"The Kingdom of God is within you."
Tolstoy wrote,
after Jesus spoke.
In a greater statement,
Truth never made it's home.
For the Kingdom of God,
The Kingdom of Heaven,
Is in your smile;
In the way your warmth enters into my soul;
In the way the sun cannot hope to burn so bright;
In the way that I have come to see
God's embrace
Extending forth
And comforting children in need.
And the Kingdom of God
Is in your eyes;
In the way they draw me in;
In the way they open my heart
and open my soul;
In the way they captivate me,
and bring my heart,
mind,
and soul
into alignment,
to focus on you.
And the Kingdom of Heaven
Is in your embrace;
In the way comfort and healing
exude from your very pores;
In the way you hoist a child up on your hip
and carry him around and around,
up stairs and down.
In the way you prove to me that we truly are Christ's singular body,
One flesh,
One heart,
One mind,
Beautiful unity.
And the Kingdom of Heaven
Is in your words;
In the way you speak so gently,
truthfully,
faithfully;
In the way you communicate,
creatively
(words are more than just speech,
there are words in your art).
In the way you bring me to see
that the Kingdom of God
is also in me.
~ Harold Vance
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
People of Justice
God, may we be people of justice.
May we humble ourselves and be willing to learn from each other.
May we stand of the side of the oppressed.
May we not be silent.
May we call out Your Image in others.
May we be brave on behalf of our friends.
May we bring Your Kingdom to earth now.
May we be known as those-crazy-people-who-stick-up-for-the-underdog-even-when-people-think-we've-gone-off-the-deep-end.
May we let Your Spirit compel us to act.
To love.
To learn.
To speak.
To move.
To sacrifice.
On behalf of our brothers and our sisters next to us today, on behalf of those who went before us, and on behalf of those who will come after us.
On Your behalf, Jesus, as Your ambassadors, with Your humility, Your courage, Your Spirit as our guide.
Amen.
~Kathy Escobar
May we humble ourselves and be willing to learn from each other.
May we stand of the side of the oppressed.
May we not be silent.
May we call out Your Image in others.
May we be brave on behalf of our friends.
May we bring Your Kingdom to earth now.
May we be known as those-crazy-people-who-stick-up-for-the-underdog-even-when-people-think-we've-gone-off-the-deep-end.
May we let Your Spirit compel us to act.
To love.
To learn.
To speak.
To move.
To sacrifice.
On behalf of our brothers and our sisters next to us today, on behalf of those who went before us, and on behalf of those who will come after us.
On Your behalf, Jesus, as Your ambassadors, with Your humility, Your courage, Your Spirit as our guide.
Amen.
~Kathy Escobar
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
reckless rage
I read this quote today on Katie's blog and loved it, so I thought I'd share it here.
What therefore, is our task today? Should I answer, "Faith, Hope, and Love?" That sounds beautiful. But, I would say - courage. No... even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth.
Our task today is recklessness.
For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature...we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.
The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth...
...a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world.
To rage against the ravaging of God's earth and the destruction of God's people.
To rage when little children must die of hunger, while the tables of the rich are sagging with food.
To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and the madness of militaries.
To rage against the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction, peace.
To rage against COMPLACENCY.
To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God."
~ Father Kaj Munk, 1944
"...until it conforms to the norms of the kingdom of God."
Seriously, can we honestly say that we are living the way that God intended for us to live. In case you haven't realized this yet, the American dream is completely opposite of God's dream for this world. I think it's safe to say that the majority of us are living within the norms of the 'American dream'. We are pretty far off base though in what would be considered "normal" Kingdom living.
In fact, those few who are actually living "normal" Kingdom led lives are often regarded as the "crazy ones" because our ideas of what "normal" is are so screwed up.
We are in desperate need of a total mind shift for sure.
What therefore, is our task today? Should I answer, "Faith, Hope, and Love?" That sounds beautiful. But, I would say - courage. No... even that is not challenging enough to be the whole truth.
Our task today is recklessness.
For what we Christians lack is not psychology or literature...we lack a holy rage - the recklessness which comes from the knowledge of God and humanity.
The ability to rage when justice lies prostrate on the streets, and when the lie rages across the face of the earth...
...a holy anger about the things that are wrong in the world.
To rage against the ravaging of God's earth and the destruction of God's people.
To rage when little children must die of hunger, while the tables of the rich are sagging with food.
To rage at the senseless killing of so many, and the madness of militaries.
To rage against the lie that calls the threat of death and the strategy of destruction, peace.
To rage against COMPLACENCY.
To restlessly seek that recklessness that will challenge and seek to change human history until it conforms to the norms of the Kingdom of God."
~ Father Kaj Munk, 1944
"...until it conforms to the norms of the kingdom of God."
Seriously, can we honestly say that we are living the way that God intended for us to live. In case you haven't realized this yet, the American dream is completely opposite of God's dream for this world. I think it's safe to say that the majority of us are living within the norms of the 'American dream'. We are pretty far off base though in what would be considered "normal" Kingdom living.
In fact, those few who are actually living "normal" Kingdom led lives are often regarded as the "crazy ones" because our ideas of what "normal" is are so screwed up.
We are in desperate need of a total mind shift for sure.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
this should get us started....
I was reading an article today about the National Day of Prayer that is coming up on May 7th. The article was written by Shane Claiborne, and he addressed the fact that while we are all called to pray we are also called to be the answer to those prayers.
It's not enough to pray about the needs around us. We need to be moved into action. We need to be willing to be used the way God intended us to be used. That is the entire reason why we are on this earth right?
To bring glory to God.
To actually care about the things that God cares about and not just talk about it, but do something about it.
Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove have come up with list of 50 action based ideas to encourage us to love our neighbors through a life of service and compassion.
My challenge to myself and anyone else who would like to join me on May 7th, is not only to commit my day to praying for the needs around me and around the world, but also to choose AT LEAST two ideas from this list and act on them.
The goal is that instead of this being a yearly event, our lives will be changed to the point that DAILY we would be showing love and compassion through action and service.
It's not enough to pray about the needs around us. We need to be moved into action. We need to be willing to be used the way God intended us to be used. That is the entire reason why we are on this earth right?
To bring glory to God.
To actually care about the things that God cares about and not just talk about it, but do something about it.
Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove have come up with list of 50 action based ideas to encourage us to love our neighbors through a life of service and compassion.
My challenge to myself and anyone else who would like to join me on May 7th, is not only to commit my day to praying for the needs around me and around the world, but also to choose AT LEAST two ideas from this list and act on them.
The goal is that instead of this being a yearly event, our lives will be changed to the point that DAILY we would be showing love and compassion through action and service.
A CALL TO ACTION FOR NAT’L DAY OF PRAYER (AND EVERY DAY…)
- Fast for the 2 billion people who live on less than a dollar a day.
- Contact your local crisis pregnancy center and invite a pregnant woman to live with your family.
- Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit.
- Join an open AA meeting and befriend someone there.
- Adopt a child.
- Mow your neighbor’s grass.
- Volunteer to tutor a kid at your local elementary school. (Try to get to know the kid’s family.)
- Grow your own tomatoes–and share them.
- Ask a small group in your community to meet regularly for intercessory prayer.
- Build a wheel chair ramp for someone who is homebound.
- Read the newspaper to someone at your local nursing home.
- Plant a tree.
- Look up the closest registered sex offender in your neighborhood and try to befriend him.
- Throw a birthday party for a prostitute.
- When you pay your water bill, pay your neighbor’s too (they’ll let you… really).
- Invest money in a micro-lending bank.
- Ask the next person who asks you to spare some change to join you for dinner.
- Leave a random tip for someone who’s cleaning the streets or a public restroom.
- Write one CEO a month this year. Affirm or critique the ethics of their company (you may need to do a little research first).
- Start tithing (giving 10%) of all your income directly to the poor.
- Connect with a group of migrant workers or farmers who grow your food and visit their farm. Maybe even pick some veggies with them. Ask what they get paid.
- Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you and go to a thrift store to get a new one.
- Write only paper letters (by hand) for a month. Try writing someone who needs encouragement or who you should say “I’m sorry” to.
- Go TV free for a year. Or turn your TV into a pot where flowers grow.
- Laugh at advertisements, especially ones that teach you that you can buy happiness.
- Organize a prayer vigil for peace outside a weapons manufacturer such as Lockheed Martin. Read the Sermon on the Mount out loud. For extra credit, do it every week for a year.
- Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are expired. Leave a little note of niceness.
- Write to one social justice organizer or leader each month just to encourage them.
- Go through a local thrift store and drop $1 bills in random pockets of the clothing being sold.
- Experiment with creation-care by going fuel free for a week–ride a bike, carpool, or walk.
- Try only reading books written by females or people of color for a year.
- Go to an elderly home and get a list of folks who don´t get any visitors. Visit them each week and tell stories, read the bible together, or play board games.
- Track to its source one item of food you eat regularly. Then, each time you eat that food, pray for those folks who helped make it possible for you to eat it.
- Create a Jubilee fund in your Church congregation, matching dollar for dollar every dollar you spend internally with a dollar externally. If you have a building fund, create a fund to match it to give away and by mosquito nets or dig wells for folks dying in poverty.
- Become a pen-pal with someone in prison.
- Give your car away to a stranger.
- Convert your car to run off waste vegetable oil.
- Try recycling your water from the washer or sink to flush your toilet. Remember the 1.2 billion folks who don´t have clean water.
- Wash your clothes by hand, or dry them by hanging to remember those without electricity or running water. Remember the 1.6 billion people who do not have electricity.
- Buy only used clothes for a year.
- Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside-down economics of God’s Kingdom. Commit to only being branded by the cross.
- Learn to sew or start making your own clothes to remember the invisible faces behind what we wear. Take your kids to pick cotton so they can see what that is like (and then read James).
- Eat only a bowl of rice a day for a week to remember those who do that for most of their life (take a multivitamin). Remember the 30,000 people who die each day of poverty and malnutrition.
- Begin creating a scholarship fund so that for every one of your own children you send to college you can create a scholarship for an at-risk youth. Get to know their family and learn from each other.
- Visit a worship service where you will be a minority. Invite someone to dinner at your house or have dinner with someone there if they invite you.
- Help your church congregation create a Peacemaker Scholarship and give it away to a young person trying to avoid the economic draft, who would like to go to college but sees no other way than the military.
- Eat with someone who does not look like you. Learn from them.
- Confess something you have done wrong to someone and ask them to pray for you.
- Serve in a homeless shelter. For extra credit, go back and eat or sleep in the shelter and allow yourself to be served.
- Join a Yokefellows ministry at a prison close to you. Remember that Jesus said he would meet you there (Matt. 25).
Sunday, April 12, 2009
a beautiful prayer for today....and tomorrow, and the next day and the next.......
Jesus Christ you have risen and we see you,
In the faces of the poor,
In the hurting of the sick,
In the anguish of the oppressed
Jesus Christ you are risen and we see you,
In the weakness of the vulnerable,
In the questions of the doubting,
In the fears of the dying.
Jesus Christ you are risen and we see you,
In the celebration of the saints,
In the generosity of the faithful,
In the compassion of the caring.
Jesus Christ you are risen and we see you,
You transform our world with love and hope,
You ignite our hearts of stone with compassion and care,
You transfigure our world with the spirit of life.
Hallelujah, Jesus Christ you are risen and we see you.
~Christine Sine
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patrick's Prayer
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through the confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.
I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of demons,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Mary's Song
I wasn't able to be at church Sunday because Elijah was sick, but the rest of my family was able to go. From what I've heard from a couple of people is that the message was about Mary (Jesus' mom) and it was really good. I wish I had been able to be there. But, like I told Elijah (he was apologizing because I had to miss out on taking my dad back to the airport - he's so sweet!) there is no place on Earth I would have rather been than right there taking care of him.
So, I think it was a combination of being in that "protective mother" mode, and knowing that they talked about Mary that made me start thinking about something I wrote a few years ago. I've always had a thing for Mary - ever since having my first child. It's just really intriguing/amazing to me how she was in the position of being the mother of Jesus with all the earthly motherly feelings of wanting to protect in every circumstance, but she also loved Him and worshiped Him as her Lord and King. I can't even imagine...
So, I think it was a combination of being in that "protective mother" mode, and knowing that they talked about Mary that made me start thinking about something I wrote a few years ago. I've always had a thing for Mary - ever since having my first child. It's just really intriguing/amazing to me how she was in the position of being the mother of Jesus with all the earthly motherly feelings of wanting to protect in every circumstance, but she also loved Him and worshiped Him as her Lord and King. I can't even imagine...
Mary's Song
From the time you were a child I always knew that it would end. Your silly jokes, your gentle touch, the way you filled my heart with love.
There were times you fell and scraped your knees, or your friends were so unkind.
I would always want to hold you close, take that pain and make it mine.
And even though I understood that there was so much more to come, just the little things that hurt you... they almost broke my heart in two.
Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart
If I could stand in your place, take all the shame and disgrace,
If I could just hold your hand, and make them all understand,
That you are my friend, and you are my King,
You are my child, and you are my everything.
Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart
If I could stand in your place,
I would.
The coming of this day has placed a shadow on my heart. And now I have to let you go, I've always known it from the start.
You chose to save the world from sin. You came to share your love.
You came to take away their pain, hold them close and make them yours.
If I could only make them understand, the love you long to share. The love I'll always have for you, my son, it can't begin to compare.
Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart
If I could stand in your place, take all the shame and disgrace,
If I could just hold your hand, and make them all understand,
That you are my friend, and you are my King,
You are my child, and you are my everything.
I want to run to you.
I want to hold you in my arms.
I want to take away your hurt, and protect you from all harm.
Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart
If I could stand in your place, take all the shame and disgrace,
If I could just hold your hand, and make them all understand,
That you are my friend, and you are my King,
You are my child, and you are my everything.
If it were all up to me,
You'd never die on that tree.
If I could stand in your place,
If I could just hold your hand,
If I could die on that tree,
I would.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
join the conspiracy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU
I've had several people sent me this video or post it on their blogs, and I LOVE it! We all need to try to live and love this way...
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
a man who really knows what women want.....
On October 22nd Bono spoke at the 2008 California Women's Conference. His speech revolved around reaching outside of ourselves to meet the needs of the poor around the world. I've listened to it several times and I'm inspired each time I do....so....I have to share it with you too! You Tube has the speech broken down into five separate videos and I only attached parts 3-5 on here. The first two segments are more of an introduction. Part three is amazing and four and five are pretty awesome too! It is so worth your time to watch all three parts. I embedded the videos so you can watch them right from here, but also added the links to each video for those who aren't viewing this from the original blog. Hopefully I did it right....
There were so many great things in his speech, but one quote that really stuck out to me was this one:
“When America looks outside of itself, its view of itself is never clearer. Its faith in itself is never firmer. Its purpose is never stronger. Today, at a time when America, again, is tempted to turn inward, turn away from the world and its troubles, it is more essential than ever that you look outward.”
This quote can apply to so many other areas of our lives as well - our personal lives, our churches, our families.... Our focus needs to continually be looking outward and seeing and meeting the needs that are around us.
I have to apologize in advance to any of you who receive links to Bono's speech from me on more than one venue. I think it's a really important message to get out there - plus, if you know me, you know I'm a HUGE Bono fan...so make sure you share it with others!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-2RdWBMHnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpE2S5SlVyY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POu47LjiObE
There were so many great things in his speech, but one quote that really stuck out to me was this one:
“When America looks outside of itself, its view of itself is never clearer. Its faith in itself is never firmer. Its purpose is never stronger. Today, at a time when America, again, is tempted to turn inward, turn away from the world and its troubles, it is more essential than ever that you look outward.”
This quote can apply to so many other areas of our lives as well - our personal lives, our churches, our families.... Our focus needs to continually be looking outward and seeing and meeting the needs that are around us.
I have to apologize in advance to any of you who receive links to Bono's speech from me on more than one venue. I think it's a really important message to get out there - plus, if you know me, you know I'm a HUGE Bono fan...so make sure you share it with others!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-2RdWBMHnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpE2S5SlVyY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POu47LjiObE
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