”

That should be the church. In many ways and places it is. Ragamuffins are welcomed with open arms, not clenched fists and scowls.

But in many other places, the orthodoxy police have a variety of litmus tests available to determine who’s in and who’s out.

1. Travis Kelce’s college football coach impacted him greatly when he said to his star player: “Everybody you meet in this world is either a fountain or a drain.” The coach went on to say that what he needed “was a fountain,” and that Kelce was being “a very big drain.”

Friends of Kelce said that woke him up. He had to deal with a pretty basic question. “How then shall I live, as a fountain or drain?”

It’s a good question for us all to ask.

6.“The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.~ Alden Nowlan

Forgiveness. Of others. Of yourself. That’s the smart play.

1. I’m reminded that I can know a lot about God and still manage to ignore the heart of God. That heart asks me to love those I’d rather dismiss and compels me to speak when I’d rather remain quiet. To be honest, these days I find myself struggling with loving and I’m tired of speaking out. I sense that in some of you too. But what’s our option? To remain silent? To dismiss what we sense the Spirit is urging us to do? No, that’s not the way to go.

The good news is that God meets us even amidst the struggle and tiredness and bouts of cowardice. He might remind us to take a wee bit of a break for the sake of those who love us and for our own well being, but will never ask us to cease loving nor to remain quiet in the face of injustice.

1. “It is said that before entering the sea
   a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.” ~ Khalil Gibran

1. “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires a profound purpose larger than the self … ” ~ Bill Bullard

I am increasingly annoyed with those who spout opinions that are really not their own and have never been carefully and thoughtfully examined. There’s no depth or breadth to what they are saying. So when I ask a substantive question I don’t get a substantive answer back, only a sound byte. It’s nigh unto impossible to have a real conversation. All I hear is noise and there is rarely a question put to me.

It’s quite sad really. I am so grateful to all those in my life who are truly empathetic and thoughtful. Your considered opinions lead to delightful conversations and your insights help me to reconsider ideas and to even change my mind.

1. “Where, O where, are the prophets, when we need them, O Lord?

Where are these brave ones who will speak truth to power?

Where are the anointed women and men who will refuse weapons of war?

Where are the women who stand at the cross in silent resistance against the systems that execute and crucify?

Where, O where, are the prophets?

We bring this entreaty to you today because you are our God. Help us to become prophetic in action, prophetic in witness, prophetic in love.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.” ~ Barbara Holmes, Center for Action and Contemplation.

May we all have a prophet or two in our life. May we be that for others.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-05-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 85 – I Kings 19:1-7 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Happy New Year, everyone!

After somewhat of a hiatus from my Monday release of a conversation, I’m back with my husband and favorite conversation partner Mike Murphy. You’ll enjoy a prayer a poem and a conversation about what the New Year might hold and what kind of posture we might have toward it.

I read from Jan Richardson‘s Advent Devotional, Night Visions, which I highly recommend!

I also read a prayer from Joyce Rupp‘s 365 days of wisdom, Anchors for the Soul, which I also highly recommend and have used for years.

Friend Mike on Facebook here.

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mike Murphy – episode 377 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s prayer is from Joyce Rupp and it’s titled At the Gate of the New Year. It’s from her book Anchors for the Soul.

The post Poem/Prayer 30 Joyce Rupp appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 12.29.23

1. “Hope is the simple trust that God has not forgotten the recipe for manna.” ~ W. Paul Jones

Who among us does not need food for the journey?

1. “There is a place deep within the heart of a person … and there, the troubled soul can find a peace which passes all understanding; there the wounds from the arrows of the evil-one can find balm and healing, and the arrows cannot penetrate there to wound once again. Here, one does not pray with words, or even with actions, but one weeps and the teardrops themselves are prayer and confession and rejoicing and hope fulfilled… ” Abbot Lazar Puhalo

So beautiful isn’t it? It describes a bit of the essence of contemplative prayer which brings us to a place we are meant to occupy. We are ‘to be’ in that place. Not do- but be. It’s in that place where we are present to the very presence of God.

1. If you lean to the left politically, so be it.

If you lean to the right politically, so be it.

Just be kind, rational, truthful and curious enough to rigorously critique what your particular ‘leaning’ is doing to your heart, soul and behavior.

1. And the Lord God came walking in the cool of the day and called out to Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)

Jewish scholar, Martin Buber, translates God’s question: “Adam, where are you in relation to me?”

Could we not say that this is a crucial question for each of us.

Can we sit with this question face to face and hear God’s invitation?

Can we let God’s question evoke a thoughtful response?

Many of us cross the holiday finish-line breathless and weary. May you find a moment to pause and hear the Father of grace and goodness, gently ask you:

Where are you in relation to me?

Where are you in relation to the people I have placed in your life?

Where are you in relation to your inner world, to the soul that I care about and have placed within you?” ~ Mike Bowden, Grafted Life

Great questions. They make a rather nice end of the year Examen.

…..

Both my wife and I are spiritual directors. We help those who want to explore questions like these. Each of us has room for two or three directees. Message me if you’d like to explore this opportunity.

1. “If you went back and fixed all the mistakes you’ve ever made you would erase yourself.” ~ Louis CK.

There are times when we really blow it and just want to give up. We can move in the direction of shame but when we do, there’s a good chance we’ll end up on the other side of nowhere.

We certainly can’t fix all our mistakes but we can certainly learn from most of them. Instead of slowly erasing ourselves, we can choose to discover that our ability to bounce back is a magnificent super-power.

1. “It’s hypocritical to call yourself a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, or toss out someone who is in need of your help. If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite. You cannot be a Christian without living like a Christian. You cannot be a Christian without practicing the Beatitudes. You cannot be a Christian without doing what Jesus teaches us in Matthew 25, Christ’s injunction to help the needy by such works of mercy as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and welcoming the stranger. ~ Pope Francis

The Pope is not so subtly reminding us that Jesus speaks a love language that is significantly different from the one Christian nationalists are trying to force feed us. He’s reminding us that those people being denigrated and stereotyped are near and dear to Jesus’s heart and shouldn’t be used as pawns in culture war games.

So perhaps it behooves us to get with the program.

1. “In my heart dwells Jesus of Galilee, the Man above men, the Poet, who makes poets of us all, the Spirit who knocks at our door, that we may wake and rise and walk out to meet truth, naked, and unencumbered.” ~ Kahlil Gibran writing as John the Son of Zebedee in the book “Jesus, The Son of Man”

“Mary and Joseph trusted their encounter with God and acted accordingly: These were two laypeople who totally trusted their inner experience of God and followed it to Bethlehem and beyond. There is no mention in the Gospels of the two checking out their inner experiences with the high priests, the synagogue, or even their Jewish Scriptures. Mary and Joseph walked in courage and absolute faith that their experience was true, with no one except God to reassure them they were right. Their only safety net was God’s love and mercy, a safety net they must have tried out many times, or else they never would have been able to fall into it so gracefully.” ~ Richard Rohr

1. If I asked you what was the biggest mistake your religion, ideology or worldview committed, and you did not come up with something serious, I for one would not trust you.” – Yuval Noah Harari

Neither would I.

Let me take a shot at some answers.

• Twisting scripture to legitimize slavery, Jim Crow laws and various versions of apartheid.
• The church in Germany falling to its knees and legitimizing Hitler.
• The health and wealth gospel.
• The politicization of evangelicalism.
• The Crusades.
• Left Behind theology.
• Complementarianism which minimizes women.
• American exceptionalism.
• Legitimizing the cult of MAGA.

• The Doctrine of Discovery

• “Several years ago, I invited a Buddhist monk to speak to my Senior elective class, and quite interestingly, as he entered the room, he didn’t say a word (that caught everyone’s attention).

He just walked to the board and wrote this: “Everyone wants to save the world , but no one wants to help mom do the dishes.”

We all laughed.

But then he went on to say this to my students:

“Statistically, it’s highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness — a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door — you have committed an act of immeasurable profundity, because to each of us, our life is our universe.”

This is my hope for you for the New Year, that by your smallest acts of kindness, you will save another’s world. ~ John Perricone

1. In the film adaptation of Tolkien’s “The Return of the King” Aragorn rides in front of the gates of Mordor, turns to his sorely outnumbered army and declares:

“I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day.”

“But it is not this day.”

Powerful.

All too often, for a variety of good and not so good reasons, fear washes over us. I’m choosing to channel my inner Aragorn, reminding myself that:

This can’t be the day our courage fails.

This can’t be the time when we break our promises to friends and allies and begin to think only of ourselves.

It just can’t be.

Together, we must be brave, helping each other to calm our fears.

Together, we must face those who want to do us harm.

Together, we must live for the sake of others, just not ourselves.

This can’t be the day our resolve falters.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-29-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 84 – John 1:14-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Gabriel’s Annunciation

By Jan Richardson

For a moment
I hesitated
on the threshold.
For the space
of a breath
I paused,
unwilling to disturb
her last ordinary moment,
knowing that the next step
would cleave her life:
that this day
would slice her story
in two,
dividing all the days before
from all the ones
to come.

The artists would later
depict the scene:
Mary dazzled
by the archangel,
her head bowed
in humble assent,
awed by the messenger
who condescended
to leave paradise
to bestow such an honor
upon a woman, and mortal.

Yet I tell you
it was I who was dazzled,
I who found myself agape
when I came upon her—
reading, at the loom, in the kitchen,
I cannot now recall;
only that the woman before me—
blessed and full of grace
long before I called her so—
shimmered with how completely
she inhabited herself,
inhabited the space around her,
inhabited the moment
that hung between us.

I wanted to save her
from what I had been sent
to say.

Yet when the time came,
when I had stammered
the invitation
(history would not record
the sweat on my brow,
the pounding of my heart;
would not note
that I said
Do not be afraid
to myself as much as
to her)
it was she
who saved me—
her first deliverance—
her Let it be
not just declaration
to the Divine
but a word of solace,
of soothing,
of benediction

for the angel
in the doorway
who would hesitate
one last time—
just for the space
of a breath
torn from his chest—
before wrenching himself away
from her radiant consent,
her beautiful and
awful yes.

The post Poem/Prayer 29 Jan Richardson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.22.23

“When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock.

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nation,

To bring peace among brothers,

To make music in the heart.” ~ Howard Thurman

‘Tis good news indeed that a Savior was born and each year, we who call ourselves Christ followers, ponder anew what it all means and what it requires of us. Merry Christmas friends.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-22-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 83 – Luke 1:26-33 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Today I offer a short poem by Madeleine L’Engle titled After Annunciation and a brief quote by Loretta Ross-Gotta included in her December 6 entry in the advent devotional Watch the Light.

The post Poem/Prayer 28 Madeleine L’Engle & Loretta Ross-Gotta appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 12.15.23

1. “It should tell us something about her home country that a mother is willing to travel 2000 miles with her 4-month old son to come here. How we respond when she arrives tells us something about ours.” ~ Beto O’Rourke

“If your response is, “The parents should not have brought their children here illegally,” know this: I pray to God that you never have to flee violence or poverty or persecution with your children. And if the day comes that you must and your babies are forcibly removed from your arms, I will fight for you too.” ~ Brene Brown

People of faith might be well served, during this Advent season, to consider what the Holy Family’s mad dash from Herod to safety in Egypt was all about and what it required. It’s layered with unsettling themes of Roman occupation, community misunderstanding, persecution, murder, and unbridled ambition. If we dismiss this kind of grittiness our Christmas story becomes more fairy tale than truth and actually quite unbiblical. But when we enter into the fullness of the story it will change us in profound ways.

Perhaps, we might even start seeing those seeking refuge at our border in a far different light. I think that would please God.

1. ‘Come to the edge’, He said.

They said, ‘we are afraid’.

‘Come to the edge’, He said.

They came.

He pushed them, and they flew. ~ Guillaume Apollinaire

I know what fear is all about. I bet you do too. And every time I nudged myself or had someone nudge me to the edge of my fears and I took the risk of letting go something of value happened in my life. What about you?

1. “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners, and to announce a year of favor from the Lord.”

This was the OT scripture Jesus read, early in his ministry, in the synagogue in Nazareth. He claimed it was speaking about Him and that claim almost cost Him his life. Jesus had a way of rubbing religious folks the wrong way. But if you were broken hearted and at the bottom rung of the ladder, you found a champion.

“When the gospel has become bad news to the poor, to the oppressed, to the brokenhearted and imprisoned and good news to the proud, self-righteous and privileged, it is no longer the gospel of Jesus.” ~ Beth Moore

1. What I saw and heard from the State of Texas this week made me shiver in a Handmaid’s Tale kind of way.

And then when Elon Musk opened wide the doors of his social media platform to Alex Jones, I think I saw the devil dancing a jig and the Sandy Hook parents searching the heavens for an explanation.

1. “ … Jesus did not come to create an elite country club with an arbitrary list of requirements for who’s in and who’s out. Jesus came to reveal something that has always been true everywhere—for everyone—and for all time. Otherwise it is not “true”! ~ Richard Rohr

Do you know anything about religious clubs with an “arbitrary list of requirements for who’s in and who’s out?” I sure do. I’m sure I’m on more than a few ‘do not invite’ lists. There’s a certain sadness in knowing that. And yet, it’s also freeing. To go along in order to get along is no way to live.

6 “And by the way, I can’t believe I have to say this, but ‘Are you going to be a dictator?’ is not a normal question you should have to ask a presidential candidate. If you have to ask your babysitter, ‘Are you going to eat my kids?’, it doesn’t matter what their answer is. The fact that you needed to ask them means you should get another babysitter.” ~Jimmy Kimmel, referencing Hannity’s interview of Trump

There’s a whole lot of not-normal questions being asked these days in all kinds of places. It’s sad really. Expecting moral norms of conduct used to be a thing. Now people are having great success persuading us that a crooked line, is in fact, straight. And we fall for it. All our life we’ve known the difference between crooked and straight. Now we have doubts? I don’t get it.

1. “The Bible does not leave us with one consistent portrait of God, but a collection of ancient and diverse portraits of how the biblical writers understood God for their times. These biblical portraits of God are not there to test how clever we can be in making them fit together nicely. They illustrate for us the need to accept the sacred responsibility of asking what God is like for us in the here and now.” ~ Pete Enns/How the Bible Actually Works

What is God like for me these days? I’ve been stretched and prodded to reexamine my faith and to specifically admit that the God I thought I knew was much too small. ‘Tis a good journey to be on. Feel free to join me.

1. “Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.” ~ Trevor Noah

We all desire to fit in, to have someone say “I choose you.” We can be that someone. In big and small ways we can do this.

1. I have had the good fortune to travel to and then through Israel three times. It was not at all uncommon to see two villages, one Arab – the other Jewish, sitting together on a plain or hillside 200 yds. apart. They shared a common geography but the land between them spoke volumes about the deep divides that can separate people in the Holy Land. Those divides have and continue to lead to war and sorrows beyond measure.

In our country we are at war with ourselves. Our divides are real and exacerbated by finger pointing, lies, rumors, all sorts of different ‘isms’, and various forms of grievance.The space between us grows. We can see, feel, and taste the polarization. Will we end up choosing to live in separate villages on a hillside? In many respects, we already have.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,” Jesus told us. Now, more than ever, we need them.

1. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) said that he would not seek reelection next year, expressing disappointment that many fellow Republicans continue to push the “big lie” that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

“Our nation is on a collision course with reality, and a steadfast commitment to truth, even uncomfortable truths, is the only way forward. Too many Republican leaders are lying to America…It is impossible for the Republican Party to confront our problems and offer a course correction for the future while being obsessively fixated on retribution and vengeance for contrived injustices of the past.” ~ Amy Wang, WAPO

The good ones are being forced out of politics. And the people who need to hear why they’re leaving have absolutely no interest in listening to anything that’s sane and truthful.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-15-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 82 – I Corinthians 15:50-54 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s reading is a quote from K.J. Ramsey that I transcribed from her Instagram account over a year ago.

The post Poem/Prayer 27 K.J. Ramsey Quote appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.8.2

1. “If our Christianity is somehow offended by the idea of everyone having food, shelter, drink, and a livable wage, not only does this paint a deeply uncaring picture of our faith, but it also reveals that capitalism informs our beliefs more than the gospel of Jesus. ~ Rev. Benjamin Cremer

“The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim Him with their mouths and deny Him with their actions is what an unbelieving world finds unbelievable.” ~ Karl Rahnr, SJ

When the talk isn’t walked, an already skeptical world shrugs its shoulders and says “No surprise.”

In some ways, I’m glad we’re (Christians) being held at arm’s length by the world. It’s good to hear the critiques and to be asked to look in the mirror. We do have some explaining to do. Our witness is tarnished and our allegiances are suspect. Our tribe needs to be humbled and the consequences of our sins needs to be reckoned with. In many respects we are not the ‘hope for the world’ that we bragged about for so long.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t bright spots. There are congregations, ministries and individuals who live life faithfully, compassionately and winsomely. Not every pastor is an ego driven monster, and not every church is consumed by more success and status but is rather consumed with the desire to love people and to love God.

1. Since Trump left office and Biden took over, the whole country has had to get used to a different set of policy outcomes and behaviors. The good news is that democracy is once again being cherished and authoritarians are seen for what they are. Hate filled morning tweets (or whatever it’s called now) from the former Chief Executive are but a painful memory and monetizing the White House for personal gain appears not to be a thing. And there’s music again at The White House.

How can we live like this? Quite nicely, I think, quite nicely. It’s amazing what can happen when character and competence work together for the common good.

Is Biden perfect? No, he’s not. And he’s facing issues he has no real answers for. There are tons of things needing his attention. But when push comes to shove, he at least tries to do what’s right. He looks for solutions and surrounds himself with smart, capable, men and women who are all in on a government that’s of the people, by the people and for the people – all the people.

Biden is a man who has been deeply wounded in his life and he has allowed the suffering he experienced to become his teacher. He is a reflective man.That’s so different from his predecessor who quite obviously carries deep wounds of childhood and beyond. In his own way, he’s suffered but he hasn’t allowed that suffering to teach him. Thus we see someone who is reactive, impulse driven, a man lashing out, afraid of looking inward. He tries to heal himself by passing his suffering on to others. It doesn’t work that way.

1. During Advent we are asked to wait, patiently and expectantly, for the birth of Jesus. There’s a tendency to jump immediately, at warp speed from Thanksgiving into Christmas, perhaps forgetting that God just might have plans for us ‘in the between time’. I happen to think God wants to slow us down a bit and to discover what those plans are.

2. I heard a story a few years ago about a couple whose young son had an incurable disease. Someone remarked to the father that he and his wife seemed to be dealing with this calmly and without complaint. The father’s response blew me away.

“Well, it seems to me that we have three choices. We can curse life and what it does to us at times and look for some way to express our rage. We can grit our teeth, worry like crazy and merely endure. Or we can accept our life as still a gift, somehow, from God. The first alternative is useless. The second is exhausting. The third enables us to go on, truly living.”

I don’t know about you but worrying like crazy, just gritting my teeth, and cursing life has never really served me all that well. At times, it’s part of the process of working it all out, but at the end of the day it doesn’t resolve anything. I’m sure that couple went through many a day when they were overtaken by grief, hurt, and anger. But they needed peace. By and through the grace of God they found it, even as they continued to carry their heavy burden. May it be so in my life and yours.

1. “We can control our boundaries, our thoughts and actions, our goals, what we will give our energy to, how we speak of ourselves and how we handle challenges. What we can’t control is the past, the future, the actions and opinions of others, what happens around us, what other people think of us and the outcome of our efforts.” @mindfulenough

How much time have I wasted trying to control the uncontrollable?

1. “It’s weird watching people still direct their hate towards people telling the truth and not those who lied to them.” ~ The Clergy Network

It’s probably not wise to direct ‘hate’ towards anyone but when we try to destroy the truth tellers and instead lift up the liars, something is really wrong.

“Compulsive liars shouldn’t frighten you. They can harm no one, if no one listens to them. Compulsive believers on the other hand: they should terrify you. Believers are the liars’ enablers.” ~ Nick Cohen

Yah, it’s the true believers who scare me. A lot. They keep playing what I perceive to be a no win game of follow the leader, clinging to those who are devoid of ethical restraints.

1. I chuckled for a moment when Mark 13:24-37 was read aloud at church last week. It ends with these words: “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”

I journaled: “Jesus gets it. To keep awake means to stay woke , to be expectant, cherishing and inhabiting the moment. Our good God doesn’t want anyone to miss the sacredness of the right here, right now.”

1. “No more apologies for a bleeding heart when the opposite is no heart at all. Danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.” ~ Toni Morrison

2. “Let’s state it clearly: One great idea of the biblical revelation is that God is manifest in the ordinary, in the actual, in the daily, in the now, in the concrete incarnations of life, and not through purity codes and moral achievement contests, which are seldom achieved anyway.” Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

A desire to be pure and moral is a good thing. Rohr suggests, however, that we’ve taken what’s good and made it into a contest in which we keep score, measuring ourselves against each other. That kind of striving distracts us from being in the very presence of God.

1. “The U.S. is sleepwalking into dictatorship.” ~ Liz Cheney

I’m afraid she’s right but I pray, as a nation, we wake up and prove her wrong. That wake up depends on ‘us’ sounding the alarm. Seriously, it depends on you and me beating the drum of freedom. I still choose to believe there’s more of us than there is of them. I think we can and should make a big noise for what is good, beautiful, honorable and true. And that ain’t a dictatorship.

Einstein once said:

“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-08-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 81 – Isaiah 9:2-7 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Todays reading is the very first page of Jan Richardson’s book Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas.

The post Poem/Prayer 26 – Jan Richardson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.1.23

1. “Imagine a faith so empty that you think bringing prayer into a school is following Jesus, but bringing free lunches is not.” ~ unknown

As long as there are tests in schools, there will be prayers in the classroom. Right? No one can stop that kind of quiet but urgent prayer.

There are those, however, who want schools to offer more prayer, preferably an ‘out loud’ prayer offered to an evangelical deity, and in the best of all worlds, accompanied by the pledge of allegiance.

Proponents of this seem to believe that a Christian ‘out loud’ prayer, in a properly patriotic, public school, will solve oh so many problems.

Hmmm.

Will it solve the problem of hunger?

Here’s the issue. That very same school prayer movement is often the tip of the spear fighting for book bannings and white washing history curriculums, and even ending food subsidies for hungry kids. It isn’t just about school prayer for them. It’s tied to a bigger agenda.

What would happen if they dropped their agenda for a time and just spent time getting to know the children and parents who live in food deserts? What if they listened to their prayers? What would happen in their heart if they heard them quietly pray for food? What would happen if they actually pondered the real world ramifications if all those food subsidies just went away? Then what?

I think Jesus is all in on feeding people.

I think Jesus is all in on prayer.

I think Jesus is all in on any prayer that leads to actually helping people.

1. “Inaccurate eschatology causes the church to wait for a king who already reigns, a kingdom they’re already in, to become what they already are, wait for an age that has already come, wait for a victory that’s already been won and wait to do what they already should be doing.” ~ Fr. Ken Saunders

I know full well how easy it is to walk around with an empty faith and a theology that ignores what God has already done and waits around for what’s already here.

1. “A narcissist wants the authority of a king while having the accountability of a toddler.” ~ The Mind Journal

It’s been said (not sure who) that “a society is in deep trouble when greed is flaunted, anger poses as strength, and stupidity is seen as a virtue.”

If you take that greed, anger, stupidity and allow a narcissist to stir it up, guess what happens? Nothing but trouble.

As for those who irresponsibly welcome that kind of trouble, I really have no words for you. That’s a lie actually. I do have words. They’re just not fit to print.

1. “I used to tolerate a lot because I didn’t want to lose people. Now I establish boundaries because I don’t want to lose myself.” ~ Kathleen Diane, Real Life Reflections

“It takes courage to say yes to rest and play in a culture where exhaustion is seen as a status symbol.” ~ Brene Brown

“You must find the courage to leave the table if respect is no longer being served.” ~ Tene Edwards

Self-care is absolutely essential. It helps build up our strength and resolve, preparing us to face both the joys and sorrows that will surely come knocking at our door.

1. Aldous Huxley wrote that “the purpose of propaganda is to make one set of people forget that other sets of people are human.”

I’d say propaganda is fulfilling its purpose these days and sometimes we willingly become the conduit through which it is transferred. And that’s when a very ugly transformational process begins to take root in us. We begin to believe that our particular tribe is superior. We end up refusing to embrace the shared common humanity that we have with all people in all tribes. We forget that we have a shared identity, that we are created in the image and likeness of God who loves us all.

1. “One of the early Jesuits, Jerome Nadal, said that “The Good Spirit is gentle, even in reproach”. ~ Pray as You Go

If I could only be as gentle with myself as the Spirit is. Is there anyone else who is their own deadliest critic?

1. Jesus had this habit of hanging out with sinful people. Self righteous folks didn’t like it. They too easily forgot about their most recent flirtation with sin. The same thing happens today, doesn’t it?

2. “During my theology studies, one student asked our New Testament professor about Jesus’ self-knowledge. I remember the fellow stood up to ask a series of long and impassioned questions: When Jesus thought about himself, asked the student, did he know he was divine? When he prayed, how did he relate to God the Father? How did he know what he was supposed to do? Did he know that he was the Messiah? What did he think about the miracles he performed? Overall, what was his inner life like?

My professor, a distinguished scholar and dedicated priest, listened carefully, paused for a moment and said, “We have no idea.”

Still, these are fascinating questions, and one that every serious Christian needs to grapple with.” ~ James Martin, SJ

I can’t say enough about learned people who are just fine with admitting they don’t have all the answers. I trust them. All of us should be that humble.

1. Back to the basics.

“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.” ~ Psalm 117

1. “St. Bonaventure expanded on Alan of Lille’s philosophical idea of God as one “whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. God is within all things but not enclosed; outside all things, but not excluded; above all things, but not aloof; below all things, but not debased.”

Richard Rohr responds by saying: “Therefore the origin, magnitude, multitude, beauty, fullness, activity, and order of all created things are the very “footprints” and “fingerprints” of God.” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation

Where’s God? Look and see. Listen and hear. Smell. Touch. Laugh. Cry. It is my understanding that Jesus inhabits all such things.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-01-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 80 – Matthew 19:23-30 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. The prayer this week is from Joyce Rupp and it’s titled A Thanksgiving Blessing.

The post Poem/Prayer 25 – Joyce Rupp appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 11.24.23

1. “The secret of the Muppets is

they’re not very good at what they do.

Kermit is not a great host,

Fozzie is not a good comedian,

Miss Piggy is not a great singer,

None of them are actually good at it,

but they freaking love it!

and they’re like a family,

and they like putting on the show,

and they have joy,

and because they have joy,

it doesn’t matter that they’re not good at it.

We should all be Muppets!” ~ Brett Goldstein, who played Roy Kent on Ted Lasso

In a world gone crazy, finding joy and being joyful is both a gift to ourselves and to others. There’s already far too much sadness being passed around. Joy, we’ve got to find the joy.

1. “The Bible is not a Christian owner’s manual but a story – a diverse story of God and how his people have connected with Him over the centuries, in changing circumstances and situations.” ~ Pete Enns, The Bible Tells Me So

The Bible is far more than “basic instructions before leaving earth.” The Bible certainly does have its share of ‘do this and don’t do that’ passages but why settle for such a utilitarian approach to reading scripture?

The Bible, as I understand it, is a set of writings produced by a variety of writers, over a long period of time. Some parts of it are simple to understand but there’s a whole lot that’s challenging and complicated. Sometimes the writing is gorgeous, other times it’s clunky. Its content is both delightful and terrifying. It lifts us up and it also brings tears to our eyes. It changes moods on a dime. Check out the psalms if you doubt that. It takes us into the depths and the heights of faith. It seeps into our hearts, souls and minds. It chronicles the history of both the faithful and the skeptical. It compels us to ask questions and it’s not all that surprising to discover that the answers are oftentimes shrouded in a bit of mystery.

And our personal response to the Bible, what should it be? Eugene Peterson wrote: “You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it.”

1. I’m reminded of the words of A. Lincoln who famously said at Gettysburg “…now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether this nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure…”

Today, we are still at war with ourselves. It’s a civil war that’s testing us and tearing at us. We all have decisions to make regarding where we stand and why. We also need to choose how we will engage with others, especially those we disagree with.

1. “God of My Life,

I’ve heard it said that

you won’t give me more

than I can handle.

That is patently false –

I can’t count how many

struggles have gotten

the better of me.

But this I know to be true:

You bear all of my

afflictions with me.

You feel each cut, bruise,

and scar – not because

you must but freely,

as an act of love.

Thanks to you, I am

not defeated!”

Donald K. Nelson, ad gloriam Dei

1. Providing security and protection for people who feel threatened is a big bucks industry these days. Why? There’s lots of reasons for it but I do know that, in the political arena, those who stand tall and push back hard on that guy with the orange hair and limited vocabulary are rightfully fearful that a segment of MAGA faithful will come after them with a vengeance. So, they have to find ways of protecting themselves and their families.

MAGA loyalists are threatening people. And what does the MAGA leader do? Pick three.

1. Asks them to stop
2. Nothing.
3. Blames the victims and calls them names.

4. Makes fun of Joe Biden for being old.

5. “Every storm runs out of rain.” – Maya Angelou

I’m impatient. I want our culture wars storm to run out of rain like right now. Right now ain’t going to happen is it?

But I can still pray my hopes and speak them out loud. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s all I got. I choose to believe that God hears my prayers.

1. Late night hosts always have a humorous take on what’s going on in the world. We need that.

“And then after her show in Argentina, Taylor Swift comes offstage, and Travis Kelce is there. She runs towards him, jumped into his arms, and then he ran her back 57 yards for a touchdown. It was incredible.” ~ JIMMY KIMMEL

1. “The crisis within the US church has almost nothing to do w/ being liberal or conservative; it has to do w/giving up the faith & discipline of our baptism & settling for a common, generic US identity that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence & part affluence.” ~ Walter Brueggemann

“If this is going to be a Christian nation that doesn’t help the poor, either we have to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are, or we’ve got to acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit that we just don’t want to do it.” ~ Stephen Colbert

I’ve been thinking that perhaps it’s time to recruit and train a new brand of ‘missionary’ who will commit to living among, befriending, and having winsome conversations about life, faith, meaning and purpose with Christian Nationalists, secular MAGAites, nominal mainliners, anti-faith progressives, and smug liberals. The need is great, the work will be hard (earning the right to be heard is never easy) and in some ways could be dangerous.

1. “Gratitude begins in our hearts and then dovetails into behavior…. We mysteriously find ourselves willing to pick up litter in the street, or let others go first in traffic….

You breathe in gratitude, and you breathe it out, too. Once you learn how to do that, then you can bear someone who is unbearable. My general-purpose go-to mystic Rumi said, “There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground,” and bearing the barely bearable is one of the best.

When we go from rashy and clenched to grateful, we sometimes get to note the experience of grace, in knowing that we could not have gotten ourselves from where we were stuck, in hate or self-righteousness or self-loathing (which are the same thing), to freedom. The movement of grace in our lives toward freedom is the mystery. So we simply say “Thanks.” Something had to open, something had to give, and I don’t have a clue how to get things to do that. But they did, or grace did.” ~ Anne Lamott

10.” You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.” ~ Fannie Lou Hamer

Civil rights activists like Hamer understood that faith and works are not mutually exclusive. They are part of the whole – both essential to the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God.

“You can no more show me your works apart from your faith, than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand and glove.” ~ James 2, MSG

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-24-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 79 – Matthew 17:14-20 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s prayer is by Kaitlin Curtice and it comes from her book Glory Happening.

The post Poem/Prayer 24 – Kaitlin Curtice appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 11.17.23.

1.“I want you to be grateful that you’re going through this sad moment with all these other folks. Because I promise you, there is something worse out there than being sad, and that’s being alone and being sad. Ain’t nobody in this room alone.” ~ Ted Lasso

Thumbs way up for the power of community. May we all find it and thank God for it. And if we can’t find it, perhaps we can help create it. It’s really needed at holiday time.

1. “We have just learned that Santa’s been reading our posts all year. And most of us are getting history and civics books. Some of us are getting books on spelling, theology and civility.” ~ Clergy Coaching Network

I hope some people get remotes for their TV with no on button. And some of the punditainers need muzzles. For sure Santa will be delivering many, many moral compasses.

3. When our religious beliefs cause people harm, it’s well beyond the time to reconsider what we believe and why.

1. Grace cannot be understood by any ledger of merits and demerits. It cannot be held to patterns of buying, losing, earning, achieving, or manipulating. Grace is, quite literally, “for the taking.” It is God eternally giving away God—for nothing—except the giving itself.” ~ Richard Rohr

Why is God so generous? He knows not how to be anything else.

1. “In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political, I must listen to the birds, and in order to hear the birds the war planes must be silent.” ~ Marwan Makhoul

2. Stories are floating around about what the culture wars and Christian Nationalism have done to churches. Congregants, it seems, are pushing back on pastors using Jesus’s ‘Sermon on the Mount’ as preaching material. They’re calling it woke, soft, and very much aligned with liberal talking points. Seriously? Yes, seriously. Don’t know the Sermon on the Mount? Here’s a sneak peek.

-God blesses those who are poor and those who mourn.

-God blesses those who are humble and those who hunger and thirst for justice.

-God also blesses the merciful and those whose hearts are pure, those who work for peace and those who are persecuted for doing what’s right.

I’m sure some pastors, knowing the prevailing political bent of their congregants, will choose to avoid using Jesus’s words as source material. As a result, they won’t sleep well but they also won’t have to hire security.

The sobbing you hear is from Heaven itself.

1. “Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn’t logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea. It wasn’t common sense that caused Paul to abandon the law and embrace grace. And it wasn’t a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter’s release from prison. It was a fearful, desperate, band of believers that were backed into a corner.” ~ Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers as reported by John Blake, CNN

Fain was speaking to the United Auto Workers prior to their strike. I find that to be fascinating. Obviously, he’s a man of deep faith. These words – “a fearful, desperate band of believers were backed into a corner” – got to me. In the world we live in I often feel both desperate and afraid and backed into a corner. Bet you do too. In those times I long for other fearful, desperate believers who, when their backs are against the wall, seek God . And not in a perfunctory manner. No, they seek God with everything they’ve got because they know there’s no room for weak and polite prayers in the kind of world we’re living in.

1. “There is immense silent agony in the world, and the task of man and a woman is to be a voice for the plundered poor, to prevent the desecration of the soul and the violation of our dream of honesty. The more deeply immersed I became in the thinking of the prophets, the more powerfully it became clear to me what the lives of the Prophets sought to convey: that morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.” ~ Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

“…some are guilty but all are responsible .” I assume he’s referring to me and you.

1. If the presumed MAGA nominee for President (the one with 91 indictments and four trials) actually wins the election, undocumented immigrants (including the Dreamers) will be deported by the hundreds of thousands, no matter how or when or why they got here. He’s vowing to round them up, put them in big camps, and then ship them out without any due process, all the while building that big wall to keep them out forever. Whew. And he will do that at the same time he’s getting even with his political foes, going hard after those he calls ‘vermins’ (one of the favorite words of Nazis), and cozying up to other authoritarian, anti-democracy world leaders.

My hunch is that he’ll also figure out how to monetize all that hate and anger for his personal benefit.

Wowser. What a vision for America, huh?

Does our immigration policy need fixing? Yes, it does. And soon. Draconian measures, however, that tear apart families, sending people back to dangerous, perhaps deadly situations is not the solution. Even entertaining the thought of deportation camps, with no due process available, and with no consideration of our undocumented neighbors who have lived in the USA in meritorious ways for a long time is flat out sinful.

Seriously, there’s something quite troubling about those who just can’t wait for the day when ‘those people’ will be punished and finally gone.

The sign, a while back, outside the Madison Avenue Baptist Church in NYC made a really good point: “Rather than a wall, America needs to build a giant mirror to reflect on what we’ve become.”

Yes, that rings true. But who will actually step up to do that reflection?

1. $76,000,000 is the buy out of Jimbo Fisher’s football coaching contract at Texas A&M. It will be paid by the athletic department and a foundation supported by wealthy boosters.

You know that mirror I mentioned in Rumble #9. It’s also needed in big time college sports.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-17-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 78 – Matthew 15:10-20 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt is back on the podcast with me as we talk about ancestors. We are releasing this podcast in November which contains All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day. It’s a whole month devoted to honoring all those who have died over the course of the previous year.

In the west we’ve not done a good job of honoring our ancestors and recognizing their wisdom. On the podcast we look at the part ancestors play in biblical history, what our ancestors have left behind for us, and we look at the fact that we are becoming ancestors too.

Here are the resources mentioned on the podcast:

The Love of Thousands: How Angels, Saints, and Ancestors Walk with Us Toward Holiness by Christine Valters Paintner

Translating Your Past: Finding Meaning in Family Ancestry, Genetic Clues, and Generational Trauma by Michelle Van Loon

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 376 – Ancestors appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Today’s poem is titled A Diamond Is Born by All Renée Bozarth.

The post Poem/Prayer 23 – Alla Renée Bozarth appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 11.10.23

1. Former President Obama said this about the Israel/Hamas War:

“ … this is centuries-old stuff that’s coming to the fore …take in the whole truth ..

what Hamas did was horrific, and there’s no justification for it …And what is also true is that the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians is unbearable… And what is also true is that there is a history of the Jewish people that may be dismissed unless your grandparents or your great-grandparents, or your uncle or your aunt tell you stories about the madness of antisemitism. And what is true is that there are people right now who are dying, who have nothing to do with what Hamas did…” ~ Lisa Lere NY Times

War is quite a nasty, nasty thing. Obama reminds us that war is also quite complicated.

I want Israel to remain a flourishing, democratic country. I am anti-Hamas and any other terror group. I want Palestinians to have a homeland where they can also flourish.

I want to stand with the powerless and against the extremists especially those who use religion as their rationale to do harm. I am always for win-win decisions and for wise men and women to continue to rise up who know how to broker peace.

What are you for?

1. “If we truly believe that God surrounds us, we believe that prayer is an everyday experience of being alive…. When you step outside and engage with the world in quiet listening, prayer will happen, and it will take on its own way of being for you.” ~ Kaitlin Curtice, CAC

Step outside. Engage. Quiet listening. These are building blocks of a healthy prayer life.

3.“I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.” Dorothy Day

“I pray my Christianity will not keep me from being Christlike.” ~ on love and mercy : a social justice devotional

1. “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” ~ John F. Kennedy

I’m chuckling. “Let us accept our own responsibility …” could that really happen?

I’m still chuckling.

Personal responsibility doesn’t fit well in a point your finger, blame game culture. It’s time we get back to it though.

It seems voters in separate states this week, defying what the pollster predicted, did indeed take the opportunity to accept responsibility for the future. Good for them.

1. “Do not love half lovers.

Do not entertain half friends.

Do not live half a life

and do not die a half death.

If you choose silence, then be silent.

When you speak, do so until you are finished.

Do not silence yourself to say something

And do not speak to be silent.

If you accept, then express it bluntly.

Do not mask it.

If you refuse then be clear about it

for an ambiguous refusal is but a weak acceptance.

Do not accept half a solution.

Do not believe half truths.

Do not dream half a dream.

Do not fantasize about half hopes.

Half the way will get you nowhere.

Half an idea will bear you no results.

Half a life is a life you didn’t live,

a word you have not said,

a smile you postponed,

a love you have not had,

a friendship you did not know.

The half is a mere moment of inability,

but you are able for you are not half a being.

You are a whole that exists to live a life

not half a life.” ~ Khalil Gibran

1. “Most of us think of God’s commands in terms of restraint, a restriction of our freedom to do as we please. God’s command is closer to us than we are to ourselves, in our words and in the deep desires of our hearts. It calls us to freedom and growth, not to diminishment.” Pray as you Go

2. Kristin DuMez of “Jesus and John Wayne” fame interviewed David Gushee, Professor of Christian Ethics, Mercer University. Here’s a snippet.

KDM: You make the case that a close alignment between Christianity and the state is bad for both. The threat to democracy is clear, but how is this bad for the church?

DG: The marriage of church and state confuses Christians about their identity and loyalty, reduces Christianity to a certain version of worldly politics and thus makes politics a new creedal element, often corrupts Christian moral behavior because of the ends-justify-the means dynamics in politics, drives dissenting Christians out of the church, distorts Christian public witness, and positions Christians as oppressors of minority groups in society. Other than that, it’s perfectly lovely.

1. Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.

Where there is apathy, let me provoke;

Where there is compliance, let me bring questioning;

Where there is silence, may I be a voice.

Where there is too much comfort and too little action, grant disruption;

Where there are doors closed and hearts locked,
Grant the willingness to listen.

When laws dictate and pain is overlooked…
When tradition speaks louder than need…

Grant that I may seek rather to DO justice than to talk about it;

Disturb us, O Creator,

To be with, as well as for, the alienated;To love the unlovable as well as the lovely;
Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.

Author Unknown.

1. Eugene Peterson awakened many of us to the wonders of scripture when he gave us “The Message.”

His son Leif, at his funeral, told the congregation that he liked to joke with his dad and tell him that despite decades of creativity in sharing the Bible with people in new ways, he really only had one message, one sermon, and one theme. And it was this:

“God loves you. He’s on your side. He’s coming after you. He’s relentless.”

1. “Republican evangelicals are putting America under immense strain. Christian commitment to the Big Lie almost broke America. Evangelicals’ loyalty to Trump — in spite of several other options — is placing one of the most malignant figures in American politics within striking distance of the presidency, again. And now Republican evangelicals applaud as Mike Johnson, another man who fully committed himself to overturning the election, has become second in line for the presidency.

This should not be. The Bible that sits on Johnson’s shelf, the one that tells him what to think about “any issue under the sun,” may not tell us how to formulate immigration policy or how much money to send to Ukraine. But it does condemn dishonesty, it does condemn cruelty, and if there is a clear theme that echoes throughout its pages, it’s one that “MAGA Mike Johnson” and his legion of evangelical supporters should take to heart: The ends do not justify the means.” ~ David French, an old school Republican and Evangelical, Opinion columnist for the NY Times.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-10-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 77 -Matthew 13:36-43 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Today’s prayer is written by Beth Merrill Neel and read from her blog titled Hold Fast to What is Good.

The post Poem/Prayer 22 – Beth Merrill Neel appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings. 11.3.23

1. “On the edge of war, one foot already in,

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.

I pray that stone hearts will turn

to tenderheartedness,

and evil intentions will turn

to mercifulness,

and all the soldiers already deployed

will be snatched out of harm’s way,

and the whole world will be

astounded onto its knees.

I pray that all the “God talk”

will take bones,

and stand up and shed

its cloak of faithlessness,

and walk again in its powerful truth.

I pray that the whole world might

sit down together and share

its bread and its wine.

Some say there is no hope,

but then I’ve always applauded the holy fools

who never seem to give up on

the scandalousness of our faith:

that we are loved by God……

that we can truly love one another.

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.” ~ Ann Weems

1. “We worshiped Jesus instead of following him on his same path. We made Jesus into a mere religion instead of a journey towards union with God and everything else. This shift made us into a religion of belonging and believing instead of a religion of transformation …

Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah … Jesus knew well the graphic story of Jonah the prophet who ran from God and was used by God almost in spite of himself. Jonah was swallowed by a whale and taken where he would rather not go. This was Jesus’ metaphor for death and rebirth…Rather than look for impressive apparitions or miracles, Jesus said we must go inside the whale’s belly for a while. Then and only then will we be spit out on a new shore and understand our call, our place, and our purpose…” ~ Richard Rohr

Metaphorically speaking, have you ever been inside the whale’s belly and spit out on a new shore? Some of you have. If so, my guess is that there was a renewed clarity of your place in the order of things, and perhaps a better understanding of your sense of purpose. Transformation is an ongoing process. It’s like being born again, again and again and again. Wowser. It’s a game changer isn’t it?

1. Daily Prayer of C.S. Lewis.

“May it be the real I who speaks.

May it be the real Thou that I speak to.” Amen.

1. “Yes, it can be done (Si, se puede)”was the rallying cry used by Cesar Chavez as he organized migrant farm workers.

Barack Obama riffed off it and made “Yes, we can” his campaign slogan.

Call me crazy but I still believe that ‘we can’.

1. “At the end of the day, the problem is the human heart. It’s not guns. It’s not the weapons. At the end of the day, we have to protect the right of the citizens to protect themselves, and that’s the Second Amendment.”

— House Speaker Mike Johnson

After researching the new Speaker this doesn’t come as a surprise. When push comes to shove he’s a MAGA guy, just a slicker, more pious version of one.

My take is that as long as the Speaker and the rest of the MAGA legislators insist on bowing down to the gun lobby and remain adamant in their resolve to not allow common sense gun legislation (which would need to contain money for mental health initiatives) to come to a vote, our country will continue to experience heartache many times over.

As long as increasing the bottom line of gun manufacturers stays the priority and as long as those in Congress get their campaign contributions, nothing will change. And the next time a mass murderer kills our citizens, MAGA members of the House, will on cue, offer thoughts and prayers for the broken-hearted families of the victims.

Miroslav Volf once said: “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.”

I’m tired of the hypocrisy.

1. “Let ignorance reproduce itself until it is weary of its own offspring.”~ Kahlil Gibron

2. It’s the fundamentalists. The purists. The ones filled with stubborn certitude. They are the problem. Whether it’s fundamentalist Baptists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Democrats, Republicans, Mormans, or Rotarians, the results are the same. They see a divide and make it wider and deeper all the while saying “it’s our way or the highway.”

I find fundamentalists of any stripe to be trying and close minded.

Fundamentalism creates a climate that nurtures anti-semitism. And our Jewish friends are rightlfully fearful for crimes against Jews are multiplying.

Fundamentalism also breathes life into Islamophobia, encouraging the haters to keep doing their thing, no matter what the cost. Our Muslim neighbors are rightfully afraid.

It’s all very scary these days. Our task is to both stand with the oppressed and examine our own lives to see whether or not there’s an inner fundie in us that needs to be expelled.

1. Popeye said: “That’s all I can stands – I can’t stands no more!”

I’m not at that point but there are moments when I feel like I’m close. Perhaps that’s why this piece touched my heart.

“God of the weary
receive my tiredness
God of the hungry
know my emptiness
God of those in danger
hold my fear
God of the silenced
hear my despair
God of the heavy laden
give me rest
God of the hopeful
fill me again with longing.” ~ Janet Morley

1. Do you remember that time in scripture when Jesus walked along the seashore and he pointed at three separate groups of people -lepers, widows, and refugees- and then told his disciples that in the Kingdom of God “such people are of no importance whatsoever?”

And then do you remember when he was on that big honkin’ yacht cruising on the Sea of Galilee and he uttered those famous words: “This is what life is really all about. Forget all that first shall be last and last will be first nonsense.”

Remember? Neither do I. But I know a fair amount of people who are acting in ways that indicate they actually believe Jesus said things like this.

Willful moments of stupidity help people justify all kinds of things that give them permission to trample on all that is good, just, and holy. It’s a strategy that does great damage to both the perpetrator and the victim.

1. A friend had been going through some difficult familial moments. She said: “I found a working peace” with it all and that has enabled me to move forward.

Sometimes that’s the best we can get – a working peace.

…

One of our pastors prayed this last Sunday in response to the killings in Maine. I found it to be meaningful. She said: “Soften the memories of those who were witnesses.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-03-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Kathleen MacInnis Kichline joins me on the podcast today as we dive into her book, Why These Women?, which focuses on the lives of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. These are the women listed in the genealogy included in the book of Matthew. Our conversation touches on the oppression of these women as shown through their stories and an important question, “What does it take for someone to break out of an oppressive situation?” I’ll let you listen to the podcast to hear the response to that question. It’s an important response that connects with us today.

Find Kathleen in these places:

• Website
• Facebook

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Kathleen MacInnis Kichline – episode 375 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 76 – Matthew 13:10-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Today’s poem is titled Living In Passionate Faith by Alla Renée Bozarth.

The post Poem/Prayer 21 – Alla Renée Bozarth appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.27.23

1. Let’s keep praying for a just and lasting peace in all the places on our globe where there is war. I’d list them all but it would be too distressing. The hate has to end. It must end.

And it needs to end in our country. How many legislators have been threatened in our country for just doing their job? Too many. Anti-semitism runs deep here as does Islamophobia. Anti-gay rhetoric is on the rise. Racism is ever present. Anti-immigrant voices are loud and strong.

We’re looking at each other through a biased lens.

“Is it possible for us to see each other the way God sees us instead of through our biases? The truth is that God doesn’t see people the way we do, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves and others that our way is the Creator’s way. In God’s eyes, each and every person is a bearer of [God’s] image. Each is a special creation, each is loved, each is in need of God’s love and forgiveness….” ~ LeRoy Barber

Look into a mirror and say “I am an unrepeatable miracle of God.” Keep saying it until you believe it.

And then bring to mind those you are at odds with or those you think unkindly about. Remind yourself that they too are a one of a kind miracle of the Creator.

1. “While they carried a great burden about gaps of injustice, Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela radiated conviction and not condemnation, redemption and not final judgment, embrace and not rejection. The truly prophetic nature of their work in South Africa was pursuing justice with a quality of mercy that shaped a quest for communion with enemies and strangers.” ~ Emmanuel Katongole and Chris Rice: Reconciling All Things: A Christian Vision for Justice, Peace and Healing

They really were prophets. No doubt about it. They spoke truth. That proved to be unsettling to those maintaining the status quo. But they gained converts. Some say they worked a miracle or two. And they paid a price. They weren’t universally loved.

1. I live in deep red Florida. In my head I refer to myself as part of the non-violent resistance in a MAGA held territory.

2. When President Biden talks about the crisis at the border he does not vilify those who seek shelter and asylum. He sees them as real people. He doesn’t tell lies about them nor does he call them names. He sees them as having value. I appreciate a leader who sees all people as having worth.

Our last president didn’t value people in need. Instead, he used them as props to stir up hate. And then he quite easily persuaded others to do likewise.

I’ll keep standing with the man who believes that all people are made in the image and likeness of God and hold at arm’s length the man who doesn’t.

I’d urge you to do the same.

1. It’s pretty clear that we are engaged in a national political brawl that’s pretty much about whether or not authoritarianism is better than democracy. It would be better if it were a conversation instead of a fist fight. But dang, it’s hard to have a conversation with the willfully ignorant and those who distort truth for their own gain.

2. “The big and hidden secret is this: an infinite God seeks and desires intimacy with the human soul. Once we experience such intimacy, only the intimate language of lovers describes the experience for us: mystery, tenderness, singularity, specialness, changing the rules “for me,” nakedness, risk, ecstasy, incessant longing, and also, of course, necessary suffering. This is the mystical vocabulary of the saints.” ~ Richard Rohr

3. “Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons.” ~ Denzel Washington

4. MASH Wisdom

Frank Burns: Well everyone knows “war is hell”.

Hunnicutt: Remember, you heard it here last.

Hawkeye: War isn’t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.

Father Mulcahy: How do you figure that, Hawkeye?

Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell?

Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe.

Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them — little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.”

War is filled with the blood of innocents. The sobs we hear emanate from those whose hearts are shattered. If we keep insisting that ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is the best way forward, don’t be surprised when someone you love shows up blind and toothless.

1. “Peace is not just about the absence of conflict; it’s also about the presence of justice. Martin Luther King Jr. even distinguished between ‘the devil’s peace’ and God’s true peace. A counterfeit peace exists when people are pacified or distracted or so beat up and tired of fighting that all seems calm. But true peace does not exist until there is justice, restoration, forgiveness. Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.” ~ Shane Claiborne, Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Please read this. Not once. Not twice. Not three times. Read it until it seeps into the very depth of your being.

1. If my Facebook feed is any indication, the #1 problem facing us as a country is self-checkout at big box stores. The already livid posters are even more ticked off because store management has the audacity to think that they even have the right to check receipts at the exit to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Oh my. Immaturity runs deep in our country.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-27-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 75 – Matthew 23:1-7 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I don’t know about you, but life has its ups and downs and somehow we always seem to be in the middle of a transition. How do we mark those transitions? My guest this week, Amy Davis Abdallah, has found something that helps: rituals. We focus on her book, Meaning in the Moment, where she shows why we need rituals to survive and even thrive through various seasons of life. If you want to know how to create your own meaningful rituals, she’s got you covered for that, too. Check out this week’s insightful conversation!

Find Amy F. Davis Abdallah:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Amy F. Davis Abdallah – episode 374 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

Today’s offering is On Meeting a Stranger by John O’Donahue.

The post Poem/Prayer 20 – John O’Donahue appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 74 – Matthew 22:41-46 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is by Julian of Norwich.

The post Poem/prayer 19 – Julian of Norwich appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.13.23

1. When I woke up last Saturday I was startled and deeply saddened to learn, as I’m sure you were, that Israel had been viciously attacked by Hamas, a terrorist organization which exerts great influence and power in Gaza. Civilians were targeted, including children. Hostages were taken. Women were raped. Families were separated. Grievous harm was done.

During the week Israel fought back with a vengeance and soon will make a decision about whether or not a massive ground attack in Gaza will be launched.

This war is still writing its gruesome story. For sure, more innocent lives will be lost. Fingers will be pointed, scape goats will be found, the rhetoric will be loud, the pundits will bellow and images of mourning will fill our screens. There is some worry that terrorist allies of Hamas will join the fray, further destabilizing the region.

In other words, it’s a mess. It is incredibly troubling.

Let us weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn.

And let us pray.

Pray for the peacemakers on both sides of the conflict to stand tall, for the hardliners to calm down, and for the groundwork for a just and lasting peace to be established.

1. President Biden was careful to distinguish between Hamas and the Palestinians during his speech to the nation. “Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination. Its stated purpose is the annihilation of the State of Israel and the murder of Jewish people…. Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed with no regard to who pays the price.”

We need to make that distinction too. Hamas is a terror organization, without a conscience, and not everyone in Gaza is a fan.

1. “Dear Child of God, before we can become God’s partners, we must know what God wants for us. “I have a dream,” God says. “Please help Me to realize it. It is a dream of a world whose ugliness and squalor and poverty, its war and hostility, its greed and harsh competitiveness, its alienation and disharmony are changed into their glorious counterparts, where there will be more laughter, joy, and peace, where there will be justice and goodness and compassion and love and caring and sharing. I have a dream that swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, that My children will know that they are members of one family, the human family, God’s family, My family.” ~ Desmond Tutu

2. E. B. White watched his wife Katharine planning the planting of bulbs in her garden in the last autumn of her life and later wrote about it: ‘There was something comical yet touching in her bedraggled appearance … The small hunched-over figure, her studied absorption in the implausible notion that there would be yet another spring, oblivious to the ending of her own days, which she knew perfectly well was near at hand, sitting there with her detailed chart under those dark skies in dying October, calmly plotting the resurrection.’ There is room for all of us in the resurrection conspiracy, the company of those who plant seeds of hope in dark times of grief or oppression, going about the living of these years until, no one knows quite how, the tender Easter shoots appear. ~ Robert Raines A Time to Live:

“There is room for all of us in the resurrection conspiracy.” Keep planting.

1. During times of great trouble, I think of the end times/rapture crowd who look to the heavens and start packing their bags.

Perhaps, unpacking their bags and getting to work loving and caring for those they want to float away from would be the better thing.

1. “Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.” ~ Hafiz

Lots of cheap rooms are being occupied by jittery Americans these days. They can afford better but what the heck, why bother? After all, fear kind of feels normal now. Besides, they can still afford the internet. That’s what counts. After all, fear needs feeding.

But why walk in fear? That’s the million dollar question.

1. Quite often I read things that ‘stir’ me. That doesn’t mean I agree with them nor does it mean that I disagree. It means that they grabbed my attention and spoke to me.

For instance, Rabbi Mara Nathan got my attention.

“The Torah, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and later rabbinic sources consider the woman’s physical and emotional health before that of the fetus. Until the baby is born, Judaism considers the fetus to be part of the woman’s body. She is never the villain when difficult choices need to be made.”

Marcus Borg, is a progressive theologian who got me thinking.

“The Bible is a human product telling us how our religious ancestors saw things, not how God sees things.”

I’m still pondering each of these. My inner fundamentalist (I bet you have one too) keeps track of anything to do with my faith and related subjects. After reading the Rabbi’s quote related to life issues and Borg’s take on scripture that inner fundy started sounding alarm bells, screaming at me to get my act together and flee such suspect thoughts.

But I can’t do that.

You see there’s another voice speaking to me. It’s the wee small voice of the Holy Spirit exhorting me to not be afraid and won’t let me just run away. That voice assures me that wrestling with ideas is quite OK. Why? Perhaps it’s because they have something to teach me.

Pro-life friends may be uncomfortable with me posting the rabbi’s considered opinion. Biblical literalists might be dismayed that I dared post anything by Borg and especially anything that implies that the Bible is more human than divine.

In their eyes, I’m breaking rank and cutting across the grain of what they thought were our mutually held and deeply revered convictions. I get that. But their discomfort and judgment can’t stop me from being curious. I’m not trying to pontificate but to merely say that two authors caught my intention and I found what they were saying to be thoughtful and worthy of some of my time and prayer. And if that gets me kicked out of someone’s club, so be it.

1. “The kingdom of God is at hand…What we proclaim is that, in Jesus Christ, a whole new way of ordering things has appeared, that God, in Christ, is drawing all things to himself. The great ordering principles of the world—money, fame, power, sex, pleasure—are overthrown. A new King has come, a new way of organizing life. Love, inclusion, compassion, nonviolence, forgiveness, especially of enemies—this is now the way sanctioned by God.” ~ Bishop Robert Barron

2. “Imagine a faith so empty that you think bringing prayer into schools is following Jesus, but bringing free lunches is not.” ~ Michael Johnson

3. “Prayer is a request for what is good, offered by the devout of God. But we do not restrict this request simply to what is stated in words… We should not express our prayer merely in syllables, but the power of prayer should be expressed in the moral attitude of our soul and in the virtuous actions that extend throughout our life… This is how you pray continually — not by offering prayer in words, but by joining yourself to God through your whole way of life, so that your life becomes one continuous and uninterrupted prayer.” ~ St. Basil the Great

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 73 – Matthew 9:1-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is titled Self Compassion by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 10.6.231.

1. We live in difficult times. The House of Representatives is a mess. Our former president is a moral disgrace. Christian nationalism is gaining momentum. We’re banning books and our allies wonder if we are trustworthy.

I find myself growing agitated. The nonsense sometimes becomes just too much. And when I’m agitated, I need to turn to things that breathe life back into my tired soul, to things that reminds me of what is true and good.

Poetry is one of those things.

“When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake rests

in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.” ~ Wendell Berry

And Scripture helps.

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

“Are you tired? Worn out? … Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~ Jesus

1. “My abilities are only limited by my lack of opportunities.” ~ Henry Aaron

One of the greatest gifts we can offer someone is an opportunity to do what they were created to do and to be who they were intended to be. Those who refuse to give opportunities to others do grievous harm to individuals and society.

1. The man in a super hero costume says: “My superpower is turning anything I don’t understand into a conspiracy theory.”

Ain’t that the truth. Instead of seeking to understand what’s happening, too many people these days just stand on the sidelines bellowing nonsense. What’s sad is that they draw an audience.

1. “We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.” ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

I like to read things that make me squirm a bit. It leads to questions I want to find the answers for.

The very best people I know periodically re-examine what they believe and why. It’s a good discipline. Sometimes they discover that what they believe just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny anymore. Sometimes they discover they still do.

It’s also wise to periodically look at ideas we’ve dismissed a time or two. A second look might unearth something we missed the first time around.

It’s good to know where we stand and why.

1. “I must become the unique person I am meant to be. The more I become what my creator called me to be originally, the more I will be united with my divine origin. I must find my original self as hidden in God. The original life of a Christian, Saint Paul says, is hidden in Christ.” ~ Fr. Adrian van Kaam

2. “President Biden last Thursday sharply rebuked former president Donald Trump and his supporters for continued attempts to undermine American democracy … Biden called Trump out by name before detailing what he described as his anti-democratic behavior: relentless attacks on the press, praise for the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attackers, plans to consolidate power in the executive branch and a desire to fire civil servants who are not sufficiently loyal to him.

“There’s something dangerous happening in America now,” Biden said. “There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs in our democracy.” He added, “We should all remember: Democracies don’t have to die at the end of a rifle. They can die when people are silent, when they fail to stand up or condemn the threats to democracy… This MAGA threat is a threat to the brick and mortar of our democratic institutions, but it’s also a threat to the character of our nation that gives our Constitution life.” ~Tyler Pager and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez WAPO

Preach it loud and strong.

“… Representative Greg Cesar (D-TX) asked the members of the House Oversight Committee to raise their hands if they believe that both Hunter Biden and Trump should be held accountable if they are found guilty on any of their indictments. The Democrats all raised their hands. The Republicans did not.” ~ Heather Cox Richardson

I’m not shocked by this but I am disappointed and a little frightened. Democracy is indeed under attack and MAGA folks are leading the assault.

1. There can be no self-care without self-compassion, which is compassion turned inward. It is the ability to connect to our feelings, to respond to our suffering with kindness, and to desire that our suffering be ameliorated. ~ Chanequa Walker-Barnes”

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ~ Maya Angelou

“I can’t be a Christian and chase away a refugee or someone seeking help, someone who is hungry or thirsty, nor toss out someone who is in need of my help. If I say I am Christian, but do these things, I’m a hypocrite.” ~ Pope Francis

“Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.” ~ Blaise Pascal .

1. Throughout the New Testament we are invited to model ourselves on Jesus, the Christ, taking on his way of seeing and living in the world.

And what does Jesus see? How does Jesus live? How did Jesus experience this world of ours when He walked and talked with us?

Keep reading the gospels over and over again. Catch Jesus in the act of being His version of being human. Then do likewise.

Philosopher Dallas Willard once said: “Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.”

1. I love thinking of my spiritual life as a pilgrimage, an intentional journey through life that isn’t necessarily a straight line from Point A to Point B. I’ve read several Creeds of the Pilgrim and then cherry picked some thoughts and made my own.

The Pilgrims Creed

1. I am willing to be flexible.

2. I’m neither in control, nor in a hurry.

3. I journey in faith, hope, and peace and offer them to those I meet.

4. I know God will provide for me in a variety of ways and will use me to help provide for others.

5. I will savor the journey and find meaning within it.

6. I joyfully accept the sacrifices, challenges, and blessings that come my way.

10. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., weighed in Tuesday on the historic ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy by saying to his House GOP colleagues that they should ‘…follow your heart but take your brain with you.’ Sen. Kennedy also advised they ‘take their meds.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-06-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 72 – Matthew 6:19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt joins me again for another podcast about shifting and how we can feel good about the shifts that come into our lives.

Shifting can come through:

1. An awakening to creativity
2. Learning hard stuff, emotional pain, family systems pain
3. Our faith expanding through paths of mystery and doubts
4. Health, confinement can mean new points of view on life

Brene Brown Quotes

People may call what happens at midlife a “crisis,” but it’s not. It’s an unraveling–a time when you feel a desperate pull to live the life you want to live, not the one you’re ”supposed” to live. The unraveling is a time when you are challenged by the universe to let go of who you think you are supposed to be and to embrace who you are.

Midlife is certainly one of the great unraveling journeys, but there are others that happen to us over the course of our lives:
marriage
divorce
becoming a parent
recovery
moving
an empty nest
retiring
experiencing loss or trauma
working in a soul-sucking job

The universe is not short on wake-up calls. We’re just quick to hit the snooze button.

• Creativity embeds knowledge so that it can become practice. We move what we’re learning from our heads to our hearts through our hands. We are born makers, and creativity is the ultimate act of integration—it is how we fold our experiences into our being.

(Brené Brown, Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.) (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24473885-rising-strong)

Joyce Rupp Prayer:

December 20 in her book Anchors for the Soul

Pebbles of Truth

Great mystery,

For many years in my journey of life

I have searched for a deeper meaning,

One that gives purpose and direction.

I have learned that in every experience

And in each person who comes my way,

In theologies, philosophies, psychologies,

And in every form of spirituality and prayer,

I find another pebble of truth on the path.

All lead me to discover who I am and why:

To enter into the fullness of union with you.

Today: I watch for “pebbles” to lead me into fuller union.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 373 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a quote by Gerry Tucker.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 9.29.231.

1. “I am the daughter of a house painter & homemaker. I believe in America; in unions, in education that doesn’t put a kid in debt forever, in clean air and water, in a free press, in the right to go to the movies or school without being murdered …” ~ Bette Midler

2. “So a Democratic Senator is indicted on serious charges, and no Democrats attacking the Justice Department, no Democrats attacking the prosecutors, no Democrats calling for an investigation of the prosecution, and no Democrats calling to defund the Justice Department,” wrote former Republican representative from Illinois and now anti-Trump activist Joe Walsh.

Refreshing, isn’t it?

1. “But what if, when we unearth the gospel in the West, we abandon the illusion that we are meant to win? What if the church in post-Christendom eschews any inclination to dominate or control the culture in which it finds itself? What if faithfulness becomes our metric rather than triumph?” ~ Michael Frost – Mission in the Shape of Water

I’d add that the church also needs to fully embrace its prophetic role which is described by noted theologian Walter Bruggemann as “ telling the truth in a society that lives in an illusion, grieving in a society that practices denial, and expressing hope in a society that lives in despair.”

1. I want to recommend an interesting and well written book by Brian McLaren entitled “Do I Stay Christian? A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed,and the Disillusioned .”

It’s a valuable resource for anyone on the deconstruction /reconstruction continuum. It’s a thoughtful analysis of what’s right about Christianity and where it falls short. It’s provocative for sure and at times painful to read. But there’s wisdom throughout. I was once again forced to look critically at the faith I long ago said yes to and to acknowledge the harm done by people and structures (even now) who forgot and keep forgetting what the message and work of Jesus is all about.

P.S. After reading it you might need to talk it through with someone, perhaps a spiritual director, who understands that ‘conversion’ is an ongoing process.

1. Having just spent time Up North and with my young grandchildren, I am doubling down on my deeply held conviction that anything that smacks of authoritarianism is not only a threat to their hopes, dreams and aspirations, but is also a threat to children everywhere.

My grandchildren are loved by their parents and are involved in all kinds of wonderful things. For that, I’m grateful. But they are growing up in a scary and confusing world where far too many adults are acting in primitive and unhealthy ways.

I want to encourage all of us to ‘up our game’ a bit, standing against the nonsense being peddled by extremist factions here, there, and everywhere. At times, it feels as if wherever I look an extremist person or group is front and center. Their speech is strident, their methods are heavy handed and punitive, their moral compass is nowhere to be found and their motivation is suspect.

Your voice and mine needs to be heard lest people start to believe there is no other option. Whether it is online or on the frontline, with some measure of resolve, we need to push back when friends, neighbors, family, co-workers and church friends start spewing untruth and hate. We don’t need to get into an argument. We don’t need to be rude. But we do need to say that ‘we see things differently.’ In fact, in many cases, that’s all we need to say.

Take it a step further by writing letters to the editor, contacting elected officials, attending school board meetings and standing up for the disenfranchised. Look the fools in the eye and say ‘not on my watch’. Use your on-line presence to repost the thoughtful comments of others.

Will you lose friends? I certainly have and grieve those losses but in the process I’ve made more friends and sleep better at night.

Authoritarianism becomes deeply rooted when good people stay quiet and refuse to rock the boat that needs to be rocked.

At the same time, it’s still incumbent upon us to continue to look for pathways of healing and reconciliation. That’s what faith-filled people do. It’s a bit of a balancing act, well worth the effort.

1. There is a night prayer attributed to the New Zealand Prayer Book that holds meaning for me. “It is night after a long day. What has been done has been done; what has not been done, has not been done. Let it be.”

And from the Book of Common Prayer: “This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, help me to do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.”

1. “Poverty exists not because we can’t afford to feed the poor but because we can’t satisfy the rich.”

Not sure who said this but it certainly makes sense. It’s one of the reasons I find trickle down economics so troublesome. Record profits don’t translate to reduced prices do they?

Those at the top end of the wage scale always get their bump. Blue collar workers have to dig and scratch for any increase. It’s why they decide to go on strike

1. “… St. Francis offered this instruction to the first friars: “You only know as much as you do.” His emphasis on action, practice, and lifestyle was foundational and revolutionary for its time and remains at the heart of Franciscan alternative orthodoxy… Jesus became someone to actually follow and imitate. Up to this point, most of Christian spirituality was based in desert asceticism, monastic discipline, theories of prayer, or academic theology, which itself was often based in “correct belief” or liturgical texts, but not in a kind of practical Christianity that could be lived in the streets of the world. Francis emphasized an imitation and love of the humanity of Jesus, and not just the worshiping of his divinity.” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation

2. As heard on Mike Huckabee’s show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network: “ If former president Trump loses the 2024 election because of the many indictments grand juries have handed down concerning his behavior, it is going to be the last American election that will be decided by ballots rather than guns.”

In other words if the rule of law wins, the guns will come out. Ah, Christian nationalism at its finest.

1. Republicans in Congress, especially in the House, don’t like talking to Democrats.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 09-29-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 71 – Matthew 5:43-48 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer. As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a prayer by Donald K. Nelson.

The post Poem/Prayer 16 – Donald K. Nelson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 70 – II Corinthians 2:1-7 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt joins me again as we continue to talk about adaptations and shifts relating to the surprises of life. We focus on the new ways of being and relating that come to us in life and may feel like confusion or crisis or be completely unwanted. How do we shift our thinking as we move through these moments and understand them with wanted clarity and even new purpose? If life feels a bit unstable right now, you’ll appreciate this week’s conversation.

Books mentioned:

• When the Heart Waits
• The Critical Journey

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 372 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If...

The post Lectio Divina 69 – Matthew 2:1-6 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 15 – Jan Richardson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 09-08-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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Melinda Schmidt joins me as we continue our conversation about surprising shifts in this season of our lives. We may be quite startled to find that relationships to ourselves, God, and others may be changing. The stability we assumed and even longed for hasn’t been there and we can feel...

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. I’m reading Patient Trustby Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 09-01-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 67 – 08-30-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a poem titled Sweeping the Thresholdby Bob Holmes.

The post Poem/Prayer 13 – Bob Holmes appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 8.25.23

1. Roland Martin, author of the book “White Fear”, believes that a good chunk of White America is running scared, knowing that the clock is ticking and in 20 years or so people of color will be in the majority. So, what do people do when they are afraid? The smart ones decide to find out why fear is taking over. Is this fear rational or irrational? Others (not so introspective) just reactively grab on to their fear, head to a rallying area, and go on the attack.

Martin is convinced one of the rallying points is CRT – Critical Race Theory – which he describes as “a boogeyman” term to refer to any discussion in school about the history of systemic racism in America and the contemporary reality of ongoing systemic racism.” He believes fearful white people simply do not want that analysis provided because they don’t have a rebuttal to it.

He’s right. CRT is a rallying cry for anything and everything having to do with race. Bad actors in a variety of intertwined movements love using it because they know it scares their peeps and when the peeps tremble in fear, that’s a good thing. It helps cement their power and influence. Pretty sick, huh?

1. “If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” ~ Harriet Tubman

I want what this woman said and experienced taught in schools.

1. I just finished the book, “Wild by Nature: From Siberia to Australia: Three Years Alone in the Wilderness On Foot” by Sarah Marquis, a National Geographic Explorer, who solo walks long, long distances in all kinds of interesting and potentially scary places. Her definition of adventure is “Any enterprise where the risk is considerable and the chances of success, dubious.”

Wow. Most people’s understanding of an adventure doesn’t include the words ‘considerable risk with dubious chances for success.’

That’s why we need ( at least I do) people like Ms. Marquis who do extraordinary things and seek out maximum adventure. She stirs my heart and imagination. And that stirring prods me to be braver, to risk a bit more, and to dream bigger dreams. I’m never going to be her. I just need to be the best version of me I can be.

1. Catherine of Sienna lived in the 1300’s. The Center for Action and Contemplation tells us that “She called on men to recognize the God-given mission of women affirmed by Jesus, enshrined in the Gospels, and confirmed by the history of women in the church. She called on women to refuse rejections, to demand equality, to speak their spirituality, to give their God-given gifts, whether these gifts are called for or not, called holy or not, legitimated or not because no one, not even the church, has the right to deny the gifts of God or the God who works through the gifts of women….”

What a voice. Talk about bravery, huh? It is both fascinating and discouraging that the denial of the gifts of women is still front and center in many parts of Christendom.

1. Pigpen in the Peanuts comic strip is a lovable character who is known for the cloud of dirt and dust that follows him wherever he goes. He just can’t seem to stay clean. He makes us smile. After all, we either were Pigpen or knew someone who was.

Our ex-president is kind of like a weird, alternate universe version of Pigpen. He has a whole long history filled with clouds of dirt and dust. He never outgrew it. Instead, he chooses to monetize it, manufacture it, immerse himself in it, throw it around and then blame others for it.

I’m reminded of Maya Angelous’s famous quote: “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”

1. “… people don’t seem to leave the church because they no longer believe in the beauty of Jesus. People leave the church because they believe in Jesus so much that they can no longer stomach being part of an institution that says it’s about that, and so clearly is not.” ~ Nadia Bolz Weber

That happens.

I also think people leave the church because they start to realize that they can’t get their own way as often as they like. So they pick a fight (usually it’s much to do about nothing) and leave in a cowardly huff. I’ve seen that happen a lot.

1. “The Hebrew prophets did not care if others looked on them as conservative or liberal. To some, they looked like “conservatives” preaching old-time religion. To others, they looked like “liberals” questioning the status quo.” ~ Richard Rohr

Those prophets didn’t care about the labels. They made themselves available to God and became a ‘presence’ – sometimes welcomed, sometimes not. They just kept on keeping on, being true to God, true to themselves, and letting the chips fall where they may. It wasn’t an easy gig.

1. “I don’t preach a social gospel. I preach the gospel. Period. The gospel of our Lord is concerned for the whole person -when people were hungry, Jesus didn’t say, “now, is that political or social?” He said, “I feed you.” Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.” ~Desmond Tutu.

Tutu was a prophetic voice. Yes, he was.

1. “…Remember that to be happy is not to have a sky without a storm, a road without accidents, work without fatigue, relationships without disappointments. To be happy is to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness. It is not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures. It is not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. To be happy is to stop feeling like a victim and become your destiny’s author. It is to cross deserts, yet to be able to find an oasis in the depths of our soul. It is to thank God for every morning, for the miracle of life…” Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese Poet

Beautiful isn’t it?

1. “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost

I do think that we’re at a point of divergence most everywhere we look these days. So where will our steps take us? Which road is ours? Which one will make all the difference?

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 08-25-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 66 – Isaiah 43:15-19 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt joins me for the summer series on the podcast. We talk about being weary and worn out on religion and its institutions. Many are in a season of transition and shifts. What does that look like for you? We also talk about emotional and mental and physical health....

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 370 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is a...

The post Poem/Prayer 12 – Joyce Rupp appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 08-18-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 65 – Acts 20-17-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. This is a prayer...

The post Poem/Prayer 11 – The Reverend Canon Elizabeth Keaton appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 08-11-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 64 – Matthew 13:3-9 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda Schmidt joins me again as part of the summer conversations series. We talk about a deeply formed life and how the Enneagram is a helpful tool for spiritual transformation. Find Melinda here: Facebook Instagram   Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate,...

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 369 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. It’s a quote by...

The post Poem/Prayer 10 – Pema Chödrön appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 08-04-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 63 – Acts 16:11-15 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 9 – Hafiz appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 07-28-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 62 – Acts 13:4-12 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I hope you’ll enjoy this follow-up conversation with Melinda about some of the themes from the podcast conversation we had with Marla Taviano the previous week. We talked about what a deeply formed life might look like as well as the importance of knowing self and having emotional health....

The post Melinda Schmidt – Episode 368 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 8 – Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 07-21-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 61 – Psalm 63:1-5 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Marla Taviano is a friend who has undergone a significant faith shift. Her story is a difficult one. She is a wonderful writer and in recent years has released two books of poetry. The first titled, unbelieve: poems on the journey to becoming a heretic and jaded: a poetic reckoning with white...

The post Marla Taviano & Melinda Schmidt – episode 367 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 7 – Kaitlin Curtice appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 07-14-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 60 – Romans 8:1-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s prayer is by...

The post Poem/Prayer 6 – Teresa of Avila appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 07-07-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 59 – I Samuel 17:31-37 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Hi, I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Todays poem is...

The post Poem/Prayer 5 – Alla Bozarth appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 06-30-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 58 – Acts 5:12-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a short podcast featuring a poem or prayer. I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for...

The post Poem/Prayer 4 – Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 06-23-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 57 – I Samuel 1:20, 24-28 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Jon Sweeney joins me again to talk about Meister Eckhart. Jon and co-author Mark S. Burrows have written Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness & Light: Meditations on the Path of the Wayless Way.  This is the 3rd Meister Eckhart volume Sweeney and Burrows have co-authored and I highly recommend...

The post Jon M. Sweeney – episode 366 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Hi, I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Saturday Poem/Prayer – Hafiz appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 06-16-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 56 – Acts 2:38-41 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Welcome to a new feature called Saturday poem or prayer. Maybe some word or phrase will stick with you. Maybe it will bring you to life after a hard week. Give this short podcast a try. It’s only a couple of minutes and who knows what morsel will give you...

The post Saturday Poem/Prayer – Francis Dorff, O. Praem. appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 06-09-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 55 – Acts 2:29-36 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m a spiritual director and have the joy of beginning sessions with quotes or poems or prayers and I thought I’d start sharing them with you hoping it will give you a morsel to chew on during your day! This is called Morning Prayer by Padraig O’Tuama.

The post Saturday Poem/Prayer Padraig O’Tuama appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 06-02-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 54 – Acts 2:14a, 22-28 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.26.23

1. This week the NAACP Board of Directors issued a formal travel advisory for the state of Florida. This action is a direct response to Governor Ron DeSantis’s aggressive and ongoing attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools.

The travel notice states that “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

I’m glad the NAACP did this. Other advocacy organizations are taking similar action. They see the need to stand up to the Florida Governor and legislature. Will it do any good? For those of us who are Floridians and are concerned about the political shenanigans going on in the state, it’s always good to know that we have allies.

What happens in Florida matters. After all DeSantis’s ultimate goal is to “Make America Florida.” That my friends is a very, very bad idea.

1. When we confess sin, we are saying in effect “I want to tell the truth about my life. This is what I’ve done. I blame no one but myself. I want to be pardoned and healed. I need a savior.”

I grew up in a religious tradition that helped me to view confession as a sacramental act, a sacred encounter with our own brokenness and an opportunity to once again receive the unmerited favor of God’s grace. Confession of sin is a restorative, interactive, healing encounter with the living God. I think involving another person to witness the confession can be a very good practice.

1. “Start considering that which troubles you, that which keeps you up at night, that which stirs you in the deepest kind of way. Use that to focus and allow it to become the fuel behind you becoming a force for good in the world.” ~ Kurt Vickman, Founder of Good Grocer, addressing graduates at St. John’s University, MN

This is good advice for all of us don’t you think? No matter our age we can slip into a rut if we’re not careful. I see it happen everyday. I watch people with potential and unfulfilled dreams make a decision to just kind of wander through life instead of living fully into it.

1. It’s been said that preaching, at its core, is about “handing on to others the fruits of one’s own contemplation.”

And what is contemplation? It is the action of looking thoughtfully and prayerfully at something (scripture always beckons the preacher) for a long time. The hope is, for the preacher, that something of benefit will stir in his/her heart and soul. And perhaps that something will be worthy of proclamation and people will actually listen and then trust the Spirit, who is always ready and able to move in someone’s life.

What I miss the most about not having opportunities to preach anymore is all of the above.

1. “My home is in Christianity, but I have cottages everywhere!” ~ David Hayward

So do I. So should we all. Hunkering down with only those who agree with us isn’t a particularly good strategy.

1. “Everything in this life is going to be taken away from us, except one thing: God’s love, which can go into death with us and take us through it and into His arms.” -Tim Keller

Keller, according to his friend and NY Times columnist David Brooks, was fond of saying “Cheer up! You’re a worse sinner than you ever dared imagine and you’re more loved than you ever dared hope.”

Tim Keller died last week. He was a passionate and erudite disciple of Jesus. His speaking and writing influenced thousands and thousands of people. He was definitely a difference maker. RIP.

1. I don’t dig deeply into end times theology. The “Left Behind” books and movies left me cold and occasionally someone asks me about them and when I’m not exuberantly positive they get miffed.

Periodically, I do however, pick up an old friend, an apocalyptic novel entitled Fr. Elijah by Michael D. O’Brien. I think it’s my fourth time through it. It’s rich and weighty (at times overly so) but it always gets me thinking and praying about my place in a world that I discern is becoming increasingly unhinged and where we are getting a rather unpleasant whiff of what the ‘spirit of antichrist’ smells like.

The novel captures well the stark differences between the fruits of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control” and the fruits of the shadowy, malignant, spirit of antichrist which produces anger, finger pointing, divisiveness, legalism, deceit and of course, pride. Yes, always pride.

1. Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one person is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of another … There are just some kind of men and women who are so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” ~ Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

We’ve all met people who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. Most of us have probably have seen that person in the mirror more than once.

Richard Rohr reminds us that “Christianity is a lifestyle—a way of being in the world that is simple, nonviolent, shared, and loving. However, we made it into an established religion (and all that goes with that) and avoided the lifestyle change itself. We could be warlike, greedy, racist, selfish, and vain throughout most of Christian history and still believe that Jesus is our personal Lord and Savior or continue, in good standing, to receive the sacraments. The world has no time for such silliness anymore. The suffering on earth is too great.”

1. “Just as religious traditions are rooted in a set of beliefs, the phenomenon of violence flows from a belief in its power to save us. The greatest religion on the planet is not Christianity, Islam, Hinduism or Judaism but the pervasive faith in violence.” ~ Walter Wink, Methodist minister, Pacifist, Bible scholar. He passed in 2012.

2. I see no compelling reason for any state to try to mandate that the Ten Commandments be prominently displayed in public schools nor do I understand why legislation is being considered to re-segregate schools.

Attempts by Christian Nationalists to foist their beliefs upon us are coming fast and furious. I still believe, as a practicing US citizen and a fervent follower of Jesus, in the separation of church and state and I strongly believe that any attempt to return to our racist past is sinful beyond measure.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 05-26-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 53 – Acts 2:2-6 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Kaitlin Curtice is back on the podcast. She is an award winning author, poet-storyteller, and public speaker. She is also an enrolled citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, writing on the intersections of spirituality and identity and how that shifts throughout our lives. I think our conversation about her most recent book, Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day, is really interesting and enlightening.

Find Kaitlin in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Kaitlin Curtice – episode 365 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.19.23

1. Rick Wilson, one of the founders of the Lincoln Project, notes that “When Trump’s CNN audience was giggling and clapping as he joked about sexual assault, and throughout his various racist tropes, it proved that Trump’s real superpower, with his base, is that he allows them to be their very worst selves without guilt or shame.”

The base appears to believe that boundaries, civility, and truth telling matter not at all when they are in Trump’s presence. And even when he isn’t present they feel quite free to act like he acts and to say what he says.

1. White Christian Nationalism has taken root in our country. Those buying into it think they are serving God. I believe they are effectively abandoning the cause of Christ. They think they’re right. I think I am.

That’s the impasse many of us find ourselves in. And it’s getting harder and harder to find common ground isn’t it? Discouragement comes easily. In the midst of my discouragement, God still reminds me that “life is indeed hard, that perhaps I should quit whining, and if I quit trying to figure out a way to find common ground I’m missing the point of it all.

And then I push back and say to God: “I know, I know but it’s really hard to reason with people who have abandoned reason.” The only response I get is, “Keep trying.”

1. “In the gospels,” Richard Rohr says, “you rarely see Jesus upset with sinners. Rather, what you see is Jesus upset with people who don’t think they are sinners.” ~ Richard Rohr

This is where the common ground lies. We are all sinners. Right? If we could only name it and claim it.

1. “The Way” is a lovely movie about pilgrimage, sorrow, finding one’s self, and the value of community, imperfect as it might be. It’s being rereleased.

It was written and directed by Emilio Estevez and his father Martin Sheen is the lead character. The star of the show though, is the Camino de Santiago in Spain, and those who walk it and find ‘renewal’ upon it.

Anita and I watch this movie at least once a year and we both recommend it to those who come to us for spiritual direction. It certainly isn’t a formulaic religious movie. It is much deeper than that. It beckons the viewer to enter their own pilgrim journey where they can listen to the deep cries of their soul, where they can find healing for their memories, wrestle with and make peace with God, and find companions along “The Way.”

1. “Often, when I’d go in to see Thomas Merton for spiritual direction, he’d say, “How’s it going?” And I’d say, “I’m doing well!” And he’d say, “Don’t make much of it; it’ll get worse.”

And other times I would go in really down about something. And he’d say, “Don’t make much of it; it’ll get better.”

It ebbs and flows, it ebbs and flows. But what is the infinite love that unwaveringly permeates the wavering ways of our heart? And how can we reserve this inner core place within ourself that cannot be accessed by the finite because it belongs completely to God“ ~James Finley

What is the infinite love that pieces you together?

How do you access that inner core place that grounds you?

Worth pondering, right?

1. “It takes a profound conversion to accept the belief that God is tender and loves us just as we are, not in spite of our sins and faults, but with them…

The compassion of Jesus reaches its zenith on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. Only the risen Lord could sound the depths of Peter’s hurt, guilt, and self-hatred. Only Jesus fully understood that there was no treachery in Peter’s denial—just a temporary loss of nerve. Like a Marine in combat for the first time, the instinct for self-preservation had prevailed. Yet in spite of that betrayal, the purity of Peter’s heart and the quality of his love were not debatable or open to question in spite of his betrayal.

Jesus had to rid the apostle of his limited self-perception, of the debased self-image of who he thought he was…

Jesus not only frees Peter from self-hatred by allowing him to publicly repudiate his triple denial, but in the subtlest act of affirmation conceivable he appoints him leader of his church and entrusts him to preach the Good News with supreme authority in the power of the Spirit.” ~ Brennan Manning

This gospel story is incredibly and beautifully poignant.

1. I’m reminded of a time in our country’s history when white Americans, declaring themselves to be ‘God fearing people’, would pack a picnic lunch on a Saturday and head towards the town’s lynching tree to watch Klansmen hang Black people. Some of the families would have a photographer snap a picture of their whole family standing next to the still hanging body.

Then, they’d head home and lay out their clothes for church the next morning. During the Sunday service they’d pledge their allegiance to Jesus, who they betrayed the day before.

A week ago President Biden spoke to the graduating class at Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C. In his speech Biden singled out white supremacy “as the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland.”

If you think history doesn’t repeat itself, think again.

1. “The great turning point in your life comes not when you realize that you love God but when you realize and fully accept the fact that God loves you unconditionally.” ~ Anthony de Mello

Periodically, like two or three times a day, I need to be reminded of this. I bet some of you can resonate with that.

1. “I used to think that things were real, and change was something that happened to them over time. Now I think that change is real, and things are events that happen over time. Change is the constant and things come and go, appear and disappear.” ~ Brian McLaren, “Do I Stay Christian?”

I just read that car radios, in many new cars, will be unable to tune into AM stations. At first I was miffed. After all, I grew up with AM radio as did many of you. But I don’t listen to AM much anymore and when I do – well there ‘s an app for that. Things indeed come and go. Change is constant. Inevitably, it forces all of us to adapt in one way, shape or form. Some of us adapt reluctantly and do what we can to thwart the inevitable. Others of us see change as a door opening to new possibilities.

1. “Desert ascetics called this process of moving toward inner freedom – detachment. Detachment allows for greater direct experience of the Divine Presence as the seeker is attached to fewer distractions.” ~ Laura Swan

Perhaps those things we are most attached to need to be reconsidered. Do they breathe life into us or suck it right out of us?

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 05-19-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 52 – Acts 1:1-5 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 5.12.23

1. The biblical prophet, according to Richard Rohr, is always “on the edge of the inside.” That’s a great descriptor.

Look for the prophets. You know who they are. They’re the ones who tick you off but deep down you know that they’re speaking truth.

1. Ray Romano, of “Everybody Loves Raymond” fame was last week’s guest on NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” He shared a piece of advice he received from a therapist. “Ray, if you want your life to be better you need to start pretending you’re not a narcissist.”

2. “It is not “they” who are poor, sinful, and lost. It is ourselves. Unless we acknowledge that we are the sinners, the sick ones, and the lost sheep for whom Jesus came, we do not belong to the “blessed” who know that they are poor and inherit the Kingdom. Enough of our pseudo-messianic posturing! Let us be done with our futile attempts to appear righteous before God! …” ~ Brennan Manning

It’s about coming to grips with who we really are, not who we pretend to be. It’s tearing the mask off our lives.

We all suffer with some form of self deceit don’t we? And if you think you don’t, then you are truly deceiving yourself. You’re certainly not deceiving any of us. Know yourself. Ask God for a healthy self-awareness that leads to transformation.

1. Last week, news broke of the firing of Professor Julie Moore of Taylor University (an evangelical college in Upland, Indiana). Her offense was teaching a course that included writing about themes of racial justice. A couple of months ago a teacher at Palm Beach Atlantic (another evangelical school) was fired for basically the same reason. There have been similar dust ups at other schools and seminaries that we’ve heard about.

In the Taylor University firing a quote by Jemar Tisby was a bridge too far for administrators. It reads:

“The refusal to act in the midst of injustice is itself an act of injustice. Indifference to oppression perpetuates oppression. History and Scripture teach us that there can be no reconciliation without repentance. There can be no repentance without confession. And there can be no confession without truth.”

Hmmm. Not so frightful is it?

Tisby, by the way, is a committed follower of Jesus, has earned an MDiv, and is a PhD historian. I’ve met and interacted with him. Anita has interviewed him two or three times. We’ve read and highly recommend his book “The Color of Compromise.” Our church, where he has spoken, has adopted many of his principles and ideas in our anti-Racism work. He’s the real deal.

It’s hard to imagine firing someone because he/she asks students to read and interact with material authored by such an accomplished man. Could it be that a Black man with an informed opinion that asks questions of the status quo is just ‘too much’? The short answer is ‘Yes.’

But who’s fanning that flame? My educated guess is that it’s being fanned by the MAGA/Christian Nationalism movement which just loves flexing its muscles and creating a crisis where there is none. That’s their tried and true game plan. That movement influences wide swaths of evangelicalism already so it comes as no surprise that evangelical colleges would be on their hit list. And it certainly doesn’t surprise me that issues of ‘race’ would be used as leverage.

1. “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” ~ James Baldwin

Obviously, he’s not talking about “The Art of the Deal.” He’s talking about real books that somehow manage to get to the primary issues of life. It’s about reading books that challenge our thinking, stir our hearts, and gnaw at our soul. Baldwin’s books do just that. He’s always worth reading.

It shouldn’t shock any of us to learn that his work has been targeted by the ‘ban books’ movement. That should be incentive enough to read every word he wrote.

1. E.J. Carroll is a brave woman. It takes guts to look a powerful and vindictive man in the eyes and say “enough is enough.”

Heather Cox Richardson noted that “…at the end of the trial, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan advised the jurors not to identify themselves—“not now and not for a long time”—out of concerns for their safety…Legal analyst Joyce White Vance added, “It’s a remarkable thing when jurors have to be cautioned that revealing their identities could put them at risk…when the defendant was the former president of the United States.”

1. A few years ago, James Martin SJ was writing about this interchange in which Moses asks the Lord:

“Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

God replies, “I AM WHO I AM.”

Martin was wondering whether or not God was saying that “he was the source and ground of all things or was God making some sort of philosophical statement?”

He needed help sorting it out so he sought out a fellow Jesuit, Richard Clifford, who was a renowned OT scholar teaching at Boston College.

Fr. Clifford’s pithy response. “Maybe God is telling Moses that it’s none of your business.”

1. “I am beginning to see that much of praying is grieving. This grief is so deep not just because the human sin is so great, but also – and more so – because the divine love is so boundless. To become like the Father whose only authority is compassion, I have to shed countless tears and so prepare my heart to receive anyone, whatever their journey has been, and forgive them from that heart.” ~ Henri Nouwen

2. Learning to be appropriately cautious, without becoming paranoid, is a much needed life skill these days as we are forced into playing the game I call ‘Safe or Unsafe.”

We’ll continue to play this game until we come back to our senses and quit believing that gun rights are more important than people and then take action to make that a legislative reality. Until that happens, we will all feel unsafe.

In the meantime, the gun lobby and their minions want you to know that if you or a loved one wander into unsafe territory and are shot – well, they’ve got your back (or what’s left of it). And they will lavish you with thoughts and prayers, some of which are from politicians who actually know they could help stop the carnage but remain unwilling to do so.

My hunch is that Jesus is saying to the gun lobby and the lawmakers they’ve bought – “Enough with the thoughts and prayers. Do something.”

1. Last weekend, I watched not even one moment of Charles’s coronation and I completely ignored the eight hours of coverage of the two minute horse race in Kentucky.

Maybe I am getting healthier.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 05-12-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 51 – John 21:20-25 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 50 – Luke 24:44-48 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Writer, producer and teacher, Daneen Akers, joins me on the podcast this week as we take a look at the feminine references and metaphors about God in scripture that also influenced the writing of her recent children’s book, Dear Mama God. It’s a beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations that connects us, through the eyes of a child, with the feminine side of God, which doesn’t get enough place in our pulpits.

Lest you get nervous about this conversation, check out these scripture references that describe the feminine side of God as well as links to books mentioned on the podcast.

A Woman’s Lectionary for the Whole Church by Wilda Gafney

When God Was a Little Girl by David R. Weiss

What is God Like by Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner

Mother God by Teresa Kim Pecinovsky

Picturing God by Ruth Goring

Maybe God is Like That Too by Jennifer Grant

Holy Trouble Makers by Daneen Akers

The Benediction I used from Numbers 6:24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift Her countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Female references to God and images of God in scripture

Genesis 1:27 Women and Men created in God’s image

“Humankind was created as God’s reflection: in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.”

Hosea 11:3-4 God described as a mother

God: “Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I who took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.”

Hosea 13:8 God described as a mother bear

“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…”

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle

“Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.”

Deuteronomy 32:18 God who gives birth

“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

Isaiah 66:13 God as a comforting mother

God: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 49:15 God compared to a nursing mother

God: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

Isaiah 42:14 God as a woman in labor

God: “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.”

Psalm 131:2 God as a Mother

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

Psalm 123:2-3 God compared to a woman

“As the eyes of a servant looks to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to you, YHWH, until you show us your mercy!”

Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 God as a Mother Hen

Jesus: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Luke 15:8-10 God as woman looking for her lost coin

Jesus: “Or what woman having ten silver coins, is she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The post Daneen Akers-Dear Mama God – episode 364 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.28.23

1. The outcome of the 2024 election will hinge on our answer to one pivotal question. Do we still want a democracy or not?

2. “My Pillow” founder and prominent election denier Mike Lindell made a bold offer ahead of a “cyber symposium” he held in August 2021 in South Dakota: He claimed he had data showing Chinese interference and said he would pay $5 million to anyone who could prove the material was not from the previous year’s U.S. election.

He called the challenge “Prove Mike Wrong.”

On Wednesday, a private arbitration panel ruled that someone did.” ~WAPO

I have to admit that I found this to be a ‘feel good’ story. $5 million is a whole lot of pillows. Glad to see Lindell, who has deliberately and maliciously done so much damage, get called out. May it be the wake up call that leads to a change of his attitude and heart.

1. If you never learned about the outcome of the Dominion suit against FOX News then you were probably watching FOX News. Let’s just say the breadth and depth of their coverage of their ‘problem with the truth’ was a little lacking. It’s no surprise.

Conservative pundit George F. Will notes that the case uncovered “an avalanche of evidence that Fox News thinks of its audience as being easily triggered, akin to campus snowflakes, into trauma. And that Fox News should be their ‘safe space’ where viewers will encounter nothing, such as news that might make them sad. The settlement prevented the network further embarrassment: Fox News could not have comfortably defended its on-air personnel as entertainers, not journalists, and innocent of defamation because they are anti-intellectual sociopaths.”

Was I sad that Tucker Carlson was pulled off the air? No, not at all. I was delighted. He’s a very vile and dangerous man, masquerading as a voice of reason, who quite obviously needs some history lessons, an ethics course, a good therapist and a spiritual director. I pray he seeks the help he needs.

I can’t help but wonder, though, what FOX is up to now and who’s first in line to woo Carlson onto their team?

1. I’m slowly making my way through a Brennan Manning book I didn’t even know existed. It’s called A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self Hatred. It has already touched me profoundly. Manning writes:

“Praying over the passage of the washing of the feet, I was suddenly transported in faith into the Upper Room, where I took Judas’s place among the Twelve.

Jesus, with a towel around his waist, poured water from a pitcher into a copper basin and reached out to wash my feet. Involuntarily I pulled my foot back. I couldn’t look at him. I had betrayed the vision, been unfaithful to my dream (and thus unfaithful to his plan for my life).

Sensing my dismay, he placed his hand on my knee and said, “Brennan, do you know what these years together have meant to me? You were being held even when you didn’t believe I was holding you. I love you, my friend.” Tears rolled down my cheeks. “But Lord, my sins, my repeated failures, my weaknesses…” “I understand. Brennan, I expected more failure from you than you expected from yourself.” He smiled. “And you always came back. Nothing pleases me as much as when you trust me, when you allow that my compassion is bigger than your sinfulness.”

“But Jesus, what about my irritating character defects—the boasting, the inflating of the truth, the pretense of being an intellectual, the impatience with people, and all the times I drank to excess?”

Jesus replied: “What you are saying is true. But your love for me has never wavered: your heart has remained pure. What’s more, even in the darkness and confusion, you’ve always done something that overshadowed all the rest. You were kind to sinners…Peace, my friend.”

“My compassion is bigger than your sinfulness…. Nothing pleases me as much as when you trust me…”

1. Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious convictions.” ~ Blaise Paschal

The ‘christian nationalism’ movement in America asks its loyalists to joyfully believe in and do scandalous things all in the name of a god they’ve invented, which is actually a rather unflattering caricature of Jesus. In days past we’d call it idolatry.

1. “Jesus wept,

and in his weeping,

he joined himself forever

to those who mourn.

He stands now throughout all time,

this Jesus weeping,

with his arms about the weeping ones …

In the godforsaken, obscene quicksand of life,

there is a deafening alleluia

rising from the souls

of those who weep,

and of those who weep with those

If you watch, you see the hand of God

putting the stars back in their skies

one by one.” ~ Ann Weems

1. When Jesus is replaced by the Bible (and believe me, in certain quarters that is indeed the case) Christianity easily becomes legalistic and any thought of grace is only given lip service.

2. “The creation of the world did not take place once and for all time, but takes place every day.” ~ Samuel Beckett

Here’s the good news. We get to be a part of this daily creation of our world. We’re creation makers. Put that on your resume.

So, even In the midst of all the evil and wickedness in our world, there are still opportunities for us to be a light in the darkness and to link arms with others doing the same. Shine brightly, my friends, shine brightly.

9. “There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.” ~ Fredrick Nietzsche.

It boils down to what we do with the gift of choice. It almost always comes to that, doesn’t it?

1. There have been more incidents of mass shootings in 2023 than there are days.

Paranoia runs deep these days. Gun lobbies work overtime to scare people, reminding them that if you’re not armed, you won’t be able to stand your ground against ‘them’ who will be at your doorstep any day now.

It’s a sad day in America when someone is shot and/or killed because they lost their way, their basketball got away from them, made a u-turn, accidentally tried to open the door of a car identical to their own, or showed up at the wrong address to pick up siblings.

Gun ownership, as I grew up understanding it, is a grave and sober responsibility. I think, somewhere along the way, we’ve discarded that particular perspective. Too many are quite OK with allowing those who are neither sober nor responsible to arm themselves with weapons no citizen really needs.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 04-28-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 49 – Luke 24:28-35 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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On the podcast we take a look at the seasons of the soul. Melinda Schmidt is my guest and we talk through each season and the metaphors we might glean to talk about our own souls. The question that is posed at the beginning is “Which of the four season’s metaphors would describe your soul right now?” It’s an important question to pose to ourselves periodically if we desire to be on a journey of growth and transformation.

Connect with Melinda here:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Here are some of the books mentioned on the podcast:

The Gift of Years by Joan Chittister

Falling Upward by Richard Rohr

The Story of Ruth by Joan Chittister

Grow Through It by Dani DiPirro

The Book of Nature by Barbara Mahany

Dear Heart, Come Home by Joyce Rupp

Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer

On the Brink of Everything by Parker Palmer

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – Seasons of the Soul – episode 363 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.21.23

1. “If I were going to begin practicing the presence of God for the first time today, it would help to begin by admitting the three most terrible truths of our existence: that we are so ruined, and so loved, and in charge of so little.” ~ Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential Prayers

Facing truths frees us up. We don’t have to fake anything anymore. It also opens the door that leads to intimacy with God. And when we grow close to God it’s wise to heed the counsel of Desmond Tutu: “We are only the light bulbs and our job is just to remain screwed in!”

Screwed in not screwed up.

1. “Guns aren’t the problem. People are the problem.

Then why do you want the problem to have guns?” ~ Leah Stites

In the midst of this crucial national discussion, Republican candidates and wannabes, made their annual pilgrimage to offer themselves body, mind, soul, and heart to the god named NRA which just happens to have, surprisingly enough, a huge war chest filled with cash.

WAPO reported that “Due to Secret Service security requirements, guns were not allowed in the room where candidates spoke…”

How ironic.

WAPO also reported that “in the hall next door, amid more than 14 acres of guns, bullets, taxidermy and memorabilia, attendees sported red bags of convention swag. Particularly large crowds circled stands featuring AR-15 rifles, the weapon used in many mass killings.”

I’m sure all the conventioneers were thinking, “This is great. I can do all my Christmas shopping for the grandkids right here, right now. Maybe I’ll by a t-shirt for each of the twins. They’d love the one with Jesus holding an AR-15, saying “This is how the Prince of Peace rolls.”

1. “People regularly say, if there really was a God, if he really wanted to sort the place out, then he would come and, bang, it would be done. He would send in the tanks — metaphorically speaking, or perhaps not — and sort out the evil and wickedness in the world. But the Sermon on the Mount says that when God comes to sort out the world the Jesus way, he doesn’t send in tanks. He sends in the poor and the brokenhearted and the hungry-for-justice people and the meek and the people who are ready to suffer for getting the world sorted out.” ~ NT Wright, PhD, New Testament Scholar, Oxford

That means power trips and ego driven power people aren’t what the upside down Kingdom of God uses to sort things out.

Jesus sends the the poor, the broken hearted, the justice minded people, the meek and the ready to suffer to the power trippers. They are the ones who need the help reorienting their lives for they are grossly out of step with God’s intentions.

Interesting isn’t it?

T.S. Elliott once wrote: “Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.”

1. The renowned Irish writer Samuel Beckett penned these words : “Don’t look for meaning in the words. Listen to the silences.”

Silence speaks its own language. And sometimes it reveals to us the gentle and quiet whisper contained within it. Just ask Elijah the prophet and then read Psalm 46 which reminds us to “Be still and know I am God.”

1. “The crowd marched together from the Lorraine Motel to the Shelby County Commissioners’ meeting, where spectators there cheered when Pearson arrived. The commissioners voted unanimously to reinstate Pearson until a special election can be held. The Republicans on the commission didn’t show up to vote.” Heather Cox Richardson

They didn’t show up to vote. It’s their job to vote. How cowardly. How thinly veiled is their contempt for any iteration of democracy that challenges their own.

1. “A mature Christian sees Christ in everything and everyone else. That is a definition that will never fail us, always demand more of us, and give us no reasons to fight, exclude, or reject anyone. ~ Richard Rohr

“When you and I embrace Jesus’ essential paradox—that to lose is to gain and to die is to live—we come to God, who gathers up the broken pieces of the world and makes them more complete and beautiful than they were before they broke.” ~Rachel M. Srubas

May it not be said of us that when we first saw the cracks appearing in our world and in the lives of others we did nothing to repair them.

May it not be said of us that we were OK with passing by, attentive to only our own agendas, satisfied with our own selfishness.

May it not be said of us that we were not curious enough to wonder whether or not our indifference marginalized others.

May it not be said of us that we couldn’t be bothered to care about lives being broken in a world breaking apart.

May it not be said of us that we failed to see the world the way God does.

May it not be said of us that we passed up opportunities to be healers.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

1. “I wanted to see Rupert Murdoch put his hand on the Bible and burst into flames!” ~ Stephen Colbert

¾ of a billion dollars for ¾ billion lies I’m reckoning.

1. Florida is a state operating on a ‘winner take all’ philosophy. Extreme gerrymandering has resulted in win/lose governance. The result is that it has become not a particularly safe place for anyone who’s not an uber conservative, white, evangelical, or heterosexual. It is, however, becoming quite a safe haven for those valuing intolerance.

I hope reading this makes you sad and then righteously angry and then stirs you to do whatever you can to make sure this doesn’t happen where you live.

In the meantime, there’s a whole lot of really good people in Florida who are fighting back, who are advocating for righteousness, and demanding change. Pray for them. They’re rolling a big boulder up a steep hill.

1. “The work of prophets is to warn, to warn people of the inevitable consequences of their foolish or immoral actions. It will be the end of the world as you know it, the prophets say, unless you rethink your current assumptions, values, and priorities, unless you become ready to change your way of life. Usually, the people don’t listen.” ~ Brian McLaren

There are prophetic voices in our midst even today. Are you not hearing them? Selective listening tunes them out and we are the poorer for it. Flip the switch and decide to be a curious listener. Watch what happens. You just might hear the words of modern day prophets and be gifted with a sense of ‘holy discontent’. And you will be forever changed.

1. Our job according to Dietrich Bonhoeffer is to “not simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spike into the wheel itself.”

There’s no doubt in my mind that he was right. Bandaging wounds is a very good thing but dealing with the system that’s doing the wounding just might be the better thing. No worries. We can do both at the same time.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 04-21-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 48 – John 21:6-14 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Christine Valters Paintner is a favorite author and guest of mine. This time we talk about her newly released book of poetry, Love Holds You: Poems and Devotions for Times of Uncertainty. The format of this new book takes the reader on a journey. We get to experience it on the podcast as well since Christine reads a number of poems and helps us spend time reflecting on the content. These words from the back cover of the book are appropriate, “When it seems you walk alone, let these words help reveal love as the ground beneath you.” I’m sure you’ll enjoy this weeks conversation!

Find Christine in the following places:

• Website
• Abbey of the Arts Facebook page
• Facebook

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 4.14.24

1. “Just because you have power doesn’t mean you have permission to abuse power.” ~ Justin Pearson

Last Thursday, as votes were being cast in the Tennessee House for the expulsion of ‘The Tennessee Three’, I remember thinking that there was no way the MAGA GOP members would allow the white woman to stay and the Black men to be expelled. I thought that they couldn’t be that stupid and they’d come to the realization that the optics would be horrible.

Au contraire.

I was wrong.

They were that stupid.

And the optics were indeed awful.

When representative Gloria Johnson was asked why she survived being expelled (by one vote) while two of her colleagues (Justin Jones and Justin Pearson) were booted out of the Tennessee House she said: “Well, I’m a sixty year old white woman and they are two young Black men.”

Overt displays of racism should make us all cringe. What happened in the mad rush to get even with ‘The Tennessee Three’ was ugly stuff. America got another inside look at what happens when hate attempts to prevail over justice. All that was missing were the white robes and hoods.

Adding insult to injury, House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) went on an interview with a Knoxville radio station. He suggested that the brief nonviolent protest the three representatives participated in, was an “insurrection equivalent to or worse than that at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”

Really?

Seriously?

“It is certain, in any case, that ignorance allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” ~ James Baldwin

Ignorance that was allied with power got smacked around this week didn’t it? It was just one battle in a long war but a message was sent to the Tennessee GOP and to the entire MAGA world. That message declared that “Justice ain’t goin’ down easy.”

1. Ruth Haley Barton posted this prayer from “Every Moment Holy”. I find it helpful during this particular time and place in history.

“O God our Rock,

hold us in this chaos.

O Christ our King,

calm us in this storm.

O Holy Spirit,

Intercede for us.

Be merciful,

most merciful God!

O God our Rock,

hold us in the chaos

of this hard hour.

O Christ our King,

calm us in the storm

of our distress.

O Holy Spirit,

Intervene

and intercede

We need you now,

most merciful God!”

1. Until the Lion tells the story, the hunter will always be the hero.” ~ African Proverb.

A lot of what’s being banned these days has to do with hunters not allowing lions to tell their side of the story. I wonder what they’re afraid of?

1. The temptation these days is to just go with the flow. It’s actually a good strategy at times. Don’t sweat the small stuff, eh?

But what about the bigger stuff, like the issues fueling our culture wars, the erosion of societal trust, the abandonment of agreed upon cultural norms and the violence at our doorstep? Is laying back and just going with the flow the best way to address these problems?

I’m resonating with those who say “to hell with that idea.”

There’s just too much at stake.

Going with the flow at this particular time, with these big issues in play, would be cowardly.

It would be sinful.

Bonhoeffer says: “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Going with the flow means aiding and abetting those who want to do harm and who count on our indifference and lack of resolve.

Good people know that doing

the next right thing, in the right way,

is the narrower

but necessary

way forward.

1. “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.” ~ Susan B. Anthony

Whenever I hear the words “God told me” I get more than a bit uneasy. Oftentimes, what God told them seems to contradict just about everything I know about God.

1. “We often look for the miracle that rescues us instead of the miracle that transforms us.” ~ Anita Lustrea

2. “Jesus’ primary metaphor for the mystery of transformation is the sign of Jonah … Jesus knew well the graphic story of Jonah the prophet who ran from God and was used by God almost in spite of himself. Jonah was swallowed by a whale and taken where he would rather not go. This was Jesus’ metaphor for death and rebirth…Rather than look for impressive apparitions or miracles, Jesus said we must go inside the whale’s belly for a while. Then and only then will we be spit out on a new shore and understand our call, our place, and our purpose…” ~ Richard Rohr

Metaphorically speaking, have you ever been inside the whale’s belly and spit out on a new shore? Some of you have. There’s a renewed clarity to your call, your place in the order of things, and your sense of purpose. Transformation is an ongoing process. It’s like being born again, again and again and again. Wowser. It’s a game changer isn’t it?

1. “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness, and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? … Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something… that there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…and it’s worth fighting for… “ – Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings

So what are you fighting for? What’s so good in your life and in our world that you dare not let it go?

1. If you want to learn how to pray watch Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye is always talking to and with God. Nothing was too unimportant, even an injury to his horse.

“Dear God, was that necessary? Did you have to make him lame just before the Sabbath? That wasn’t nice. It’s enough you pick on me. Bless me with five daughters, a life of poverty, that’s all right. But what have you got against my horse? Really, sometimes I think, when things are too quiet up there, you say to yourself, ‘Let’s see, what kind of mischief can I play on my friend, Tevye? ‘“

Honest, bold prayers can and should be prayed. Haven’t we all wondered about the circumstances of our lives? Haven’t we all wondered whether or not there is some kind of mischief maker, meddling with our lives, that God seems to have lost sight of? An honest conversation with our Maker is never a bad thing to do.

In many respects, my Rumblings are prayers. I try to write these things ‘unto the Lord’. Each week there’s a big portion of “help us, O God” and “save us from our enemies” going on. There’s also a healthy dose of “Lord, help us come to our senses.”

1. I believe children and other living things are far more valuable than assault rifles and absurd, dangerous, and self-serving interpretations of the 2nd Amendment.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 04-14-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 47 – John 20:26-31 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Margo Tirado is a psychotherapist, life coach, speaker, storyteller and author. Her book Own Your Voice is powerful and worth checking out if you’ve ever struggled with codependency or stating your own needs. Margo writes about 8 emotional habits that empower women to be seen, heard, and fearless. Owning your voice isn’t only about making yourself heard, it’s about believing that what you have to say matters. If this has been a place of struggle in your life, then you need to hear from Margo Tirado!

Find Margo in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Margo Tirado – Own Your Voice – episode 361 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 4.7.23

1. I remember a Good Friday from a few years ago. I was living in and raising a family in Evanston, IL. In the late morning I rode my bike to the chapel at Loyola University in Chicago. It’s beautiful. Nestled steps away from Lake Michigan.

There I opened my Bible, read the Passion accounts, journaled, and prayed. In mid-afternoon I went to see Schindler’s List (a must see movie). The remembrance of Nazi cruelty and one man’s redemptive response to evil was sobering especially after having just immersed myself in the reality of Christ’s passion and death.

Good Friday always reminds me of my ‘stuff’. I never doubt my need for a Savior. Ever. And for Jesus I am grateful beyond measure. And as I look at our world in pain, I pray that the Jesus who lives in me will embolden me and you to become like Schindler who became the answer to a whole lot of people’s prayers.

I’m reminding myself not to rush to the Resurrection this year. It’s quite OK to sit with the sorrows, the hopes and the uncertainty of Holy Week . ‘Tis good to wrestle with the harder things of life. It makes the coming of Sunday all the sweeter.

1. The Women’s Final 4 was very, very interesting

-I thought the coaching was really good across the board.

-Loved Iowa’s read and react offense which gave South Carolina’s defense fits. What a season the Lady Gamecocks had. Dawn Staley is a real deal coach. As is Iowa’s Lisa Bruder.

-Caitlin Clark plays the same way Pete Maravich played and she said some people call her Ponytail Pete. She is a generational talent.

-LSU faced a good Virginia Tech team in the first game and then came in with a good game plan and executed it in the Final. They deserved the win. Referees were more than a bit iffy and got in the way of the game but the better team on Sunday won. Coach Mulkey is a warrior. And Angel Reese is really good.

-Four quarters is far better than two halves.

-Not a fan of the trash talking/gesturing.

-I’ve said for a long time that if you want to teach young people the essentials of basketball, take them to see the women play. They play below the rim. That’s good for kids to see. I’ve watched too many kids try to emulate slam and jam when what they need to see is pass, screen, block out, rebound, defend, and cut. The women’s game is filled with players who do these things well.

1. “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.” ~ Proverbs 21:15

The furor over the indictment of you know who is a bit over the top don’t you think? What are they afraid of? Is it because their guy finally has to face the consequences of his actions? They better get used to it. There are three more indictments right around the corner. An indictment means there’s strong evidence that laws have been broken.

No one is above the law. Some people think they are and have the chutzpah and cash to work the legal system but eventually they get caught. As they should. To those crying “this is political” I just want to say that this is what justice, fairly applied to a man with a long history of unscrupulous behavior, looks like. This is a morally corrupt man who hangs out with morally corrupt people who do morally corrupt things. These indictments are not political. They are about justice.

P.S. I know this is hard to believe but they will be trying him as an adult. I know. I was shocked too.

1. “When I went back to church, I was so hungover that I couldn’t stand up for the songs…. The last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. It was as if the people were singing in between the notes, weeping and joyful at the same time, and I felt like their voices or something was rocking me in its bosom, holding me like a scared kid, and I opened up to that feeling—and it washed over me.

I began to cry and left before the benediction, and I raced home and … walked down the dock past dozens of potted flowers, under a sky as blue as one of God’s own dreams, and I opened the door to my houseboat, and I stood there a minute, and then I hung my head and said, “[Forget] it: I quit.” I took a long deep breath and said out loud, “All right. You can come in.”

So this was my beautiful moment of conversion.” ~ Anne LaMott

Amazing grace. That’s what she experienced. What a beautiful testimony.

1. Discernment is an inner listening and responding to that place within us where our deepest desires align with God’s desire.” ~ Robert Jonas

Discernment needs to be looked at as a holy discipline which aligns us and our desires with God’s purposes and intentions. Thus, we must know ourselves and be acquainted with the God who loves us.

Therein lies the rub.

Do we know ourselves?

Are we acquainted with God?

Do we really want to be aligned with God’s purposes and intentions?

1. “No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less,

As well as if a promontory were:

As well as if a manor of thy friend’s

Or of thine own were.

Any man’s death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.” ~ John Donne

“I am because you are” is the definition of the Swahili word Ubuntu. The understanding is that when we see each person as having deep value and together we contribute towards the common good and the welfare of others, everyone wins.

Jesus gathered the twelve. Together, they ministered. Each brought something different to the table. It reminds me that when my giftedness links with yours, we are the better for it.

Ubuntu.

We are not islands.

We are not meant to be rugged individualists, bereft of community. We need each other.

1. “It wasn’t the water he came for. It was me. ~ woman at the well.”

I don’t know who wrote this but it’s spot on. It stopped me in my tracks.

1. Finland, the newest member of the United Nations, has been ranked the happiest country on earth for six straight years. An article in the New York Times by Penelope Colton helps shed light on Finland’s way of being. She writes:

“It turns out even the happiest people in the world aren’t that happy. But they are something more like content. Finns derive satisfaction from leading simple lives and perceive financial success as being able to identify and meet basic needs.

Arto O. Salonen, a professor at the University of Eastern Finland who has researched well-being in Finnish society, explained. “In other words,” he wrote in an email, “when you know what is enough, you are happy.”

Maybe this is part of our problem. We’re never satisfied with ‘enough’. We want more. And when we get it, we still want more.

1. Jesus’s very presence disrupted the status quo. Follow this Jesus. But watch out. When you do, the ‘status quo’ will react. It goes with the territory.

2. You might not have a relationship with God but be assured that God has a relationship with you. He knows who you are. He’s known you for a long, long time.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 04-07-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 46 – John 12:3-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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My husband, Mike Murphy, joins me on the podcast this week as we highlight Holy Week and talk through a couple of important issues that also made it into his weekly column, his Friday Rumblings. We look at an important prayer the Senate Chaplain prayed, talked about Rachel Held Evans and finished up with some important questions about our soul to ponder and answer, maybe in the presence of a friend or spiritual director. I hope you’ll take a listen and maybe even use this weeks podcast as a conversation starter among friends.

Find Mike on Facebook

This weeks Rumblings:

Rumblings. 3.31.23

1. U.S Senate Chaplain, Rear Admiral Barry Black: “Lord, when babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.’ Lord deliver our senators from the paralysis of analysis that waits for the miraculous. Use them to battle the demonic forces that seek to engulf us.” (March 28, 2023)

Not just the Senators, Lord. The House needs a whole lot of Divine prodding. Oh ya, a whole lot. Good luck with that.

1. “For too long, Christians have used the Bible as a weapon and not as a mirror. The gospel for oppression instead of liberation. The church as a judgment gavel, not a table of inclusion. And Jesus as their mascot, instead of the example. Time to flip the tables.” ~ Carlos A. Rodriguez

Rachel Held Evans died much too young but she still speaks through her writings. She was and still is a table flipper. She wrote: “The gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, “Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.” This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”

Those who have ears to hear, please listen. “This isn’t a Kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.” We’ve forgotten that. Instead, we’ve created little boxes of faith, each with its own little twist on the message of Jesus, which we will defend until our last breath even if it’s a perversion of what Jesus actually taught and even if it means making him into a cute little mascot. All that defending leaves us with little energy to do the real work God has for us.

1. Presbyterian pastor Eliza C. Jaremko wrote: “Everyone else was grieving, but I was busy.”

You could easily replace the word grieving with caring, praying, helping, protesting, voting, and for that matter, table flipping. You get the point.

1. “Most people don’t want the truth. They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.” ~ unknown origin

Reassurance is such a good thing except when it’s not. Reinforcing what is obviously untrue leads nowhere good.

Here’s something that’s true. It’s an inconvenient truth. Another mass killing occurred this week. Facebook is filled with those offering thoughts and prayers.

But let’s get honest.

Frankly, these killings are getting old.

It’s getting scary.

It’s becoming normative.

Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough.

Miroslav Volf once said: “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.”

The biggest truth is that our country lacks the will and desire to do whatever is necessary to stop this tidal wave of violence. One of our political parties, especially, doesn’t want to do anything. Its members have a love affair with their guns, value a rather absurd interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, and are indebted to the NRA and other similar groups which help fund their campaigns. Until they value people more than guns we will be mourning over and over and over again.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

1. “I didn’t see a single true leader on Trump’s stage, not even Trump himself. I saw a collection of followers, each vying for the affection of the real power in Waco, the coddled populist mob.” ~ David French

I agree with David French, a conservative of some stature. Truly, there wasn’t a true leader on stage in Waco. Including Trump. Especially Trump. He’s the one who, if elected, is promising to deliver retribution. That’s his platform. And the coddled, populist mob cheers loudly and enthusiastically every time he speaks of revenge.

Anyone with an ounce of integrity and patriotism stayed far, far, away. They knew how vulgarly anti-American that rally would become. It became just that. Hard to believe that glorifying the January 6 Insurrection was plan #1. Actually, it’s not hard to believe. It’s right out of the authoritarian playbook.

Sun Tzu, presumed to be the author of The Art of War, wrote that “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.” Prophetic, huh? Let’s pray we don’t get that far.

1. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with a parent deciding a certain book is not right for her child. There is a colossal problem with a parent deciding that, therefore, no child should be allowed to read that book.” ~ Jodi Picoult

Banning books is a go to strategy of autocrats. They know that those who read good books are a danger to all their plotting and scheming.

My advice. Read whatever gets banned.

1. “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for…

Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.” ~ John Keating (Robin Williams), Dead Poets Society

Stay alive. Expectant. Find your voice and use it. Today. Do these things today.

1. At one of the churches I served we used EGR to describe interactions with certain people who needed a bit more of our patience, attention, and care. EGR stands for Extra Grace Required. It wasn’t meant to be mean spirited nor degrading. No, it was just a reminder that ministry with that person might take a bit more time and energy. And it was helpful to know that.

My hunch is that all of us, at various times in our life, have felt vulnerable enough, and knew deep in our heart we needed someone to come alongside of us, willing to offer the extra grace required for us to believe we could take the next step.

1. “If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example:

justice without love is legalism;

faith without love is ideology;

hope without love is self-centeredness;

forgiveness without love is self-abasement;

fortitude without love is recklessness;

generosity without love is extravagance;

care without love is mere duty;

fidelity without love is servitude.

Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love.”~ Richard Rohr

That ‘faith without love’ list is nasty isn’t it? It ends up ripping us and others apart.

With love we become whole and complete and help others to do the same.

1. Tell me. Is it well with your soul? If it isn’t well, what will you do to change that? Where will you go for help?

The post Mike Murphy – episode 360 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.31.23

1. U.S Senate Chaplain, Rear Admiral Barry Black: “Lord, when babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.’ Lord deliver our senators from the paralysis of analysis that waits for the miraculous. Use them to battle the demonic forces that seek to engulf us.” (March 28, 2023)

Not just the Senators, Lord. The House needs a whole lot of Divine prodding. Oh ya, a whole lot. Good luck with that.

1. “For too long, Christians have used the Bible as a weapon and not as a mirror. The gospel for oppression instead of liberation. The church as a judgment gavel, not a table of inclusion. And Jesus as their mascot, instead of the example. Time to flip the tables.” ~ Carlos A. Rodriguez

Rachel Held Evans died much too young but she still speaks through her writings. She was and still is a table flipper. She wrote: “The gospel doesn’t need a coalition devoted to keeping the wrong people out. It needs a family of sinners, saved by grace, committed to tearing down the walls, throwing open the doors, and shouting, “Welcome! There’s bread and wine. Come eat with us and talk.” This isn’t a kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.”

Those who have ears to hear, please listen. “This isn’t a Kingdom for the worthy; it’s a kingdom for the hungry.” We’ve forgotten that. Instead, we’ve created little boxes of faith, each with its own little twist on the message of Jesus, which we will defend until our last breath even if it’s a perversion of what Jesus actually taught and even if it means making him into a cute little mascot. All that defending leaves us with little energy to do the real work God has for us.

1. Presbyterian pastor Eliza C. Jaremko wrote: “Everyone else was grieving, but I was busy.”

You could easily replace the word grieving with caring, praying, helping, protesting, voting, and for that matter, table flipping. You get the point.

1. “Most people don’t want the truth. They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.” ~ unknown origin

Reassurance is such a good thing except when it’s not. Reinforcing what is obviously untrue leads nowhere good.

Here’s something that’s true. It’s an inconvenient truth. Another mass killing occurred this week. Facebook is filled with those offering thoughts and prayers.

But let’s get honest.

Frankly, these killings are getting old.

It’s getting scary.

It’s becoming normative.

Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough.

Miroslav Volf once said: “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.”

The biggest truth is that our country lacks the will and desire to do whatever is necessary to stop this tidal wave of violence. One of our political parties, especially, doesn’t want to do anything. Its members have a love affair with their guns, value a rather absurd interpretation of the 2nd Amendment, and are indebted to the NRA and other similar groups which help fund their campaigns. Until they value people more than guns we will be mourning over and over and over again.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

1. “I didn’t see a single true leader on Trump’s stage, not even Trump himself. I saw a collection of followers, each vying for the affection of the real power in Waco, the coddled populist mob.” ~ David French

I agree with David French, a conservative of some stature. Truly, there wasn’t a true leader on stage in Waco. Including Trump. Especially Trump. He’s the one who, if elected, is promising to deliver retribution. That’s his platform. And the coddled, populist mob cheers loudly and enthusiastically every time he speaks of revenge.

Anyone with an ounce of integrity and patriotism stayed far, far, away. They knew how vulgarly anti-American that rally would become. It became just that. Hard to believe that glorifying the January 6 Insurrection was plan #1. Actually, it’s not hard to believe. It’s right out of the authoritarian playbook.

Sun Tzu, presumed to be the author of The Art of War, wrote that “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.” Prophetic, huh? Let’s pray we don’t get that far.

1. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with a parent deciding a certain book is not right for her child. There is a colossal problem with a parent deciding that, therefore, no child should be allowed to read that book.” ~ Jodi Picoult

Banning books is a go to strategy of autocrats. They know that those who read good books are a danger to all their plotting and scheming.

My advice. Read whatever gets banned.

1. “We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for…

Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all.” ~ John Keating (Robin Williams), Dead Poets Society

Stay alive. Expectant. Find your voice and use it. Today. Do these things today.

1. At one of the churches I served we used EGR to describe interactions with certain people who needed a bit more of our patience, attention, and care. EGR stands for Extra Grace Required. It wasn’t meant to be mean spirited nor degrading. No, it was just a reminder that ministry with that person might take a bit more time and energy. And it was helpful to know that.

My hunch is that all of us, at various times in our life, have felt vulnerable enough, and knew deep in our heart we needed someone to come alongside of us, willing to offer the extra grace required for us to believe we could take the next step.

1. “If love is the soul of Christian existence, it must be at the heart of every other Christian virtue. Thus, for example:

justice without love is legalism;

faith without love is ideology;

hope without love is self-centeredness;

forgiveness without love is self-abasement;

fortitude without love is recklessness;

generosity without love is extravagance;

care without love is mere duty;

fidelity without love is servitude.

Every virtue is an expression of love. No virtue is really a virtue unless it is permeated, or informed, by love.”~ Richard Rohr

That ‘faith without love’ list is nasty isn’t it? It ends up ripping us and others apart.

With love we become whole and complete and help others to do the same.

1. Tell me. Is it well with your soul? If it isn’t well, what will you do to change that? Where will you go for help?

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-31-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 45 – Luke 6:12-13, 17-19 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Melinda joins me this week as we talk about positive affirmations. If you wonder what that is, here is a definition: Positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts. We expand this on the podcast and get specific and talk through a variety of positive affirmations as well as touch on brain science. I think you’ll find this a deeply uplifting podcast.

Here are a few books mentioned during our conversation:

• 10,ooo+ Positive Affirmations by R.M. Winters
• A Year of Positive Thinking: Daily Inspiration, Wisdom, and Courage by Cyndie Spiegel
• Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker

Find Melinda on Facebook and Instagram

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 359 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.24.23

1. I’m thinking that Putin must be giggling like a little kid opening presents on Christmas Day. Why? He’s learning that prominent people in the USA aren’t really all that alarmed about what he’s doing in Ukraine, are growing more ambivalent about the value of NATO, and kind of like cozying up to dictators.

2. Most political usages of the word ‘woke’ today are a bit infantile. It’s being used as a curse word on one side of the political aisle and presents itself, all too often, as smugness on the other side. Neither is particularly helpful.

A common sense application of the word ‘woke’ implies that those awakened become alive to the possibilities before them and live with a deep, mature sense of curiosity and wonder. Let’s go with that and ditch using ‘woke’ as an epithet and let’s lose the smugness.

1. “Let nothing disturb you. / Let nothing upset you. / Everything changes. / God alone is unchanging. / With patience all things are possible. / Whoever has God lacks nothing. / God alone is enough.” ~ Teresa of Ávila

I believe this but am often befuddled by the aura of mystery contained within it, delighted with the simple truth it proclaims, and frustrated by my inability at times to live in a less perturbed manner.

1. “Senate Bill 1718, part of Florida Governor Desantis’s broad repressive legislative agenda this year, targets not just undocumented people but also anyone associated with them. The bill, which is likely to pass the Republican-controlled state legislature, criminalizes anyone who transports an undocumented person “into or within this state.” In other words, anyone—co-worker, friend, neighbor, classmate—giving a simple ride to someone they know or care about who is undocumented would be guilty of a third-degree felony.” ~ Prem Thakker, The New Republic

It’s estimated that Florida has 775,000 undocumented immigrants within its borders. That’s roughly 4% of its population. That’s a lot of people to target, treat poorly and marginalize.

I have given rides to undocumented people. I have broken bread with them. I will do so again if the need and/or opportunity arises. And, if this legislation passes, I guess I’ll be risking arrest. If I’m fortunate, I might end up on the same cell block with some of you.

1. Frodo: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”

Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

There are days when I’m convinced we are standing before the very gates of Mordor, outnumbered and afraid.

Now what?

How then shall we live when scary things and people are out and about?

Who will hear our cries when we beg for rescue?

Who will be our heroes?

1. “Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’

Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me,

‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”;

for you shall go to all to whom I send you,

and you shall speak whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them,

for I am with you to deliver you,

says the Lord…” ~ Jeremiah 1

What a dramatic encounter with God. I’m sure I would have protested just as Jeremiah did. “What? Who me? Surely you jest?”

Is God still speaking? Is that true? I think so. I sense God poking me about one thing or another every day. I pray these Rumblings can be used by God to touch your life. Have they? Hope so. Creation speaks. Music speaks. Stay open to hearing. Who knows what your next divine assignment might be or who God assigns to deliver it.

7. Our former president (the one with all the much deserved legal troubles), once again, has managed to show his disciplined, masterful and poetic command of the English language and his edifying commitment to a moral code that honors God and others.

He recently wrote:

“Congratulations to Kellyanne Conway on her DIVORCE from her wacko husband, Mr. Kellyanne Conway. Free at last, she has finally gotten rid of the disgusting albatross around her neck. She is a great person, and will now be free to lead the kind of life that she deserves … and it will be a great life without the extremely unattractive loser by her side!”

Perhaps school children will be encouraged to memorize those words someday, huh? Possibly, someone will put music to his words and the song will become a favorite in classrooms throughout the land. Maybe a play, entitled ‘The Disgusting Albatross’ will be crafted for a Broadway run.

—-

Sometimes, a person is easy to read. It doesn’t take much to discern whether he/she is mature or immature, right? Nor is it difficult to determine if that person is safe or dangerous.

1. “The deepest sin against the human mind is to believe things without evidence.” ~ Aldous Huxley

Expert testimony about things that aren’t true is plentiful. Hearsay, rumor, and innuendo do so much damage. The untruth that is passed on by seemingly mature adults is at times mind numbing. It happens on pickle ball courts, at churches, book clubs, and on the sidelines at soccer games. I live in a 55+ community and there are brief moments when I feel as if I’m back in middle-school with all the name calling, rumors, and catty behavior.

We all need to do our homework and quit passing on and believing lies. Read widely. Look for and listen to wise people, even those with a different point of view. Challenge the liars. Desire, find, and tell the truth.

1. “You have given all to me

To you, Lord, I return it

Everything is Yours

Do with it what you will

Give me only your love and your grace

That is enough for me.

Amen.” ~ Pray as You Go

What a challenging prayer. “Give me only your love and grace. That is enough for me.”

This is an aspirational prayer, not necessarily the reality of our lives. That’s OK. We’re all a work in progress, right?

Praying these words as part of my spiritual practice has reminded me that my desire for a God who is ‘enough’ is still strong. Without that desire, I’m sizzled. All that’s left is for me to actually turn that desire into true submission to God.

1. “Young people say, “What can one person do? What is the sense of our small effort?” They cannot see that we can only lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time; we can be responsible only for the one action of the present moment. But we can beg for an increase of love in our hearts that will vitalize and transform these actions, and know that God will take them and multiply them, as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes.” ~ Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day was a moment by moment, day by day, one person at a time, difference maker. She had a prophetic edge, not afraid to stir the pot while standing up for justice and compassion.

With love, it’s one brick, one action, one step at a time. We all do what we can do. That’s our calling. It is our daily discipline. Then we trust God to accept what we offer and multiply our offering as He sees fit. It leads to a simpler, less exacting way to live.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-24-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 44 – John 6:28-33 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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A leading voice in the conversation integrating faith and psychology is Aundi Kolber. She is a licensed professional counselor and author of Try Softer and the brand new book we will focus on today, Strong Like Water. She specializes in trauma and body-centered therapies which is evident in our conversation on the podcast. And she is also a survivor of trauma. Aundi raises the question of whether instead of working harder to be the strong one, we might learn that strength can look different. It can look more like the tide: soft and bold, fierce and gentle, moving together as one powerful force. I think you’ll enjoy and glean much from this weeks conversation.

Find Aundi in the following places:

• Website
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Aundi Kolber – episode 358 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.17.23.

1. “God is not indifferent to or far from anyone’s life, but rather draws near to those who know pain because of the sin and indifference of others. The prophet loudly insists that God is not impartial and that God will not allow anyone who professes belief in the Holy to harm another.” ~ Megan McKenna

It seems to me that amidst any sort of spiritual awakening, a desire is formed in a person to do what they can to help others live their very best life.

The reality is that far too many real people have more than their fair share of obstacles. Instead of helping, there are those who callously point fingers, call them names, and tell lies about them. Somehow, they actually believe that’s what righteous American Christians do. It isn’t.

Even if we don’t point and name call, our silence emboldens those who do. That my friends is what the good book calls ‘sin’. And the wages of that sin ain’t pretty.

1. “We will be known as a culture that feared death

and adored power, that tried to vanquish insecurity

for the few and cared little for the penury of the

many.

We will be known as a culture that taught

and rewarded the amassing of things, that spoke

little if at all about the quality of life for

people (other people), for dogs, for rivers. All

the world, in our eyes, they will say, was a

commodity.

And they will say that this structure

was held together politically, which it was, and

they will say also that our politics was no more

than an apparatus to accommodate the feelings of

the heart, and that the heart, in those days,

was small, and hard, and full of meanness.” ~ Mary Oliver

Whew. “…the heart in those days was small, and hard and full of meanness.”

1. Someone once asked me what it might be like to live under authoritarian rule. I smiled and replied that I had first hand experience, explaining that “in the 1950’s I attended a Catholic grade school staffed by nuns. It was not a democratic regime.” The truth is that as hard nosed as they could be at times, they shaped me in some rather wonderful ways. I’m grateful.

My attempt at ‘growing up Catholic’ humor, I hope, doesn’t detract from the very real and sinister threat dictators today and wannabes (even in the USA) pose to individuals and countries.

I pray these attempts, both here and abroad, fail. Please join me in those prayers.

1. “If they spit at you behind your back, it means you’re ahead of them.” ~ Confucius

It could also mean you’re a jerk, racing to the front of the pack, oblivious to those you stepped on in order to be first in line.

1. “Strong Back, Soft Front, Wild Heart … The strong back is having grounded confidence and healthy boundaries. The soft front is staying vulnerable and curious. The mark of a wild heart is living out these paradoxes in our lives. It’s showing up in our vulnerability and our courage, and, above all else, being both fierce and kind.” ~ Brene Brown

2. My approach to politics is pretty basic these days.

I will vote and make it a habit to stand against those who habitually lie and who delight in plotting and doing cruel things to others and/or defend those that do.

1. When the owner of a TV network admits they lied to you and their hosts lied to you and you still believe them, congrats you’re in a cult.” ~ The Other 98 %

I know people in this particular cult. They are hard to reason with. Dialogue is next to impossible. “What about” is a favored strategy. It’s very sad and dangerous.

I keep reminding myself that they think the same thing of me. That reminder helps me do some soul searching.

1. “We are either chaplains of empire or prophets of God.” ~ Rev. Dr. William Barber

Prophets challenge the ‘empire’. The Empire wants prophets to go away. Far away. Forever away.

Read the prophets of the Bible. Listen to the prophets God has raised up today. Then do a reading of your own life. Compare and contrast. Ask the harder questions. See what happens.

1. Mea culpa

Mea culpa

Mea maxima culpa

Growing up I prayed these Latin words at Mass. They were part of the Confiteor, a prayer of confession.

Loosely translated it means:

I blew it.

I messed up.

Seriously, it’s my fault.

Confession is good for the soul. As is, God’s forgiveness.

“God of a familiar light, God of a heavy familiarity … help us turn our weariness into readiness; our hesitance into curiosity; our ending into beginning; so this heaviness becomes light. Amen.” ~ Daily Prayer: Prayer from The Corrymeela Community

1. We went to a luncheon this week sponsored by a Sarasota non-profit named Project 180 which seeks to reintegrate formerly incarcerated citizens into community life.

Each year 365+ incarcerated individuals are released and come back home to Sarasota County. It’s not always an easy homecoming. Ex-prisoners need a support structure. They need housing, employment, health services and recovery programs. Project 180 helps provide a pathway to success.

All around our country non-profits fill in the gaps in the system in all kinds of ways. They give people hope who have forgotten what hope looks like. They remind us that caring is a virtue and every human life has value.

I’d like to remind us all that our generosity keeps non-profits afloat. Find one. Find more than one. Give. Give again. Volunteer. Pray. It will make a difference.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-17-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 43 – Mark 10:13-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m delighted to have Marsha Crockett join me to talk about the gifts of spiritual direction. She is a spiritual director and the author of Sacred Conversation: Exploring the Seven Gifts of Spiritual Direction. God did not intend for us to walk this journey of life alone. In fact, He created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. If you’ve always wondered about spiritual direction, check out this week’s podcast.

Find Marsha in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Marsha Crockett – episode 357 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 3.10.23

1. “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in an illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” ~ Walter Brueggemann

We, who call ourselves people of faith, are called to be truth tellers, mourners, and distillers of hope. The world yearns for us to do just that.

All of us need to consider who we are and where we stand amidst the struggles going on all over the world. Who do we represent? Where’s our loyalty? Do our political allegiances mean more to us than the prophet’s clarion call begging us to “do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God?”

1. “The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

She is a wise woman.

1. Conventional Christianity prefers to see Jesus as a directive or destination rather than this path [of love]; for them “way” is a noun, not a verb… ” ~ Diana Butler Bass

“The great traditions always call people on a journey of faith to keep changing. There’s no other way this human personality can open up to all that God is asking of us.” ~ Richard Rohr

I love the word ‘pilgrimage’. Our primary calling is to walk and talk with God. It leads us into a lifetime of purposeful and even accidental encounters with all kinds of people, places, and adventures. Often, it’s all quite delightful. Other times not so much. Delightful or not, the journey itself brings value to our lives.

1. “Unfortunately, the Lenten season often gets reduced to the question, ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ This is a fine question, but it can only take us so far. The real question of the Lenten season is, ‘How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?’ …Where in my life have I gotten away from God, and what are the disciplines that will enable me to find my way back?” ~ Ruth Haley Barton

Repent. Be honest. Deal with your sorrow. And your fears. Look for what you think you need. Give as much as you know about yourself today to as much as you know of God. Do it again tomorrow. Delight in the baby steps you take and pay attention to the whisper of angels.

1. “… the universe did not appear as it is now. It began very small and literally blew up and is still expanding, growing, changing, developing. Like the Earth and life on it, the universe emerged a long time ago and continues to blossom. For those of us who believe that a Creator is responsible for all there is, that Creator seems to be in the habit of creating not once and done, not fixed permanence, but by constant emergence. This creates in me a sense of jaw-dropping, deer-in- the- headlights awe, where words are out of place. A changing, unfolding universe does not rob God of glory. It declares it – though finding that space takes major adjustments in my thinking about God.” ~ Pete Enns, “Curveball: How I Stumbled and Tripped My Way Into Finding a Bigger God”

People I admire make adjustments in their theological understandings. It’s an ongoing process that can involve stumbling, tripping and bumping into things.

We’ve all sung Amazing Grace which is an autobiographical, confessional hymn. We’ve all lifted our voices to sing the haunting words “I once was lost but now I’m found, blind but now I see.” The composer was admitting that he once was broken and confused, but then, through God’s grace, something happened (google the story) and it changed his understanding of himself and of God.

Making adjustments in our thinking and behavior sends a clear signal that we’re alive and want to keep growing.

1. God,

Keep my anger from becoming meanness.

Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.

Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.

Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.

Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.

Keep me fiercely kind.

Amen.” ~ Laura Jean Truman

1. Periodically, I send a short email to my elected representatives. I try to be both firm and kind. Does it do any good? After all, one voice can be so easily dismissed. But my hope is that I’m not the only one who tries to hold elected reps to account.

Last week I sent one of those emails. And for the first time I was a bit frightened. I actually hesitated before sending it. I live in a state where free speech is under attack by the Governor and the MAGA legislative supermajority. And people like me, who want to live in an awakened state of being, are considered to be the enemy by those in power.

I don’t say that lightly.

I’m not trying to be melodramatic.

I’m not making these things up.

I’m not seeing things that aren’t really there.

And so, when I sent my inquiries to my State Senator and District Representative I did it with a minor sense of apprehension, wondering about what could happen if I got on the wrong person’s radar.

Such is the state of freedom of speech in Florida these days.

And it’s not just Florida is it?

Good people are getting jittery. Maybe even you. Some are choosing to just shut up and shut down. Perhaps it’s wise to consider something Plato once said: “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men [and women].” It behooves us to dare to challenge ourselves to speak bravely. ‘Cuz if we don’t, evil people will win by default.

1. Quote of he week.

“I hate Trump passionately.” ~ Tucker Carlson, FOX News.

This speaks volumes doesn’t it? And yet Carlson continues to defend and prop up who and what he detests. The whole FOX News Universe is in desperate need of a civics class, a confessional, and a moral compass. Their continued defense of what they know is indefensible continues to erode the very foundations of our Republic.

1. “I have no special talent. I’m only passionately curious.” ~Albert Einstein

If we lived in a world filled with passionately curious people, life would be far more interesting.

1. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains.

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth…” ~ Psalm 121

Yes. Absolutely yes.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-10-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 42 – John 4:19-26 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Amy-Jill Levine is a prolific author and she is recently retired as University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She currently teaches at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. This is a re-release of a podcast I recorded with Amy-Jill in the fall of 2021. She recently spoke at my church and I was reminded of her brilliance and wanted to highlight her again. The book we focus on in our conversation is The Difficult Words of Jesus.

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Amy-Jill Levine – episode 356 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings 3.3.23

1. I No Longer Pray For Peace

“On the edge of war,

one foot already in,

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.

I pray that stone hearts will turn

to tenderheartedness,

and evil intentions will turn

to mercifulness,

and all the soldiers already deployed

will be snatched out of harm’s way,

and the whole world will be

astounded onto its knees.

I pray that all the “God talk”

will take bones,

and stand up and shed

its cloak of faithlessness,

and walk again in its powerful truth.

I pray that the whole world might

sit down together and share

its bread and its wine.

Some say there is no hope,

but then I’ve always applauded the holy fools who never seem to give up on the scandalousness of our faith:

that we are loved by God……

that we can truly love one another.

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.” ~Ann Weems

Living in a ‘locked and loaded’ culture means too many are trusting what’s in their holster more than God these days. That’s dangerous. That’s why I pray for miracles too.

1. I’m of the opinion that God is always up to something. What is God up to now? I’m not entirely sure but I kind of think God wants to do something big by asking us to go small.

We’ve been through a long season of ‘go big or go home’. Maybe God wants that to end. Maybe he wants us to do the basic things again, to take baby steps, to do the little things well, to breathe deeply, and act righteously. Perhaps, God wants us to forsake mega-faith and all that involves and replace it with a simpler, less politicized and less frenetic way of being God’s people.

I think one of the reasons the awakening/revival at Asbury College was so meaningful and captivating is due to the fact those in leadership didn’t let big shot, name brand Christians hijack it. They chose to go small and God honored that decision.

1. Last Saturday, on what extremist groups were calling a National Day of Hate we headed to Church of the Palms to listen to biblical scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine.

Dr. Levine talked a bit about the Day of Hate saying (and I’m paraphrasing a bit): “On this Day of Hate a Presbyterian church is filled with both Christians and Jews who came to listen to an Orthodox Jewish woman, who just happens to to be a New Testament scholar, speaking about the Jewishness of Jesus.”

Everyone smiled and clapped when she said it and when she ended her talk she was greeted by a standing ovation.

What better way to stare down hate than a show of solidarity, huh?

Levine remarked in her talk that “if we’re reading the Bible at age 66 the same way we read the Bible at age 6 something is wrong.” She’s right. I have a hunch the Bible the day of hate folks read is interpreted in childish (not childlike) ways and thus their understanding of it is fairly primitive, as are their motives and tactics.

1. “… remember the temptation of Jesus in the desert (see Matthew 4:1–11). Three temptations to the misuse of power are listed—economic, religious, and political. Even Jesus must face these subtle disguises before he begins any public ministry; this is a warning to all of us.” ~ Richard Rohr

This reading comes at us on the first Sunday of Lent every year. It’s sobering. How are we being tempted to misuse power these days? What are the economic, religious and political enticements that pull at us and whisper sweet nothings in our ear?

1. “Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.” ~ Richard Rohr

Not just love the past. Religious folks like to put their love of the past in a box, wrap it in pretty paper, put a bow on it and then put it on an altar and worship it.

1. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available, and works co-operatively against common threats.” ~Charles Darwin

Darwin paid close attention to patterns of behavior in different species. He championed evolution. I appreciate his discoveries. Others don’t. Lots of religious folks don’t like anything that smacks of evolutionary theory. Why? Because theories like that challenge both the biblical narrative and the biblical literalism they’ve anchored themselves to. It gives them the shivers just thinking about such things.

The problem is that a faith rooted in biblical literalism, sincere as it may be, isn’t able to handle the kind of challenges science, history, and even Scripture itself presents. Those challenges are seen as attacks. So, the wagons get circled, and a lifetime is spent trying to debunk anything that challenges their belief that the Bible contains the answers to ‘everything’. It’s an immature response. It thwarts spiritual growth actually. It’s fear based. It requires trying to make the Bible speak about all kinds of things that it really doesn’t address. And it keeps them from exploring the interesting things that people like Darwin try to teach us.

1. FOX News lied. It was brazen. It involved their highest level punditainers who willingly promoted the false narrative that the election was stolen. Why would they do this? Greed, lack of integrity, a foundation of disrespect for their listeners and a willful dismissal of patriotism are all pieces of the puzzle.

2. “The desert is a place of spiritual revolution, not of personal retreat. It is a place of inner protest, not outward peace. It is a place of deep encounter, not of superficial escape. It is a place of repentance, not recuperation…

The desert is a necessary stage on the spiritual journey. To avoid it would be harmful.

Ironically, you do not have to find the desert in your life; it normally catches up with you. Everyone does go through the desert…. It may be in the form of some suffering, or emptiness, or breakdown, or breakup, or divorce, or any kind of trauma that occurs in our life… If we go through this experience involuntarily, then it can be both overwhelming and crushing. If, however, we accept to undergo this experience voluntarily, then it can prove both constructive and liberating.” ~John Chryssavgis

We might not call it a desert experience. We might call it a dry time, where we experience more desolation than consolation. We often make the mistake of believing we can ignore it. How do you avoid what is? Oh, one can try fill their life with laughs and distractions but it doesn’t seem to work. Sometimes the spiritual life requires us to do some very hard work, to face the pain, to own up to our stuff, and to allow our Good God to do His healing work in our lives.

1. Sr. Jean, who made a name for herself during Loyola Chicago’s inspirational 2018 Final Four run, is now 103. She just published her memoir entitled “Wake Up With Purpose -What I Learned in My First Hundred Years.”

Probably worth a look see. She still serves as a chaplain to students, including the men’s basketball team. Wonder what the next 100 will bring.

1. We’re learning here in Florida that when one political party has a supermajority, a democracy begins to look and sound like an autocracy. Every decision is heavy handed and the rhetoric is harsh and condescending. Gun toting fringe groups have a bigger voice. And God becomes more of a right wing nut job and not the Prince of Peace. Be careful how you vote friends. There are consequences, big ones, especially in this pivot point moment in time.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-03-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

View Details

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 41 – John 3:3-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Mike Murphy joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about a tremendous talk we attended given by Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine. Interestingly it was held on what was deemed by some as a national day of hate. Our speaker and the crowd gathered defied that. We touched on a couple of Mike’s recent Rumblings also.

Here are a couple of Amy-Jill’s books and a link to Mike’s Facebook page.

Witness at the Cross

The Difficult Words of Jesus

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Mike Murphy – episode 355 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.24.23.

1. The NY Times reported last week that “Newly disclosed messages and testimony from some of the biggest stars and most senior executives at Fox News revealed that they privately expressed disbelief about President Donald J. Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, even though the network continued to promote many of those lies on the air.”

Ah, integrity. You can smell it in the air at FOX News. Ha. Actually, what’s in the air is the putrid smell of hypocrisy, conspiracy, and greed.

And to think Speaker McCarthy thought it was a great idea to hand over the security videos of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to FOX News, entrusting the footage to Tucker Carlson, who is the master of rumor, innuendo, and disinformation. It just boggles the mind and makes one wonder about the future of our democracy.

1. “ …I came upon the story that a Florida school board has removed a book about Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente “to see if it complies with a new state law limiting discussions about race”. Many other books (about Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Hank Aaron, etc) were removed also. This is in response to Gov. DeSantis’ culture-war crackdown on anything he deems “woke”…which often is code for “true, but inconvenient for the narrative I’m telling.” ~ Aaron Niequist

Being ‘woke’ is considered to be an egregious and dangerous way of being by the Florida Governor, who fashions himself to be a culture warrior without peer. He is pushing a fear based narrative. And he knows anyone who is awakened is a threat to his finishing that story. There is no room for inconvenient truths, even though he knows full well that history doesn’t treat book banners well.

So, he’s doubling down on his efforts .

And he has allies.

A tweet by Congressperson Lauren Boebert said: “One thing you can be sure of – I’ll never go woke.”

Gotta love the response by @Leslieoo7.

“I’m sure of that. To be woke requires awareness, an enlightened mind, exposure to different cultures and different types of people. It requires maturity to realize that not everyone looks like you or thinks like you and that’s okay.”

Touche’.

I want to be ‘woke’. Hope you do too.

1. “ … In my Methodist home I was taught that all of us are God’s children, and are loved, and that love is the light that shines. Christianity has never been spoken with just one voice. Often the majority of voices express fear and an exaggerated need for power. That was evident in pre-World War II Germany, when a majority of Christians supported the rise to power of the Nazis.

There was, however, a minority voice of Christians called the Confessing Movement that let their light shine supporting the dignity and value of all human beings.

I believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are the heart of the Christian ethic of love. As a Christian, that is where I will let my light shine, regardless of who is currently in the majority.” ~ Rev. Stephen G. Hoffman, in a letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune

4.”Do not let the wise boast of their wisdom. Do not let the mighty boast of their might. Do not let the wealthy boast of their wealth.Let those who boast, boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord….” ~ Jeremiah, the Prophet

You know who has reflected steadfast love, justice, and righteousness?

Jimmy Carter.

He will soon go home to be with the God he has known and loved for a long, long, time.

He once wrote: “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”

He understood that the God he knew and loved was the one responsible for all those differences and that the Lord expects us to embrace them, not rail against them.

1. Before you engage someone in what could be a heated conversation, make it a point to discern whether or not that person is mentally, morally, spiritually and emotionally mature enough to grasp the concept of different and nuanced perspectives.

Not everyone has that kind of maturity, right? My wife had a counselor who once cautioned her “that you can’t reason with a crazy person” ( and no, that person wasn’t me).

Periodically, I have waged a war of words with individuals who lacked that kind of maturity. Stupid me. What a waste of time and energy. And how much hurt did I inflict in the process?

1. “I am not losing my mind.

I’m not losing my faith.

I’m not failing or falling or backsliding.

I have simply outgrown much of American Christianity.

So has my God.” ~ Jon Pavlovitz

In the midst of the ongoing, essential process of recalibrating our faith, there is a need to be careful, lest we throw out that which still makes our heart feel ‘strangely warmed’ (thank you John Wesley). The essence of that warmth and the good memories it invokes are God’s gift to us. It’s good to cherish those memories.

And what about those things that turn your heart cold?

Some of it needs to be thrown away.

The rest needs to be filed away. Filed away? Yes. A portion of our healing and/or someone else’s, down the road, might require some access to what’s in those files. I know that I have grabbed for a file or two or three that contained things I once considered useless but actually were not and were worthy of a second look.

1. Author and speaker John Maxwell was convinced that too many of us live with “uphill hopes that will never be realized because we have cultivated downhill habits.” Ain’t that the truth.

2. My Spiritual Director mentioned to me that a very respected monk, a man well versed in matters of intimacy with God through meditation and contemplation once said: “My growth in the spiritual life is measured, in good part, by the knowledge that I’m screwed up and I need a savior.”

3. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. Someone is given a challenging responsibility but then is not given the necessary authority and resources to succeed.

4. For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie–deliberate, contrived and dishonest–but the myth–persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” ~ President John F. Kennedy

I’m all for myth busting and letting go of cliches that lack meaning. And “discomfort of thought” has helped me grow up. I want kids in our schools to be able, in age appropriate ways, to bust the myths and to enjoy the delight of grappling with thoughts that can, at times, prove to be uncomfortable.

For that matter I want that for their parents and grandparents cuz they’re the ones up in arms and causing all the trouble.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 02-24-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 40 – Matthew 4:18-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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| Melinda Schmidt | Michelle Van Loon |

It’s always good to have a conversation group on the podcast with these two excellent thinkers. Michelle Van Loon is an author and on of the founder of The Sage Forum a community of women in the second half of life. I highly recommend checking it out. Michelle’s most recent book is Translating Your Past: Finding Meaning in Family Ancestry, Genetic Clues, and Generational Trauma.

Melinda Schmidt is my former cohost from my radio days and a brilliant thinker and conversationalist who you hear regularly on Faith Conversations.

Here is a link to the Madeleine L’Engle quote Michelle shared on the podcast.

Here is the article Michelle recently wrote for Christianity Today titled Christian Boomers Like Me Want to Change Too.

Melinda mentioned this new book by Sarah Billups titled, Orphaned Believers.

Follow Michelle on Social Media:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Follow Melinda on Social Media:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt & Michelle Van Loon – episode 354 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.17.23

1. In a conversation awhile back a friend observed that “we’re either upholding broken systems or opposing them.”

It seems to me that when we uphold broken systems for any length of time, that brokenness is going to seep into our own lives in one way, shape, or form. That’s a formidable downside for choosing to keep our mouths shut.

When we oppose broken systems and question those who guard them, it won’t take long for those systems and guardians to turn on us. That’s the downside of opening our mouths. But when you do and then look in the mirror, you’ll see the face of integrity looking back at ‘ya.

1. When I’m at my worst I feed my anxiety, my worry, and my fear. When I’m attempting to be clever I’ll state that “I practice being anxious, worried and afraid because they have served me well. Those things that I worry about, stress over and face fearfully rarely come to full fruition. In other words. Worry, anxiety and fear work.”

Crazy, huh?

My shadow self tries to convince me that worry, anxiety, and fear protect me, that they are a valuable defense mechanism. My true self, on the other hand, invites me to trust God and find more helpful ways to cope.

1. I know a whole lot of folks who are struggling with matters of faith and/or the practice of it. In their mind no church measures up. Old answers feel tired. Matters of deep importance are swept under the rug. Hypocrisy runs deep.The temptation is to walk away and be done with it all. I get it.

I know people, of course, who don’t walk away but they go off script for a bit and take a sabbatical to sort things out. They begin to deconstruct their faith, trying to discern what’s real and what’s not and what needs to stay or acquired and what needs to be jettisoned. It’s more about taking baby steps than giant leaps. As a spiritual director I’ve spent a good chunk of time with folks who ask for some help during that “putting things back together time.” It’s an honor and privilege to be there for them.

I’m convinced that deeply imbedded in all humans is a desire for the God who yearns for us and won’t let us go. Oh, we might walk away from the institutions for a time and for many that’s probably not a bad option especially if they’ve been beaten up by religious folks. But that yearning to know and be known by a good God never really goes away. How that is addressed varies from person to person. Left unaddressed or unattended it can’t help but lead to a sense of incompleteness.

1. Corrie ten Boom and her family helped to rescue Jews during the Holocaust. She and her family risked their own lives for the sake of others. And eventually ended up in the same concentration camp they were trying to save others from.

Why did they do it?

How could they not?

Was it scary? Sure it was. But she once said: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

That known God beckons us to count the cost and then do the right thing.

1. Need a pep talk. Here’s one from Henri Nouwen in his book named Discernment

“The truth is that God loved us before we were born and will love us still after we have died. God molded us in the depths of the earth. God knitted us together in our mothers womb. God inscribed us on the palm of his hand. Every hair on our heads is numbered and counted by God. We are held by God in an everlasting embrace. We belong to God from eternity to eternity. Indeed, we are God‘s daughters and sons. As beloved children our core identity is secure in the memory of God whether we do anything worthwhile, prove anything important, or give anything of value. God still loves us unconditionally. It is a strong, vital, and active fatherly and motherly kind of love that holds us safe and affirms our worth, wherever we go and whatever we do.”

We are the beloved of God. Claim it. Live into it. Give thanks for it.

1. The Jim Jordan and Friends “Let’s Get Even Hearing” is off to a rocky start. How rocky? Even FOX News won’t cover it. There are a couple of other congressional witch-hunts going on but the Republicans are getting checked by Dems who have actually done their homework and know the ins and outs of the law.

It’s time for a third political party to emerge, don’t you think? What we once knew as the Republican Party has become, in essence, the MAGA Party, an extremist, right wing entity fueled by outrage, conspiracy theories, Christian nationalism, lies, racism, and dubious loyalty to our country. Who wants to be part of that nonsense? Unfortunately, a whole lot of people do. I’m not one of them.

I do believe our nation needs a principled, conservative alternative to the MAGA party. Sooner rather than later. But it won’t happen soon. That would require more than a few conservatives to step up, willing and able to be really, really courageous, and say that enough is enough. That’s going to take awhile, if ever. In the meantime, we’ve got to deal with the nut jobs from crazy town.

7.“The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish thinker and teacher appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed. That it became, through the intervening years, a religion of the powerful and the dominant, used sometimes as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus. ‘In him was life; and the life was the light of men.’ Wherever his spirit appears, the oppressed gather fresh courage; for he announced the good news that fear, hypocrisy, and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited, need have no dominion over them.” ~ Howard Thurman

Amen. Fear, hypocrisy, and hatred are indeed the three hounds of hell. And Jesus had no time for them.

1. “In the beginning God created …”

That always grabs me. It goes on to say that what God created was good. I think the Lord still wants it to be. He just wants us to get with the program, by being good and promoting goodness.

1. “Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” ~ Simone Weil

Page through the scriptures. It’s one waiting moment after another. Our job is to make ‘waiting in expectation’ a habit, a spiritual discipline.

1. The old hymn begins with the words “Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee.”

It continues by begging the Lord to take our hands, our voice, our silver and gold, our moments and days, our feet, lips, heart, intellect and will and to use them for His good purposes.

We sang this last Sunday at Church of the Palms and it really got to me. Is this what I really desire? That was the question I was asking myself. I wondered, in the moment, if anyone else was asking that same question. My guess is that they were.

Once we get our desires straight, we can recalibrate the rest of the pieces of our life.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 02-17-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 39 – Matthew 4:12-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Faith Conversations favorite, Joyce Rupp, is back talking about Lent. Her latest book contains thoughtful reflections for the Lenten journey titled Jesus, Companion in My Suffering. If you find yourself in a busy season, this devotional is for you, and if you find yourself in a season of suffering, you will find a home within its pages. As usual, a thoughtful and substantive conversation with Joyce Rupp. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

Find Joyce in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Joyce Rupp – episode 353 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.10.23

1. The Governor of Florida has made it a habit to deliberately sow chaos into people’s lives and in his cold hearted way calls it virtuous. Most recently he took his anti-woke agenda to New College ( a public school) in Sarasota where I live. In a relatively short time (25 days) he appointed a new governing board which resulted in the resignation of the school’s current President and pledged to completely remake the college using a small, Christian college in Michigan as his blueprint for excellence.

As a result, students who chose New College because of its innovative and collaborative approach to learning find themselves searching for another academic home base. Parents are shocked, unsure about how best to advise their sons and daughters. Faculty and administrators aren’t sure they’ll be allowed to stay on or not. If allowed to stay, will they have DeSantis’s anti-woke watchdogs looking over their shoulder, poised to spring into action? Yes they will.

Everyone is in a state of exasperation and exhaustion. They are grieving the loss of the school they loved and are confused about how best to navigate their uncertain future. Why? Because one powerful man believes liberals always indoctrinate and conservatives are the only ones capable of educating. Crazy, huh?

The fear of many of us is that this newer New College will only accept one kind of world view, i.e., a radically conservative one, heavily peppered with Christian nationalism ideology, indifferent or perhaps openly hostile to matters of inclusion, equity, and diversity and will feature a view of Western Civilization that extols the virtues of white people, ignoring and/or minimizing any nefarious matters such as slavery and the conquest and genocide of Native peoples. The worry is that the school will become nothing more than an indoctrination center for the kids and grandkids of the MAGA crowd.

1. “Sometimes I grow weary of the days, with all their fits and starts.

I want to climb some old gray mountains, slowly, taking

The rest of my lifetime to do it, resting often, sleeping

Under the pines or, above them, on the unclothed rocks.

I want to see how many stars are still in the sky

That we have smothered for years now, a century at least.

I want to look back at everything, forgiving it all,

And peaceful, knowing the last thing there is to know.

All that urgency! Not what the earth is about!

How silent the trees, their poetry being of themselves only.

I want to take slow steps, and think appropriate thoughts.

In ten thousand years, maybe, a piece of the mountain will fall.” ~ Mary Oliver

I definitely grow weary of the days at times. Slow steps and appropriate thoughts help. As does finding an old gray mountain to climb. Or in my case, a bike ride to the Gulf.

1. Christianity, I’ve discovered, is a full contact way of being faithful. Jesus modeled this. It’s impossible to be a person of faith and not get bumped around and bruised in the process. It’s part and parcel of the normal experience of faith. No scars =no faith. But it is also a joyous faith which offers us a storehouse full of blessings. The bumps, bruises, and blessings all serve the same purpose. They shape us into the image and likeness of Jesus. It’s easy to be faithful amidst the blessings. It’s quite another thing when bumps and bruises are our reward. But when we keep on keeping on, I gotta believe that pleases God. As I used to proclaim at weddings “in sunshine and shadow, through good times and bad, stay faithful to the promises you make.”

2. “The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true.” ~ Galadriel. Lord of the Rings

As long as the Company is true hope remains. Never underestimate what a loyal, committed band of people can do. Better yet, be part of one.

1. “The only way evil can succeed is to disguise itself as good. And one of the best disguises for evil is religion. Just pretend to love God, go to church every Sunday, recite the creed, and say all the right things. Someone can be racist, be against the poor, hate immigrants, and be totally concerned about making money and being a materialist, but still go to church each Sunday and be “justified” in the eyes of religion.” ~ Richard Rohr

When I’m in a spiritually constant and healthy place I understand full well what it means to “work out my salvation in fear and trembling.” It’s sobering. It starts with keeping what I do consistent with what I believe. Some days I do a better job of that than others. But keeping faith aligned with actions remains a priority. Pretending to be a person of faith and doing it in the company of other pretenders isn’t a very good strategy.

1. “ … the words of Meister Eckhart, of course, ring true for us, “God is at home. It is we who have gone out for a walk.” Out we go into the world, often looking for God and we are told, God is out there somewhere and if we do certain things and behave in certain ways, well, we might connect with God, we might glimpse a little of God. And so we try and we try to attract God’s attention and we try and we try to be good and to be faithful and to do the right thing. And often we fail and we hurt and we get disillusioned. We have forgotten: God is at home; it is indeed we who have gone out for a walk…” ~ Edwina Gatley

God is inviting you to keep company with Him. Do it. Linger. Sit in the quiet of the presence of the Almighty. Be at home with the Lord. See what happens.

1. It’s early yet, but we are seeing very clearly that the differences between Speaker McCarthy and former Speaker Pelosi are, well let’s just say, ‘many’. I’ve figured out for sure that one has the spine of a jellyfish and the other still has no problem standing tall.

Speaking of spines, President Biden stood very tall, resolute, and in command during his State of the Union Address. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her crew not so much.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her State of the Union rebuttal said: “The dividing line in America is no longer between right and left — it’s between normal or crazy,” Believe it or not, I agree with her statement. I just apply it differently.

1. “Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate…”

I think this is one of the saddest lines in Scripture.I know full well who Pontius Pilate is because I’ve seen him in the reflection in my mirror. Not as much these days, though. Maybe it’s because I’m older and currying favor with the crowd is just too stinking hard and frankly the short term reward isn’t worth the effort because it just blows up in my face. Going along to get along isn’t a healthy way to live is it? There’s another way. There always is. And it’s a better way. But it is a harder way.

9.Take it to the bank. Here’s my long awaited Super Bowl prediction. KC by two touchdowns over Philly.

1. Early on in my life I knew God was watching me. Over time I realized he was watching over me. That was a turning point moment.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 02-10-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 38 – John 1:35-41 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Susan Mettes, an editor with Christianity Today, joins me on the podcast to talk about The Loneliness Epidemic. It is a fact and it’s the name of her recent book that leans on research from The Barna Group. Why do you think so many of us feel alone? That is just one of the questions Mettes addresses in the book and we talk about on the podcast along with how the United States differs from countries around the globe. We also look at loneliness across generations and you might be surprised, as I was, to find out that younger generations have more of a struggle. An enlightening conversation.

Find Susan Mettes in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Susan Mettes – episode 352 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 2.3.23

1.“In his latest book, “Seeking God,” Trevor Hudson recalls a time when he met with Dallas Willard, seeking wisdom in regard to a vocational decision. Trevor was trying to discern God’s will, but his observation was that “The heavens seemed to be silent.” Willard responded: “I am reasonably sure that if God had anything in mind, he would have let you know by now. Maybe God wants you to go ahead and do what you really want to do. It is unlikely that God plays games of hide and seek when we ask for guidance.”

So true.

Often people have two or three wonderful choices before them and they spend months trying to discern God’s perfect will for their life. They pray, fret, fume, and worry. What if they just picked one of their wonderful choices? The one that rings truest. Maybe they think God will punish them if they pick wrongly. That’s not the way He rolls.

1. “Football, beer, and above all gambling filled up the horizons of their minds. To keep them in control was not difficult.” George Orwell, 1984.

Why bother with weighty matters of race, class, poverty, justice, climate change etc. when bigger issues like the Super Bowl point spread demands our attention?

I’m all in on distractions. It helps keep us sane. I love championship games. I enjoy doing nothing. But Orwell is right. When matters of little consequence occupy the vast percentage of our time and energy those who want to control us can do their dirty work in plain sight knowing full well preoccupied people won’t pause to notice.

1. “When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.” Isaac Asimov

I have no stomach for a patriotism that depends on delusion and stupidity to fuel it and uses religion to give it cover.

I’m not the brightest bulb in the ‘smarts’ category. I’m certainly not an intellectual. But I have acquired some wisdom along the way. Wisdom, I’ve found, shows up and is cultivated in people’s lives in a variety of ways. It’s not about IQ. It’s not about degrees earned. It has a lot to do with a desire to learn, to be discerning, and to use common sense. Most people I know who are discerning don’t need to wrap their arms around a stupid view of patriotism. They know what a real patriot looks and talks like and they don’t have to wrap themselves in a flag to prove they’re right. They manage to live it out in real time. All day, every day. They don’t do stupid.

1. “Anytime the Bible is quoted to defend behavior that is not motivated by the law of love, something is wrong.” Amy Butler.

The law of love includes acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly before God.

1. “Immature religion creates a high degree of cognitively rigid people or very hateful and attacking people—and often both. It is almost the public image of Christianity today, yet God’s goal is exactly the opposite…~ Richard Rohr

The public image of much of Christianity fails us. Perhaps that’s why Gandhi famously said “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

1. “I think a lot of Christians have never moved beyond survival questions, security questions, even securing their future in eternity. First-half-of-life religion is an insurance plan to ensure that future. In this stage, any sense of being a part of a cosmos, of being part of a historical sweep, that God is doing something bigger and better and larger than simply saving individual souls (and my own soul in particular) is largely of no interest to us. I don’t think I’m exaggerating. That’s all the first half of life can do.

It’s clear that if someone wants to be elected to a political office in the United States or any country, all they need to do is assure people of safety. Bill Plotkin, who’s been such a wonderful influence on so many people in recent decades, speaks of the first half of life as our survival dance, and the second half of life as our sacred dance. Most people never get beyond their survival dance. It’s just identity questions, boundary questions, superiority questions, and security questions. We would call them ego questions, but they’re not questions of the soul.

The soul moves beyond questions of security and importance because it has discovered that it is absolutely important to do so.” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation

To discover and live into the sacred dance that God has for us requires giving ourselves permission to consider the deeper ‘soul’ questions that lie before us. I need help doing that. That’s why I go to a spiritual director and am always on the lookout for soul friends, those who know there’s more to the spiritual life than they are experiencing. I need help getting to where God wants me to go and to be who God created me to be. Bet you do too.

I love it when people sign on to do spiritual direction or ask how they can find a spiritual director. So, give me a holler if you’re feeling that kind of tug on your life.

1. If you want to understand ‘deconstruction’ watch the movie “Dirty Dancing”. It’s all about ‘change’. That’s the backdrop. Something esteemed and valued is being forced to start changing. It’s joyful for some and it breaks the heart of many. In the religious life, it’s a necessary part of the journey. As is reconstruction. And it all takes time, effort, and intentionality.

2. When Jesus asked to see a Roman denarii (with Caesar’s image front and center)) and then said, “Give back to Caesar, what is Caesars and to God what is God’s” he ruffled the feathers of both the religious types and the political crowd. In effect he was saying “Don’t confuse the rule of Caesar with the rule of God. They are not the same. Pay your taxes as Rome decrees. But don’t make the mistake of making Caesar into a deity, even if he insists he is. That’s a fool’s errand.

Jesus had this uncanny ability to tick people off, especially those who were full of themselves. He still tried to teach them but he refused to suck up to them.

1. “Don’t try to win over the haters. You are not a jackass whisperer.” ~ Scott Stratten

I’ve learned this the hard way over the years.

1. The late, great Mike Yaconelli was once asked about his go-to spiritual gift. He said, “That’s easy. Crap detecting, I have the spiritual gift of crap detecting.”

There are moments when I think I have that gift too. Thus, the Rumblings.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 02-03-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 37 – John 1:14-18 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Creativity is important for your heart, mind and your whole body. But we don’t often incorporate creativity into our everyday lives. Melinda Schmidt makes a return appearance on the podcast as we delve into this important topic and give suggestions of how you can connect with creativity in surprising ways, maybe ways you are already but you didn’t put in the creative category! And check out the links below for a variety of creative websites for inspiration and classes and for art supplies along with a link to the podcast Melinda mentioned by Amy Latta.

Follow Melinda on Instagram

• Amy Latta website
• Amy Latta podcast episode

Follow Anita on social media:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Other links from this episode:

• Everything Art Mixed Media Art Classes
• Hand Lettering and other art classes with Willa Wanders
• Scrapbook.com
• joggles.com
• Dick Blick
• Stencil Girl
• Liz Gilbert’s book Big Magic

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 351 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below.

Rumblings 1.27.23

1. “Turn our lives around, God. Help us to identify in ourselves those parts of us that need to change if we are to experience your joy. Too long we have been hiding in the shadows, reluctant to express our faith. Too long we have shunned the light, afraid of what might be exposed. Too long we have avoided people with whom we have a quarrel, refusing to build bridges across our differences. Save us from ourselves so that we may enjoy your realm. In Jesus’ name.” Amen. ~ Prayer of Confession, Church of the Palms, Sarasota

2. “I think about things I love … birds, trees, wetlands, forested mountains, coral reefs, my grandchildren … and I see the bulldozers and smokestacks and tanks on the horizon. And so, because I love, I am angry. Really angry. And if you’re not angry, I think you should check your pulse, because if your heart beats in love for something, someone, anything … you’ll be angry when it’s harmed or threatened…when I or someone I love is in the company of insult, injustice, injury, degradation, or threat, anger awakens. It tells me to change my posture or position; it demands I address the threat…

Anger does its work. It prompts us to action, for better or worse. With time and practice, we can let the reflexive reactions of fight/flight/freeze, mirroring, and judging pass by like unwanted items on a conveyor belt. Also, with practice, we can make space for creative actions to be prompted by our anger … actions that are in tune with the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22) … actions that overcome evil with good and bring healing instead of hate.

So, yes, you bet I’m angry. It’s a source of my creativity. It’s a vaccination against apathy and complacency. It’s a gift that can be abused—or wisely used. Yes, it’s a temptation, but it’s also a resource and an opportunity, as unavoidable and necessary as pain. It’s part of the gift of being human and being alive.” ~ Brian McLaren

When I’m perturbed and when anger rises up I have to be careful. How do I make that anger redemptive? Is it rooted in a ‘holy discontent’ or just one of my moods? There’s a difference. A big difference. My response is different.

In the face of dramatic wrongdoing and pure hate in our world it would be easy to either overreact or to just ignore what’s going on in our world. Overreaction isn’t particularly redemptive. And if I just ignored what is going on I’d have to twist myself into a moral pretzel to defend and justify some really awful things and people. I know too many who have done just that and they’ve become a shadow of who they used to be.

McLaren is right. Seeing anger as an opportunity and resource takes us down a much better path. It doesn’t mean our response won’t have some bite to it. It just means our anger will be fueled by our desire to make our discontent, holy.

1. We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. ~ Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

This particular book has touched the lives of many and Frankl’s take on “the last of the human freedoms” has shaped me in all kinds of wonderful and challenging ways.

1. In Florida, AP Black History is on the chopping block. The DeSantis crowd wants nothing less than curriculums that don’t intrude upon the fairy tale takes on history white people favor. DeSantis and cronies seemingly care very little about the dissonance that occurs in the lives of Black students when their history is dismissed because White people feel threatened.

2. I saw that a big time evangelical conference just signed their last speaker. The publicity commended the size of his congregation, the media network he oversees, and the books he has written and sold.

Whoopee.

It strikes me as odd that the evangelical church still hypes the very things that got them in so much trouble in recent years.

1. “We yearn for intimacy, belonging, significance, transformation, power, and eternity. This longing is written in capital letters onto the emptiness of our souls, the pain of our lives, the struggle of our relationships, and the strife of our shattered communities.” ~ Trevor Hudson

I believe this. I believe there is a whole lot of emptiness in our world. I think that’s why I admire those who keep seeking all the best God has for them and even when that seeking looks messy.

I have a soft spot in my heart for those who are honestly deconstructing their faith in the hope of building it back up but perhaps in a very different container. They’re questioning the institutions that once nurtured them and the professional Christians who gave way too many simplistic answers. They are reading authors who were once considered taboo. And they’re fuming a bit about the form of Christianity that emboldens white nationalism. Working through all that takes time. I think there is something holy about those who dare to do this kind of hard work. I have to believe that God will honor their search.

Faith requires movement. The questions we ask matter. Our doubts can be disturbing to some, but not to God.

1. Our basic desire should be to “walk and talk” with God and then find ways to do just that very thing. When our desire doesn’t lead to finding a ways and means to achieve it, then we will rightfully be labeled a fake and a phony.

2. One day, on their way from here to there, the Master told his disciples this parable. “In the home and office of two influential men, classified documents were found. Those documents should not have been there. One went afoul of the law because of his sloppiness, the other was deliberate in his intentions. The one who was deliberate became belligerent, doubled down on making a fuss, fought like mad to hold on to the documents and the authorities were forced to conduct a raid to obtain them. The other man, despite being horribly embarrassed about his sloppiness, did not make a fuss and cooperated with the process to get those documents back where they belonged.

Which man took the nobler path?”

The disciples pondered this and said: “Master, the one who cooperated despite his embarrassment.”

“Yes, the embarrassment means he was paying attention to his conscience. His cooperation means he was trying to right a wrong.”

1. “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – René Descartes

Why would we ever want to deny access to anyone who wants to be part of this centuries long conversation? I know the answer. It’s fear. There are folks who will do anything to keep their world from being rocked.

The good news is there’s more of us who know our world actually needs rocking. Can I get an ‘amen’?

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 01-27-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 36 – Luke 2:43-51 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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K.J. Ramsey pays Faith Conversations a return visit to talk about her new book The Book of Common Courage: Prayers and Poems to Find Strength in Small Moments. It is an invitation to a journey, word by word, through Psalm 23. It’s all about how the Good Shepherd is with you and for you, even in life’s valleys. I’m a fan of the book because of the poetry and the beautiful photography included, not to mention the thoughtful, heartfelt prayers.

Here is where you can find K.J. Ramsey on social media:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post K.J. Ramsey – episode 350 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.20.23

1. “Not all prophets do as they are told. Not at first, anyway. When the call comes, most of them turn left and then right: “Who, me?” they murmur. If the call is a true one, the voice of the Holy Spirit will roar: “Yes, you!”” ~ Mirabai Starr

I like to believe there’s a bit of the prophet in all of us. Don’t we all have that ‘voice’ inside of us that pops up every now and then and asks us to say or do something that makes us and others a bit uncomfortable? That could be a pivot point moment, inviting us to be brave. Why would we dismiss it?

1. “Saints are those who wake up while in this world, instead of waiting for the next one. Francis of Assisi, William Wilberforce, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Harriet Tubman didn’t feel superior to anyone else; they just knew they had been let in on a big divine secret, and they wanted to do their part in revealing it.” ~ Richard Rohr

That’s my desire too. I want to be part of the big, divine secret ‘reveal’.

1. “Teacher, what does it mean to work on yourself?

It is to stop waiting for others to change.” ~ Unknown

1. When Jesus invited himself over to Zacchaeus’s house, scripture tells us that “all the people saw this and began to mutter, he has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

There’s a lot of muttering that goes on in religious circles. Lots of it is about who’s in and who’s out. Or who’s right and who’s not.

Jesus pretty much ignored the muttering. He didn’t have time for petty religious games. He knew full well who this tax collector was. Simply put, Zaccheus was but a ‘sinful man seeking’. And Jesus wanted him to find what he was looking for.

1. “Do not mess with librarians. The inner strength required to meticulously care for history’s greatest works of literature and then just let total strangers borrow them willy-nilly is Jedi level stuff.” ~ Jonathan Edward Durham

Without the library in Superior, Wisconsin where I was born and raised I would not be the man I am today. The librarians encouraged me to read and someway, somehow got a 10 year old access to the adult stacks.

1. The Sarasota Herald Tribune posted an article about all the changes occurring in our state as a result of its radical and unsettling swing to the far right. In particular, the article focused on the tremendous pressures being brought to bear on the LBGTQ+ community. Many are leaving the state, looking for a safer climate in which to raise a family. One woman said: “Yes, we live in paradise, but I can’t wait to get the hell out.” Another said that “For the safety of our kids, I think we just have to get out now. Choosing to stay would be choosing to struggle every day, but I am heartbroken about the move.”

I get it. Life is hard enough without having to continually watch your back and fear for the safety of your children.

What galls me about this swing to the authoritarian right is that it’s being fueled by a subset of Christians who appear to be quite OK with serving a caricature of Jesus and reading a Bible without any red letters in it. They make it hard for those of us who take the real Jesus quite seriously and are keen on understanding and applying His message.

1. As a spiritual director I struggle at times explaining what it’s all about. With a nod to Eugene Peterson I’m beginning to describe it as “a long conversation in the same direction.” And the purpose of that conversation is to help someone figure out how best to walk and talk with God.

2. “Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.

Where there is apathy, let me provoke;

Where there is compliance, let me bring questioning.

Where there is silence, may I be a voice.

Where there is too much comfort and too little action, grant disruption.

Where there are doors closed and hearts locked, Grant the willingness to listen.

When laws dictate and pain is overlooked… When tradition speaks louder than need…

Grant that I may seek rather to do justice than to talk about it;

Disturb us, O Lord. To be with, as well as for, the alienated; to love the unlovable as well as the lovely; Lord, make me a channel of disturbance.”~Author Unknown

This is not a prayer for the faint hearted is it? Nope, not at all. It’s a prayer of confession, a prayer of desire, a prayer for help and a rallying cry for those who believe making a difference makes a difference.

I think of pastors today who want to be difference makers but are terrified that they’ll be eaten alive by congregants if they have opinions that align with Jesus but not MAGAworld. Of course pastors in more progressive churches also have congregants who are quick to squeal if he/she takes a stand that runs contrary to their particular liberal leanings.

Being a difference maker is sometimes a no-win proposition.

Pray for them please. Stand up for them.

1. “Where do we go from here—chaos or community?” Martin Luther King, Jr.

Unfortunately, we seem to be growing more at peace with chaos. Sad, isn’t it? Until we lean into and embrace our need for the beloved community King believed was possible, chaos will continue to dull our senses and steal our dreams. King really believed that we are “all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

I believe that too.

1. Tell me about your most recent conversion experience. Not that one from long ago. I want your freshest memory of when you wanted to say “no” but instead said “yes”, when you chose the narrow path, not the wide road, and when you trusted God instead of your fears. Yah, tell me that story. That’s the one I need to hear from you. I need that ‘witness’. I want to know about your scars and your defeats and about that moment when you wanted to give up but then God lifted you up.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 01-20-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 35 – Matthew 2:13-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Our spiritual lives are deeply connected to bread, says Kendall Vanderslice, my guest this week on the podcast. She goes on to say that bread is central to God’s story and your story, too. Her latest book, By Bread Alone: A Baker’s Reflections on Hunger, Longing and the Goodness of God, is part memoir, part theology, and loaded with stories about how we are created for community and in the community of faith, that means we often come together around the table. It is a delightful and insightful conversation.

Find Kendall Vanderslice in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Kendall Vanderslice – episode 349 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.13.23

1. Eugene Peterson, author of The Message, was featured in one of the daily offerings of the Center for Action and Contemplation this week. The focus was Jeremiah 12. Peterson offered a pithy, imaginative look at God challenging the prophet, followed by a short, insightful, commentary.

“Life is difficult, Jeremiah. Are you going to quit at the first wave of opposition? .… Are you going to live cautiously or courageously? I called you to live at your best, to pursue righteousness, to sustain a drive toward excellence. It is easier, I know, to be neurotic. It is easier to be parasitic. It is easier to relax in the embracing arms of The Average. Easier, but not better. Easier, but not more significant. Easier, but not more fulfilling. I called you to a life of purpose far beyond what you think yourself capable of living and promised you adequate strength to fulfill your destiny. Now at the first sign of difficulty you are ready to quit. If you are fatigued by this run-of-the-mill crowd of apathetic mediocrities, what will you do when the real race starts, the race with the swift and determined horses of excellence? What is it you really want, Jeremiah, do you want to shuffle along with this crowd, or run with the horses?.…

It is unlikely, I think, that Jeremiah was spontaneous or quick in his reply to God’s question. The ecstatic ideals for a new life had been splattered with the world’s cynicism. The euphoric impetus of youthful enthusiasm no longer carried him. He weighed the options. He counted the cost. He tossed and turned in hesitation. The response when it came was not verbal but biographical. His life became his answer, “I’ll run with the horses.””

His life became his answer. Yah, that’s the golden ticket.

2. “Never once did Jesus scan the room for the best example of holy living and send that person out to tell others about him. He always sent the stumblers and sinners. I find that comforting.” Nadia Bolz-Weber

So do I. There’s hope for me yet.

1. Every six months or so I feel compelled to share this simple, sage advice.

“You’re not God.

This isn’t heaven.

Don’t be an ass.” ~ John O’Malley SJ

1. What ails us as a country?

I’m pretty convinced we’ve persuaded ourselves to believe that character doesn’t matter all that much anymore.

1. Amidst the chaos of the GOP’s attempt to find a speaker last week a sane voice of reason emerged. Unfortunately for them it wasn’t one of their own. It was the Democrat, Hakeem Jeffries, who was the breath of fresh air. He made sure that everyone knows what his side of the aisle believes in.

“We’ll always put American values over autocracy, benevolence over bigotry, the constitution over the cult, democracy over demagogues, economic opportunity over extremism, freedom over fascism. Governing over gaslighting, hopefulness over hatred, inclusion over isolation, justice over judicial overreach, knowledge over kangaroo courts, liberty over limitation, maturity over Mar-a-Lago, normalcy over negativity, opportunity over obstruction, people over politics, quality of life issues over Qanon, reason over racism, substance over slander, triumph over tyranny, understanding over ugliness, voting rights over voter suppression, working families over the well-connected, xenial over xenophobia, ‘yes we can’ over ‘you can’t do it’ and zealous representation over zero sum confrontation.”

“Maturity over Mar-a-Lago.” Perfect.

1. “Religious idolatry for us Christians, at its core, is when we love our beliefs about God and people more than we actually love God and people.” Rev. Benjamin Cremer

“If the truth makes you uncomfortable, don’t blame the truth. Blame the lie that made you comfortable.” ~ Unknown

“The purpose of prayer and religious seeking is to see the truth about Reality, to see what is. And at the bottom of what is – is always goodness. The foundation is always love. Here is a mantra that we might repeat throughout our day: “God’s life is living itself in me. I am aware of life living itself in me.” ~ Richard Rohr

7.“Do not be too quick to assume your enemy is a savage just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy because he thinks you are a savage. Or perhaps he is afraid of you because he feels that you are afraid of him. And perhaps if he believed you were capable of loving him he would no longer be your enemy.” Thomas Merton. New Seeds of Contemplation

1. “All human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret.” ~ Gabriel García Márquez

All three need to be taken seriously, right? They need to be looked at and examined. Sometimes that examination can feel like we’re waltzing through a minefield or sailing through heavy seas. But if that’s where the journey takes us that’s where we need to be. “The unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates once wrote. Everything in me says he’s right.

1. “Never fight until you have to. But when it’s time to fight, you fight like you’re the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s Ark and it just started raining. ~ Christopher Woods

I don’t think you want to arrive in heaven with no scars because that would mean you found nothing worth fighting for. Fight hard and righteously for what really matters. Walk away when you’re just trying to fight for the sake of fighting.

1. Here’s my best piece of advice. “Today, give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of God.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 01-13-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 34 – Matthew 2:7-12 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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The pandemic, continued racial trauma, and economic uncertainty. That is just a short list that has many of us asking where do we go from here? My guest, Joni Sancken, says the griefs of this time have revealed difficult truths about the wounds we carry, and the damage of these traumas has affected every part of our lives together. Many are also asking where does the church go from here? This is an engaging conversation covering a lot of territory. Joni Sancken’s book, All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding With Resilience After Collective Trauma, is well worth reading and pondering. Our conversation on this weeks podcast will give you a glimpse into her book.

Find Joni S. Sancken in the following places:

• United Theological Seminary
• Facebook

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Joni S. Sancken – episode 348 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.6.23

1. As I think about the upcoming House of Representatives investigations featuring the always angry and character challenged members of the Freedom Caucus, and their election-denying, MAGA allies, I am reminded of the words of TV President Josiah Bartlet (West Wing): “Your indignation would be a lot more interesting to me if it wasn’t quite so covered in crap.”

We’re going to witness a whole lot of the theater of the absurd over the next two years. What we’ve witnessed this week is but a scary, sneak preview. I pray what’s coming won’t completely rot our souls nor further damage our Republic. Cuz right now I can smell the rot and eyeball the existing damage. And it smells putrid and it looks really awful.

1. “Your enemy is not the refugee. Your enemy is the one who made him a refugee.”~ Tariq Ramadan

If you’re all hot and bothered and wanting to storm the border and drive all ‘those people’ back where they came from, think again. You’re waging a war against the wrong people.

It’s been said that when we see people drowning in a river, rescuing them is an immediate priority. Then we need to go upriver to see who’s throwing them in. That’s where the problem resides. That’s where the remedy has to be applied.

1. “We remember the sacred by our reverence. . . . This is the esteem we extend to the reality revealed to us. Jesus didn’t abandon his reality, he lived it. He ran away from nothing and sought some wise path through everything. He engaged in it all with acceptance. He had an eye out always for cherishing his reality. A homie, Leo, wrote me: “I’m going to trust God’s constancy of love to hover over my crazy ass. I’m fervent in my efforts to cultivate holy desires.” …” ~ Greg Boyle SJ

Let’s all be fervent in our efforts to cultivate holy desires.

1. From satirist Dave Barry’s 2022 Year in Review.

“Millions of Americans on social media realized — it took them a while, but they finally got there — that nobody wants to know how they did on Wordle.”

“America faced three major crises: spiking covid-19 cases, soaring inflation and an alarming surge in the number of people who think it’s okay to hold loud FaceTime conversations in public.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court, in what legal experts view as evidence of a shift to the right, rules that all previous court decisions were wrong.”

1. I feel more secure and grounded whenever I read words like this penned by Ilia Didio. “Jesus knew of the deeper truth hidden beneath the surface of human judgment, namely that this broken, anxious world is oozing with God. He asked us to have faith, to believe that the reign of God is among us and within us.”

And the reign of God doesn’t need the false security of any of the crazy things we are being asked to endorse and endure these days. Our job is to seek first the authentic “Kingdom of God.” That’s where the action is.

And then we fight like mad, courageously, faithfully, and non-violently, to stem the tidal wave of ‘stupid’ threatening us. I like what Angela Davis says: “I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

1. “At my age, I want to be helpful and do more, but I just don’t have the physical energy to do all I used to do and still want to do. I need to trust that while there may be less of me, there will be more of Christ… I am coming to believe that Jesus invites us to be “born again” in every season of life, perhaps especially in our senior years.” ~ Alice Fryling,” Aging Faithfully: The Holy Invitation of Growing Older”

This reminds me that even as I age that God isn’t done with me yet. I may not have the same strength and vigor I once had but I have enough. And I have a hunch that what happens next just might end up being the most impactful time of my life. “Less of me, more of Christ” is a fitting mantra for me going forward. Being born again, and again – makes all the sense in the world for any of us who are intentional about our pilgrimage through life.

1. “Several years ago, I invited a Buddhist monk to speak to my Senior elective class, and quite interestingly, as he entered the room, he didn’t say a word.

He just walked to the board and wrote this: “EVERYONE WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO HELP MOM DO THE DISHES.” We all laughed.

But then he went on to say this to my students: “Statistically, it’s highly unlikely that any of you will ever have the opportunity to run into a burning orphanage and rescue an infant. But, in the smallest gesture of kindness — a warm smile, holding the door for the person behind you, shoveling the driveway of the elderly person next door — you have committed an act of immeasurable profundity, because to each of us, our life is our universe.” ~ John Perricone

In whatever way possible let’s strive to be difference makers.

1. I’ve spent the past few years educating myself about matters of race and culture. What did I find? Quite a bit actually. One very obvious thing stands out. Around every corner, down every dark hallway, during every time period, I discovered the prevalence of the lie that states ‘A white America is a better America.’

Of course, when you embrace a lie like this an entire system of marginalizing, demonizing, obstructing, enslaving and even killing non-white people had to be developed. And a narrative had to be created to justify those actions.

That system and narrative, over time, became normative, turned into policy and codified into law.”

We are still dealing with the lie and the systems (including the church) that enable it and will be for some time to come. It’s deeply embedded in the DNA of our country. Progress has been made of course but “there are miles to go before we sleep.”

“We reap what we sow.”

1. “There is absolutely no salvation without love: this is the wheel in the middle of the wheel. Salvation does not divide. Salvation connects…. It is not the exclusive property of any dogma, creed, or church. It keeps the channel open between oneself and however one wishes to name That which is greater than oneself. It has nothing to do with one’s fortunes or one’s circumstances in one’s passage through this world. It is a mighty fortress, even in the teeth of ruin or at the gates of death.~ James Baldwin

2. My spiritual director told me that “Most people live out their spiritual life in black and white. Then there’s those who choose living color.”

Which one are you?

10.”The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

When we live for the ‘sake of others’, not trying to curry favor or reward, something absolutely wondrous happens to us.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 01-06-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 33 – Luke 2:36-40 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Happy New Year and welcome to the first podcast of 2023! Barb Hill has written a wonderful 52-week devotional that you might want to accompany you through this new year. Barb is a licensed therapist and founder of Holding Space Counseling with a specialty in trauma. She recognizes the importance that faith and mental health play in our lives. I think you’ll appreciate this insightful conversation about Waiting and what it looks like in the various seasons of our lives. Her devotional is titled, Seasons of Waiting.

Find Barb Hill in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Barb Hill – episode 347 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.30.22

1. “John the Baptist is one of my favorite people in scripture. He knew who he wasn’t (I am not the Messiah) & he knew who he was (I am a voice in the wilderness).

Every day I need to get clear in my soul about who I am & who I am not. Otherwise I find myself living a life God never called me to.” ~ Rich Villodas, Pastor New Life Fellowship, Elmhurst, Queens

Who are you? Who are you not meant to be? I’ve floundered the most when I tried to be what I wasn’t.

1. “One of the great surprises is that humans come to full consciousness precisely by shadowboxing, facing their own contradictions, and making friends with their own mistakes and failings. People who have no inner struggles are invariably both superficial and uninteresting. We tend to endure them more than communicate with them, because they have so little to communicate.” ~ Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

“Why do you enjoy being with those people Mike?” I’ve been asked that question. My answer is basically the same each time. “Because they are curious enough to be interesting. They’ve either dealt with or are in the midst of dealing with their stuff.”

1. George Santos, who pretty much fabricated an entire bio, will be seated as a Republican member of Congress in January. No one in GOP leadership is doing anything of substance to stop him. None in his party are saying he’s unfit for office. Surprised? I’m not. Character, although it’s given lip service, doesn’t seem to count very much with that bunch.

It’s always a sad and bad day for America when yet another self-serving liar is seated at the table and starts making decisions about our lives.

Scripture reminds us, however, that “those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Scripture is vague however about the timetable.

1. “Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

The persecution complex of Americans is over the top isn’t it? We are so easily offended and adept at magnifying anything that looks like a slight. Back in the day it was called “making a mountain out of a molehill.” It’s all quite sad and sinful and immature and unnecessary.

1. I always liked that Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s name “Tekakwitha” means “she who bumps into things.” What if holiness is a contact sport and we are meant to bump into things? This is what it means to embrace a contemplative, mystical way of seeing wholeness. It gives a window into complexity and keeps us from judging and scapegoating and demonizing. If we allow ourselves to “bump into things,” then we quit measuring. We cease to Bubble-Wrap ourselves against reality. We stop trying to “homeschool” our way through the world so that the world won’t touch us. It’s hard to embrace the world . . . if we are so protective and defensively shielded from it. A homie told me once, “It’s taken me all these years to see the real world.

And once ya see it—there’s only God there.” ~ Father Greg Boyle S.J. is the Founder of Homeboy Industries, which offers jobs, services, and hope to ex-gang members. He’s always pithy.

Drum roll please. “We cease to Bubble-Wrap ourselves against reality. We stop trying to “homeschool” our way through the world so that the world won’t touch us. …What if holiness is a contact sport and we are meant to bump into things?…”

6. I subscribe to Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter entitled “Letter from an American.” It’s free and it’s very good. Writing about the attempted coup on January 6, she offered this gem that aptly portrays and defines the former president:

“He expressed no concern for those under siege that day, and he did nothing to stop the rioters.”

7. After the January 6 Committee’s report was released, Ron Filipkowski, a former federal prosecutor and Republican, tweeted: “All I can say is that those of us who have lost friends, fought with relatives, resigned positions, been called traitor, left our party, all because we saw very clearly what a con-man, huckster and fraud this man is, have never felt more vindicated.”

Vindication perhaps, but still there’s a hollowness to these kind of victories.

Those who gave their life to all things Trump, for the most part, are still lost in the weeds.

All those evangelical ministers who begged for favor at the White House still have to deal with their willful, grievous sin of idolatry.

All those who yelled at their friends and family members, calling them names and assaulting their patriotism, all because they stood against Trump owe their victims a heartfelt “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

FOX News owes the world a major Mea Maxima Culpa.

All those testifying at the January 6 hearings who took the fifth and declared under oath that “they don’t remember” need to apologize for their willingness to evade and lie in order to aid and abet treasonous activities.

And I can’t help but agree with Liz Cheney who called out her colleagues in Congress for their duplicity in the most searing terms: “There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

They all need to have a personal ‘come to Jesus’ moment. All of them. Every single one of them.

As do I.

For I have done my own share of ranting and finger pointing. My own words have wounded people. I’ve dishonored myself and God.

I resonate with the conflicted Paul when he writes: “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway…”

That is sobering. It makes me want to curl up in an embarrassing ball of yuckiness. But scripture also reminds me that “With God all things are possible.” The Divine knows how to fill the darkness with light.

If only we ask.

I’ll cling to that Divine possibility and pray that all of us who need a “come to Jesus meetup” will actually do so. Perhaps then, after the shame is dealt with and the fleeting high of feeling vindicated diminishes, we’ll move towards unfurling the banner of reconciliation and then the very hard work of living under it can begin.

1. “God needed women for survival. Before Jesus fed us with the bread and the wine, the body and the blood, Jesus himself needed to be fed, by a woman. He needed a woman to say: “This is my body, given for you.” ~ Rachel Held Evans

Don’t try to explain the Incarnation to me! It is further from being explainable than the furthest star in the furthest galaxy. It is love, God’s limitless love enfleshing that love into the form of a human being, Jesus, the Christ, fully human and fully divine. ~ Madeleine L’Engle

1. On Wednesday, my Pray as You Go app, reminded me that it was the Feast of the Innocents. King Herod, threatened by the birth of Jesus, took it upon himself to kill all children Jesus’s age in and around Bethlehem. His murderous disregard for life is still numbing.

It reminds me of all the ways we disregard and diminish life in our world. What immediately came to mind was the callous political maneuvering of the Texas governor who decided to send three bus loads of migrants to Washington D.C., specifically to the neighborhood near the Vice President’s residence and dump them there. It was a stunt pure and simple. There was little or no regard for the safety and welfare of those being transported, including the children.

There is no doubt we have a crisis along our Southern border. It needs fixing. Congress needs to find a remedy. Playing games with innocents is not the remedy. Calling the people at the border ‘names’ is not a remedy. It is cruel. Using people for political gain, who are only trying to find a better life for themselves, is not good governance. It is very Herod-like.

And for those who snicker and giggle and applaud these stealth relocation strategies —- please, grow up. You wouldn’t want to be used like this, would you?

1. “I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” ~ James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

Find a hate filled person and in short order you will discover a pain that has never been faced. Help them fix the pain. Then start talking to them about their hate.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 12-30-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 32 – Luke 2:25-32 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 31 – Luke 1:51-55 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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My good friends Melinda Schmidt and Michelle Van Loon make another appearance on the podcast this week. We are conversation partners in life and our conversations spill out, from time to time, on the podcast. Not that long ago we had a text thread that centered on all the big and sad things going on in the world. On the podcast we talk about how to engage with current events without being buried by the emotion of it. We talk about having curiosity and we end with a fun question from Melinda about our “favorite things.” The movie The Sound of Music is something I watch annually and it’s that time of year. Join in our conversation and invite a friend along!

Here is where to find Michelle’s most recent book, Translating Your Past. And here is where you can find the record we mentioned, Stormy Weekend.

Find Michelle Van Loon in the following places:

• Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

Find Melinda Schmidt in the following places:

• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Melinda Schmidt & Michelle Van Loon – episode 346 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.16.22

1. “Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.” ~ Thoughts Wonder

Your worst moments don’t have to define you. That’s a lesson I’ve struggled to embrace. Now they only haunt me a bit. They no longer imprison me. That’s a good thing. It’s only taken me 70+ years to learn this. Our best moments, too, can trap us. I’ve watched too many people rest on their laurels instead of building upon them.

1. Stephen Colbert, after the Georgia runoff election, quipped that he had a couple of different thoughts about the outcome: “Gratified, because Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker, 51.4 percent to 48.6 percent, and terrified, because 48.6 percent of Georgians looked at Herschel Walker and went, ‘Yeah, that guy should be a U.S. senator.’”

Even some (not enough) Republicans in high places are starting to admit that the quality of their candidates leaves much to be desired. My take is that as long as they cower in fear every time Trump’s shadow passes over them nothing will change. They’ll just keep churning out one bad candidate after another. Our democracy suffers when that happens.

It’s very sad to see a political party that continually trumpets their love of virtue continually lacking the will power to actually be virtuous.

1. Comedian Trevor Noah has bid adieu to “The Daily Show” after seven years as host. In his final appearance, Noah thanked his fans and gave a “special’ shoutout saying, “If you truly want to learn about America, talk to Black women.”

Currently, I’m in a book club with several Black women. Their insights about America come from places I’ve never inhabited and never will. I’m the richer for knowing and listening to them.

1. “It’s a universal law – intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill- educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education, breeds humility.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Hard to argue with him. He’s spot on.

Intolerance has been found in faith circles ever since there was a thing called faith. In some circumstances an inadequate discipleship system produced a whole lot of church folks who were ready and waiting to settle for a caricature of Jesus, who somehow became a belligerent, fractious, culture warrior. That Jesus is A-OK with arrogance and is not all that fond of humility.

It’s not the real Jesus.

I’m thankful for those who know the difference between real and fake.

1. Me: “Jesus, what’s the plan for carrying on your work?”

Jesus: “You are, and all the others who say they love me.”

Me (chuckling): “What if that plan doesn’t work?”

Jesus: “It’s got to. It’s the only plan I’ve got.”

1. “Kids were going through our programs and still ending up on the street. . . . They were still just one step from being hurt or even killed by a drug dealer or pimp. That is when I was forced to change. I started feeling helpless, and my confidence was shattered. All that I was left with was faith . . . [and] trust that I was where God was calling me to be.

As a result of the crisis I underwent, my work evolved from a highly praised, solution-oriented, and evidence-based practice into something much more intuitive. It really moved into prayer. And when I say prayer, I don’t necessarily mean that I was saying prayers with people. Instead, I started showing up for every person who needed my help in the same way that I was showing up for prayer. Gathering all my knowledge and tools and entrusting them to God. Saying to God, “I think you’re calling me to do something here. This is what I come with. I offer it to you. Take it. Change it. Make it useful. Because I feel so small and useless here.” ~ Adam Bucko, Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation

Humility is a strength. Admitting something isn’t working is a sign of a good leader. Trusting God is always a very, very good thing.

1. “I often say that a vote is a kind of prayer for the world we desire for ourselves and for our children.” ~ Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock

I find this to be incredibly sobering. It’s a powerful way to look at what casting your vote actually means.

1. “It is not that the Annunciation leads Mary out of doubt and into faith; it is that her encounter with the angel leads her out of certainty and into holy bewilderment. Out of familiar spiritual territory and into a lifetime of pondering, wondering, questioning, and wrestling.” ~ Debie Thomas

I confess to once upon a time being addicted to certainty. The faith I could once upon a time categorize so effortlessly demanded better of me.

As my faith has matured I have rather enjoyed being faced, at times, with a version of holy bewilderment. And I’m OK with that. I like asking questions of my faith and have appreciated the way my faith interrogates all facets of my life. It grows me up. And I have no doubt Mary (who was very brave) had many moments of questioning and wondering. After all, she was human. And her story was strange and hard to believe. I’m sure she had her ‘moments’.

1. “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.”

“We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”

James Baldwin was a force and his work still challenges us. His authenticity might scare you a bit but once you settle into it you realize that he is the kind of writer that offers you the invitation to think, feel, reassess and then act.

Read books my friends. Good ones. Like the ones activists are forcing school boards to ban. When you do you’ll be far less inclined to deny anyone the right to exist.

1. I Feel Sorry for Jesus

by Naomi Shihab Nye

“People won’t leave Him alone.

I know He said, wherever two or more

are gathered in my name…

but I’ll bet some days He regrets it.

Cozily they tell you what He wants

and doesn’t want

as if they just got an e-mail.

Remember ‘Telephone’, that pass-it-on game

where the message changed dramatically

by the time it rounded the circle?

Well.

People blame terrible pieties on Jesus.

They want to be his special pet.

Jesus deserves better.

I think He’s been exhausted

for a very long time.

He went into the desert, friends.

He didn’t go into the pomp.

He didn’t go into

the golden chandeliers

and say, the truth tastes better here.

See? I’m talking like I know.

It’s dangerous talking for Jesus.

You get carried away almost immediately.

I stood in the spot where He was born.

I closed my eyes where He died and didn’t die.

Every twist of the Via Dolorosa

was written on my skin.

And that makes me feel like being silent

for Him, you know? A secret pouch

of listening. You won’t hear me

mention this again.”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 12-16-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 30 – Luke 1:46-50 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I had the most delightful conversation with Bonnie Smith Whitehouse, author of Seasons of Wonder. It’s a 52-week devotional that pulls you in. Whether you have a family or you are an individual going through the devotional alone and engaging with the projects, prayers and reflections, you will grow and expand your understanding of God. There are weekly contemplative activities as well as interactive and transformative practices that connect us to surprise, awe and wonder. Who doesn’t need some of that in their life!

Find Bonnie Smith Whitehouse in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Bonnie Smith Whitehouse – episode 345 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.9.22

1. “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions …faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” ~ James, NLT

Faith in Action is the theme for today’s Rumblings.

1. “The gospel is less about how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven after you die and more about how to live in the Kingdom of Heaven before you die.” ~ Dallas Willard

I’m not sure everyone believes this. In fact, I know they don’t.

Becoming too heavenly minded sometimes can get in the way of actually living out our faith redemptively and creatively in the here and now

1. “… I realize that far too many religious leaders are asking the wrong question. The future of Christianity matters little if there are no human beings, whether we extinct ourselves through war or environmental disaster. We can fix our denominations, bring new members to church, write the best theologies ever—and none of it will matter one whit if we are all dead. The question—“What is the future of Christianity?”—must be held in relation to other questions. Right now, the most significant of those questions is: “What is the future of humankind?”

That is the existential question of our time. All other questions pale by comparison and distract us from hearing the voices of God, the earth, and other creatures with the kind of rigor and compassion necessary for the living of these particular days. To me, the question about the future of Christianity has become: “What must Christians do to serve all creation when the island itself is in danger of sinking?” ~ Diana Butler Bass

I think we often forget the stewardship role God asks us to play in this world. Our vision for our life can become far too small. We can find ourselves piddling around in things that really don’t matter all that much. Creation care is not inconsequential. It’s not liberal propaganda. Rather, it is of divine importance because it matters to God. It behooves us not to neglect it. Quite simply it would be sinful to do so.

1. Anti-semitism and racial bigotry have been in the spotlight recently. To stand firmly and unequivocally against such things is a very, consequential action. If we don’t stand firmly and against what is obviously sinful can we really say we belong to God? If we continue to support, even silently, those who have shown they’re OK with racial bigotry and anti-semitism we become partners with the haters. We have become the problem.

2. “One doesn’t have to operate with great malice to do great harm. The absence of empathy and understanding are sufficient. In fact, a man convinced of his virtue even in the midst of his vice is the worst kind of man. There is no wrong time to do the right thing.” ~ Charles Blow, Op Ed columnist for the NY Times

“ . . .a man convinced of his virtue even in the midst of his vice is the worst kind of man.” We’ve had to live with this kind of man for a while now haven’t we? It’s been kind of a ‘sucky’ time. And he’s given a platform to other suspect characters who believe doing the wrong thing is commendable. It’s not.

1. I’m thinking our country might need our own version of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The ongoing divides in our country and the hurts that they have given birth to have caused deep pain to individuals and to the collective. In order to heal, wrongs need to be righted, the truth must be told, and forgiveness must be asked for and received.

Righting wrongs requires a deep desire to make it happen. Do we have that desire? Do we even desire to long for it?

Truth isn’t really all that elusive even though we pretend it is. I have a hunch the bright shiny lights of deceit keep us from even looking for truth. That’s a disservice to ourselves and others.

It’s hard to ask for forgiveness if you think everyone else is wrong. And if you think forgiveness is for sissies everything gets derailed.

1. Our life is not our own; yet, at some level, enlightened people know that their life has been given to them as a sacred trust. They live in gratitude and confidence, and they try to let the flow continue through them. ~ Richard Rohr

The meme from St. Alban’s Episcopal Church suggests, “We are all innkeepers who decide if there is room for Jesus.”

There’s always a decision to be made. Sometimes, those decisions are very hard. They cost us something. Making choices that are hard and costly shape us in ways that the easy choices can’t.

1. I could live in a way that bothered no one’s sensibilities. I could choose never to bother to challenge someone else’s point of view and utter nothing that bordered on controversial. But what kind of life would that be for me? Perhaps less stressful but I’d know I’d be out of step with the ‘me’ God created.

I fully recognize that there are people who do choose a quieter way of service to their God. In their own way, I’ve discovered, they too are controversial. Their type of witness is not always appreciated.

There’s no one right way to carry out God’s call on our lives. Each way, I’ve found, brings great joy and its own sorrow.

“To thine own self be true” the playwright counsels. “Just do it” the shoe company advises. And the scripture reminds us that we are being cheered on by a great “cloud of witnesses.”

Live large, put your faith to work with love and compassion, and remember – you’re never alone.

1. “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard.

Each harms us and others. Where have you been fooled? Are you ashamed to admit it? Are you ever afraid to go against the flow of your crowd and admit that the version of ‘group think’ you’re involved with is crazy? If not, how will you find peace?

1. “Friends, in today’s Gospel (Matthew 18), Jesus asks: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” Well, of course not! No self-respecting shepherd would ever think of doing that. If you were a shepherd, you’d cut your losses. That sheep is probably dead anyway if it wandered far enough away.

But we are to understand that God is like that foolish shepherd. God’s love throws caution to the wind to seek out the lost sheep. We might expect God to be good to those who are good and kind to those who follow his commandments. Those who don’t, who wander away, are simply lost … No, God is like this kooky shepherd. God loves irrationally, exuberantly risking it all in order to find the one who wandered away. What good news: God does not love according to a strict justice on our terms, but loves in his own extravagant way.” ~ Bishop Robert Barron

May we all learn to love in extravagant ways. May we all become that “kooky shepherd”. Let’s be on the lookout for the wanderer. Let’s learn to err on the side of grace, welcoming any and all to our table.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 12-09-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 29 – Luke 1:13-15a, 18-20 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Sherrill Knezel is a fascinating and gifted person. She is a graphic recorder, an illustrator and an art educator in Wauwatosa, Wisc. Parker Palmer is an author, educator and activist and one of his most well known books is Let Your Life Speak. It is over 20 years old and Sherrill Knezel is giving us a brand new way of accessing this timeless book through a book of her own titled, Heart Speak: A Visual Interpretation of Let Your Life Speak. She takes us on a journey alongside Parker Palmer’s classic with amazing illustrations and her thoughtful writing to go with it. I’ve been using it as a daily practice of writing and responding to Sherrill’s questions meant for pondering and journaling. I hope you’ll take a listen to this weeks conversation.

Find Sherrill in the following places:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Sherrill Knezel – episode 344 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 12.2.22

1. “In retrospect Sandy Hook marked the end of the US gun control debate …once America decided killing children was bearable, it was over.” ~ Dan Hodges, British Journalist. NY Times

“Across the country, openly carrying a gun in public is no longer just an exercise in self-defense — increasingly it is a soapbox for elevating one’s voice and, just as often, quieting someone else’s…to intimidate opponents and shut down debate” ~ Mike McIntire, NY Times

All this is horrifyingly true. It’s quite clear the collective, moral will needed to fix the problem of gun violence doesn’t exist. That’s probably because we’re too busy saying ‘whatever’.

1. “For centuries, Christianity has presented itself as an “organized religion”—a change-averse institution . . . that protects and promotes a timeless system of beliefs that were handed down fully formed in the past. Yet Christianity’s actual history is a story of change and adaptation. We Christians have repeatedly adapted our message, methods, and mission to the contours of our time. What might happen if we understand the core Christian ethos as creative, constructive, and forward-leaning—as an “organizing religion” that challenges all institutions (including its own) to learn, grow, and mature toward a deepening, enduring vision of reconciliation with God, self, neighbor, enemy, and creation?” ~ Brian McLaren

Organizing religion vs organized religion. Discuss.

1. “Teaching children about the existence and inherent worth of LGBTQ people isn’t grooming them, teaching them to blindly hate LGBTQ people is.” ~ Jon Pavlovitz

In Florida where I live ‘grooming’ is a word that our Governor just loves to use. I’m beginning to realize that it is code for sic ‘em.

1. I have to be honest about something. You know the whole ‘crypto currency’ thing? There’s nothing about it that I find understandable.

2. “Why Pray? Why should I spend an hour in prayer when I do nothing during that time but think about people I am angry with, people who are angry with me, books I should read, and books I should write, and thousands of other silly things that happen to grab my mind for a moment?

The answer is: because God is greater than my mind and my heart and what is really happening in the house of prayer is not measurable in terms of human success and failure.

What I must do first of all is to be faithful. If I believe that the first commandment is to love God with my whole heart, mind, and soul, then I should at least be able to spend one hour a day with nobody else but God. The question as to whether it is helpful, useful, practical, or fruitful is completely irrelevant, since the only reason to love is love itself. Everything else is secondary.

The remarkable thing, however, is that sitting in the presence of God …day after day, week after week, month after month …radically changes my life. God, who loves me so much that he sent his only son not to condemn me but to save me, does not leave me waiting in the dark too long… I gradually realize that … a very small, gentle voice has been speaking to me far beyond my noisy place.” ~ Henri Nouwen

Love this “A very small, gentle voice has been speaking to me.”

We’re never alone.

“God comes to us like the sun in the morning—when it is time.” ~ Carlo Carretto, The God Who Comes

1. “The words “gratitude” and “grace” come from the same root word, gratia in Latin. . . . “Grace” is a theological word, one with profound spiritual meaning. Grace means “unmerited favor.” When I think of grace, I particularly like the image of God tossing gifts around—a sort of indiscriminate giver of sustenance, joy, love, and pleasure. Grace—gifts given without being earned and with no expectation of return—is, as the old hymn says, amazing. Because you can neither earn nor pay back the gift, your heart fills with gratitude. And the power of that emotion transforms the way you see the world and experience life. Grace begets gratitude, which, in turn, widens our hearts toward greater goodness and love.” ~ Diana Butler Bass

2. “Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the airplane, the pessimist the parachute.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

I’m well aware of my cautious tendencies and the streak of pessimism that can sometimes mess with me. My wife, an optimist, counsels me not to linger too long with pessimism nor to use caution as an excuse to procrastinate. She says that they have rarely served me well. She’s not wrong.

1. That space between stimulus and response – that’s where the action is. It’s where you can gather yourself, take a deep breath, say a prayer, and calculate a proper response. Sometimes, all we have is a few seconds. Some days, we have hours. But that space is available to us. Using it wisely might diminish the likelihood of doing or saying something stupid.

2. “Angertainment.” Don’t know who coined the word but it’s a good one. The House GOP has already signaled that we should buckle up ‘cuz angertainment is what they’re bringing to the table in January. Can’t blame them really. It’s all they’ve got. And if their media buddies at FOX decide to go along for the ride (why wouldn’t they) we’re in for a sneak peek at what play time in hell is like. Lucky us.

3. “There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” ~ Will Rogers

Curiosity is both cultivated and curtailed in a variety of interesting ways, huh?

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 12-02-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address producer@anitalustrea.com.

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 28 – Matthew 1:18-23 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-25-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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Lore Ferguson Wilbert is an author and has written for Christianity Today, Fathom magazine and She Reads Truth. Her book A Curious Faith is the subject of our conversation on this week’s podcast. The subtitle really drew me in: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone...

The post Lore Ferguson Wilbert – episode 343 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-18-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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It’s conversation group on Faith Conversations! Melinda Schmidt, former radio host, and Michelle Van Loon, author and speaker, join me to talk about some interesting topics. What movies or TV series do you watch over and over? We also tackle whether you find it easier or harder to hope...

The post Melinda Schmidt & Michelle Van Loon – episode 342 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-11-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 25 – John 10:1-10 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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During the global pandemic two gifted women in NYC connected to write meaningful liturgies for their church. What began as an exercise in helping their local church community give voice to the feelings of pain and longing in their city as it became ground zero for this frightening pandemic,...

The post Audrey Elledge & Elizabeth Moore – episode 341 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 11-04-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 24 – Ephesians 4:25-32 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I love the season of Advent! If you like to use an advent devotional to companion you through this season, I have two wonderful options for you. This week on Faith Conversations I talk with Bette Dickinson, author of Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder, as...

The post Bette Dickinson & Joanna Harader – episode 340 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-28-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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Do the stresses and anxieties of life sometimes make you feel as if you can’t breathe? Or maybe you find it difficult to pray when worry and fear are overwhelming your mind. Jennifer Tucker joins me on this episode of Faith Conversations to talk about Breath As Prayer. In her...

The post Jennifer Tucker – episode 339 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-21-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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Civil War Scholar and Director of Education at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, John Lustrea, joins me on the podcast, along with longtime broadcaster, Melinda Schmidt. We talk about some of the fallout of the Civil War that we still bump up against today. Maybe you’ve been to...

The post John Lustrea & Melinda Schmidt – episode 338 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-14-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 21 – Psalm 63:1-5 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Enneagram expert Marilyn Vancil joins me on the podcast this week. She has written Self to Lose Self to Find as well as the book we focus on in our conversation, Beyond the Enneagram. Her new book is all about the invitation to experience a more centered life with God. Marilyn pairs the...

The post Marilyn Vancil – episode 337 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-07-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 20 – John 15:9-15 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Hi friends! This week on the podcast Mike Murphy joins me and we talk about Hurricane Ian as well as other hurricanes that might enter our lives. We focus on some encouraging breath prayers from the book Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker. There are breath prayers for any circumstance....

The post Mike Murphy & Anita Lustrea – episode 336 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Welcome to the weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and lean into the invitation from God. Feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If you’d like to support this podcast...

The post Lectio Divina 19 – Luke 24:35-43 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m excited to have Father Gregory Boyle and Fabian Debora on the podcast. Both are with Homeboy Industries. Father Boyle is the Founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention program in the world. He is a wonderful communicator and his books have been New York Times bestsellers. This book, Forgive...

The post Gregory Boyle SJ & Fabian Debora – episode 335 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings – 09-23-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 18 – Luke 22:47-53 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Gem Fadling joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about what it looks like to Hold That Thought. That’s the title of her latest book which is all about sorting though the voices in our heads. You know what I’m talking about! Gem says We are not our...

The post Gem Fadling – episode 334 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings – 09-16-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 17 – Luke 20:1-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I”m very excited about the start of Season 8. I actually said season 7 on the podcast…but then went back and counted. Dr. Alison Cook is a favorite guest of mine. She is a brilliant psychologist and writer who reaches over 50,000 women weekly via her blog and podcast. Her...

The post Dr. Alison Cook – episode 333 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If you’d...

The post Lectio Divina 16 – Luke 20:20-26 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If you’d...

The post Lectio Divina 15 – Luke 19:45-48 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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On the podcast this week I invited the conversation group back! The group consists of Melinda Schmidt, Michelle Van Loon and Mark Breta. I have them do a short intro of themselves and I have Michelle talk about her most recent book, Translating Your Past as well as a new online group...

The post Conversation Group 2 – episode 332 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If you’d...

The post Lectio Divina 14 – Luke 13:22-30 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If you’d...

The post Lectio Divina 13 – Luke 12:13-21 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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On this week’s podcast it’s all about Conversation. You might think it is every week, but this week we are modeling what it looks like when everyone brings a topic to keep the conversation going! Melinda Schmidt, Michelle Van Loon, and Mark Breta join me. You’ve heard Melinda and Michelle...

The post Conversation Group – episode 331 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings – 08-12-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is  producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 12 – Luke 7:11-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings – 08-05-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is  producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

The post Lectio Divina 11 – Luke 6:6-11 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Is scripture relevant for now? Melinda Schmidt joins me on the podcast as we answer that question and dig in to thinking more broadly about how that looks? As we look at being deeply formed instead of shallowly formed, what does lament look like? And how to we access...

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 330 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike’s Friday Rumblings – 07-29-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Lectio Podcast Verbiage This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is  producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend...

The post Lectio Divina 10 – Luke 2:22-32 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 07-22-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is  producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it.  If...

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Seismic shifts are underway in the church and one of the important underlying questions on the table is “Will future generations find a church worth fighting for?” Decades-long ministry leader, Nancy Beach, along with her daughter, Samantha Beach Kiley, have penned the recent book Next Sunday:An Honest Dialogue About the...

The post Nancy Beach & Samantha Beach Kiley – episode 329 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 07-15-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If...

The post Lectio Divina 8 – John 5:2-9 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 07-08-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If...

The post Lectio Divina 7 – Matthew 11:28-30 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m delighted to have Trevor Hudson back on the podcast. An ordained minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, he is the author of several books and he is a conference and workshop speaker as well as a retreat leader. In this episode we talk about his latest...

The post Trevor Hudson – episode 328 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 07-01-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. If...

The post Lectio Divina 6 – Matthew 5:13-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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You’ll enjoy this beautiful conversation with K.J. Ramsey. She is honest about her own wilderness which includes spiritual and religious abuse as well as major health challenges. In her new book, The Lord Is My Courage, she walks us through Psalm 23 phrase by phrase. I guarantee that you’ll see that...

The post K.J. Ramsey – episode 327 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is a certainly much food for thought contained...

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 06-24-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is producer@anitalustrea.com.  Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media platforms or tell a friend about this...

The post Lectio Divina 5 – Luke 13:10-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m delighted to have another conversation with Melinda Schmidt on the podcast. This time we talk poetry. We read and discuss a number of poems written by Luci Shaw. All are from her more recent book, The Generosity: Poems. I think you’ll enjoy the conversation and I hope we...

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 326 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider hearing. You may agree or disagree with what he says but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 06-17-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. You can email me at producer@anitalustrea.com. If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music underneath the spiritual practice you can learn more about Steve...

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What are the biggest challenges for people living on the margins these days? On this episode of Faith Conversations I talk with Yolanda Fields. Yolanda is the Executive Director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries and a committed and passionate non-profit and community leader. She started her 20-year career with the East...

The post Yolanda Fields – episode 325 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider hearing. You may agree or disagree with what he says but there is certainly much food for thought contained here....

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 06-10-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. You can email me at producer@anitalustrea.com. If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music underneath the spiritual practice you can learn more about Steve Wick...

The post Lectio Divina – Mark 2:13-17 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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One of my favorite guests, Brian McLaren, is back on the podcast. His latest book, Do I Stay Christian?, is a terrific read. The subtitle lets you know who the book is for. It’s A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned. If we could read the inner thoughts of pastors,...

The post Brian McLaren – episode 324 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider hearing. You may agree or disagree but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike...

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 06-03-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts.  You can email me at producer@anitalustrea.com. If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music underneath the spiritual practice you can learn more at Steve...

The post Lectio Divina 2 – John 1:35-39 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Different generations communicate differently. Every teenager of Gen X parents will tell you that’s a fact! If you are speaking across generations, Pastor Darrell Hall says you need to understand how different generations hear. On this week’s podcast we take a look at generational science through the lens of...

The post Darrell Hall – episode 323 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is an audio version of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider hearing. You may agree or disagree but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike...

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 05-27-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is the first release of what will be weekly Lectio Divina spiritual practice experiences. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. You can email me at producer@anitalustrea.com. If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music underneath the spiritual practice you can...

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Former radio cohost, Melinda Schmidt, joins me on the podcast again as we open up the story of Jesus turning the water into wine in John 2:1-11. Melinda has put together a download of Reflection Questions that you can access as a Word doc or PDF. Melinda is always...

The post Melinda Schmidt – episode 322 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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This is the inaugural episode of Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings.  This has been a column Mike has posted on Fridays on Facebook for years. I decided his words needed a wider hearing. I wanted his Rumblings to be available to those who might not be on Facebook, or who might...

The post Mike Murphy’s Friday Rumblings – 05-20-2022 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Have you ever tried to put yourself in someone else’s shoes? Mary McCampbell joins me on the podcast to talk about Imagining Our Neighbors as Ourselves: How Art Shapes Empathy. McCampbell talks about the collective cultural loss of empathy that is directly related to the inability to imagine the life and...

The post Mary McCampbell – episode 321 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Do you ever ask, “Why does God feel so far away?” Krispin Mayfield says the key to answering that is in your attachment style. When we understand our attachment style, we gain a new paradigm for fostering a secure and loving relationship with God. Krispin Mayfield is a therapist...

The post Krispin Mayfield – episode 320 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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Lori captured this pic during our recording Seven years ago, May 27, me and my team were let go from an amazing career in radio. It’s been a while since we’ve been together. We used to do a specific format on Fridays called Millrose Club. The story of how the...

The post Millrose Club (Melinda, Lori, Mark) – episode 319 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

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I’m delighted to have Joyce Rupp back on the podcast. She is a prolific author and an amazing person. Her life’s work might just be her book and the outworking of it into a series of workshops and retreats all by the name of Boundless Compassion. We talk on the podcast...

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It’s always good to have my husband Mike Murphy join me on the podcast. Our focus is looking back at Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday as we look at that time frame through the eyes of the marginalized as well as though our own eyes. You might want...

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Carolyn Custis James is an important voice for women especially in the evangelical church. I highly recommend all her books. A number of years ago she wrote a book titled Malestrom, a play on the word maelstrom. In this book she was talking about men and how they are also harmed...

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Christine Sine is the founder and facilitator for Godspace, an online community. Some of you might not know that Christine trained as a physician in Australia, practiced in New Zealand, and developed and directed the healthcare ministry for Mercy Ships. Our conversation on this week’s podcast centered on her...

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When you hear the phrase The Slow Way, I don’t know about you, but my heart and my pulse slows down. It’s the name of Micha Boyett‘s weekly newsletter and podcast. On this week’s episode of Faith Conversations I invited Micha to talk about one of her recent newsletters that she...

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Don’t we all want To Be Made Well? That is the beautiful title of Amy Julia Becker‘s latest book. The subtitle is An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope. We certainly have hurting bodies and souls but as we look at the global picture we also have hurting relationships and communities. As we...

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My husband, Mike Murphy, is back on the podcast with me this week. We explore his latest set of Rumblings, a weekly column he writes and posts on social media that focuses on spiritual life and growth and politics. For those unfamiliar with Mike, he is a former pastor and...

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The list of demands on our time seems to be never ending. It can leave you feeling a bit guilty, like you should always be doing One. More. Thing. My guest, Kelly Kapic, says You’re Only Human!  We talk about what it means to see our human limitations as a...

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I don’t think that anyone would argue that we are being formed by our devices. We complain how today’s digital technologies encroach on our boundaries but we sit back and allow it. And we don’t have to look very far to see that those technologies are designed to do just...

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Long-time friend and author Michelle Van Loon is back on the podcast with her fascinating book Translating Your Past: Finding Meaning in Family Ancestry, Genetic Clues, and Generational Trauma. Don’t we all want to learn more about where we come from? Thanks to technology it’s more possible than ever, but there is...

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Lent begins with Ash Wednesday which is only two and a half weeks away from the release of this podcast on 2/14/2022. I wanted to highlight a couple of quality Lenten devotionals written by two brilliant women in hopes that you might pick one to be your spiritual companion through...

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Lisa Sharon Harper, in her book, Fortune, starts an important conversation about family, history, and brokenness. She doesn’t leave the conversation until she offers solutions. This week’s podcast conversation is no different. Her focus in Fortune is how race broke her family and the world and how to repair it all. Sounds like...

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The topic of conversation on this episode of Faith Conversations is The Wild Land Within. What do you think of when you hear that phrase? A far country that hasn’t been developed? Or are you thinking closer to home. I guess it’s a combination since our own wild land within...

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Mark Scandrette makes a return visit to Faith Conversations where we focus on Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes. Scandrette calls it The Ninefold Path of Jesus: Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes. We all know many are currently living in fear. Scandrette posits that the Beatitudes invite us into nine new...

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Relationships! It seems we all have some that are difficult to navigate. Licensed marriage and family therapist, Molly LaCroix, joins me on the podcast this week to talk about Restoring Relationship. Not only is it the title of her book, it is the content of the podcast as we delve into...

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No one denies that we are living in a time of great divides in our world. Whether racial, political, religious, or other, we are struggling to know what can be done about them. On this week’s episode of Faith Conversations, Brian Allain joins me to talk about How to Heal...

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Hi, friends, and welcome to a new year of Faith Conversations! My husband, Mike Murphy, joins me on this first podcast of 2022 as we talk about some traditions that help usher us into a new season and pose some reflection questions for anyone wanting to reflect at the beginning...

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I’ve been wanting to talk with Joyce Rupp for years and I’m delighted to finally bring her to Faith Conversations. She has been writing for many years and I’m happy to recommend anything she has penned. On the podcast we talk about her life as well as her recent offering...

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Is it possible to hold onto faith in an age of unbelief? That’s a question Brian Zahnd asks in his new book When Everything’s on Fire: Faith Formed from the Ashes. It’s the first time I’ve had the privilege to talk with him and I think you’ll be glad I invited him...

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Jon Sweeney is back on the podcast. This time we discuss the life of Saint Francis. Jon’s newest book, Feed the Wolf: Befriending Our Fears in the Way of Saint Francis, is fascinating. My knowledge of Saint Francis was based on cast concrete bird feeders and bird baths of him. I knew...

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Philip Yancey joins me this week on the podcast. We engage with his Memoir, Where the Light Fell. To quote Publisher’s Weekly, “One of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace.” This is a must-read memoir and its release...

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AJ Sherrill is back on the podcast! Our conversation revolves around contemplative prayer, as he has just written Being with God. As a spiritual director I get more questions about prayer than any other topic. Most of us, for most of our lives, pray one way and it’s the grocery...

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My guest on the podcast this week is Alice Fryling. She is a spiritual director and author. She and her husband worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for over fifty years and she has taught Enneagram workshops as well as written on the Enneagram in her book, Mirror for the...

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I’m delighted to have award-winning songwriter, recording artist, poet, author, activist and podcast host, Carrie Newcomer, back on Faith Conversations. Carrie has a new album and book of Poetry out titled Until Now. She is a great conversationalist and we get to enjoy some live music and poetry reading by Carrie on...

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Suzanne Stabile is back with me on the podcast and it’s all things Enneagram! She has written a new book titled The Journey Toward Wholeness: Enneagram Wisdom for Stress, Balance, and Transformation. Her focus is on the three centers of intelligence: thinking, feeling, and doing. Suzanne’s contention is that when we learn...

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I am pleased to have Amy-Jill Levine on the podcast this week. She is Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She is now University Professor of New Testament and Jewish studies Emerita at Vanderbilt Divinity School...

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Mike Murphy is back on the podcast as we talk through his Rumblings of last week and provide commentary on them. I read a Meister Eckhart poem from Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart by Jon M. Sweeney which gives a nice bookend to our conversation. We also mentioned Daniel Hill’s book,...

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Jared Patrick Boyd joins me this week on the podcast. He has written Imaginative Prayer. Don’t even pay attention to the subtitle, which is, A Yearlong Guide for Your Child’s Spiritual Formation. I think this is equally for adults and we talk about that on the podcast. Most of us default to...

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I’m really excited to have Leeana Tankersley on the podcast this week. Reason #1. She is an amazing writer and communicator and has a brand new book out titled Hope Anyway. Reason #2. She was so gracious to help me celebrate a significant milestone of Faith Conversations. October 4 marks...

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If you’ve ever had the desire to embrace what is truest about you so that you can live more fully into who God created you to be, this is the podcast for you. Dr. Kelly Flanagan joins me this week on Faith Conversations to talk about two critical books that he...

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Michelle DeRusha is back on the podcast. She is a great conversationalist and a wonderful writer. Recently she went on a silent retreat for the first time. We talk about the spiritual practice of retreat and silence. We also catch up on the good books that each of us is...

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David Gushee joins me on the podcast this week. He is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and past President of both the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. He is the author of more than twenty books including Still Christian, Changing...

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Jon M. Sweeney joins me on this episode of Faith Conversations as we kick off our new season! He is an independent scholar an an award-winning writer. Jon is author of more than forty books and we talk about his latest, Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices. This...

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I’m happy to welcome back to the podcast the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts and prolific author, Christine Valters Paintner. I delve into a bit of Christine’s story as well as talk to her about her latest release Sacred Time: Embracing An Intentional Way of Life. Christine’s books...

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Mike Murphy joins me on the podcast as we talk about what we are reading that is moving us and making a difference to us. We also dive into a few of his latest Rumblings that made us think. It’s all about growth and transformation. Check out the books we...

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I am back on the podcast after my injury! And Janet Davis is the perfect guest to return with. Her book Sacred Healing has been a beautiful companion during these ongoing days of recovery. We talk about how pain and loss is inevitable in life but the deeper question and invitation is...

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This week’s podcast is all about Finding Your Yes. Christine Wagoner joins me as we look at living a life of openness to the invitations of God in our lives. Christine is an associate regional director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and makes her home, with her husband Kurt, in Indianapolis....

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Mike Murphy joins me in this first post-brain injury podcast. And…I think we made sense but I’ll let you be the judge. We discussed some significant topics that you might want to spend some time on—Redlining, CRT (Critical Race Theory), among others. Find Erna Kim Hackett here. Find Mike Murphy...

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Terence Lester joins me on the podcast to talk about what it looks like to seek justice together, in community. He has recently written, When We Stand, and asserts how easy it is to feel overwhelmed by all the injustices we see in the world. But as we collaborate with others, we...

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On this episode of Faith Conversations, Sho Baraka joins me. He is a globally recognized recording artist, performer, culture curator, activist, and writer. We talk about faith, culture and art all in the context of his new book, He Saw That It Was Good: Reimagining Your Creative Life to Repair...

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Melinda Schmidt joins me again on the podcast to talk about what it might look like if we developed a world view with love at the center. What might the spiritual practice of the rule of life look like if love was central to who we are and how we...

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Do you ever struggle with how to post and what to post on social media? Or, do you stay away from anything controversial because you want to keep the peace at all costs? On this week’s episode of Faith Conversations I talk with Doug Bursch, author of Posting Peace: Why Social...

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Pete Scazzero says that the global church is facing a discipleship crisis. He posits that our churches are stuck in a culture of shallow discipleship that severely undermines our ministry impact. On this episode of Faith Conversations, Pete joins me to talk about what Emotionally Healthy Discipleship looks like...

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When Rachel Pieh Jones moved from Minnesota to rural Somalia with her family in tow, she’d been taught that Islam was evil and the world would be better off without it. Rachel joins me on the podcast this week to talk about her recent book Pillars: How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer...

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What does it look like to really love your neighbor? To care for your neighborhood in such a way that strangers become friends? Lynda MacGibbon joins me on the podcast this week to talk about how strangers in her life became a community. She wrote My Vertical Neighborhood which is really a...

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Diana Butler Bass is back with me on the podcast. Her new book, Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence, really captured my imagination. I’m planning to do a Jesus timeline in my own life. Diana got me looking back at who Jesus was at pivotal moments...

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Melinda and I focus in on the beauty of creation on this episode of Faith Conversations. As those from the Celtic tradition say, “The Bible is God’s little book and creation is God’s big book.” And so we do some creation exploration on this episode. We mention Beth and...

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Barbara Mahany joins me this week on the podcast. A pediatric oncology nurse turned columnist for The Chicago Tribune turned author, Mahany is a delightful guest full of stories to entertain, challenge, and sometimes stop you in your tracks. I think you’ll enjoy our conversation as we touch on her books Motherprayer and The Stillness...

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