Sunday 12:31PM...a sonnet

Saint Augustine and Wendy's number one,
my Sabbath bliss has come to me at last.
With collar melted, top button undone,
alone and spirit-spent, I break my fast.

Another month with Spirit's power lost
to boredom, grief, idolatry and pain,
while bombs are dropping half-a-world away,
while we bow to property gods again.

Why toss this new wine down elderly drains
as huddled masses yearn for freedom's breath?
'Mid rising prices falls the summer rains
on just and unjust, on life amid death.

Awake, my love, again Sunday's come 'round.
That still small voice is gonna make a sound.


Photo: "Abbey church after Mass" by Lawrence OP

Lectionary Haikus: Law

A: Want
I see her;
Arms outstretch, striving-
Only thorns

B: Do
Good? Evil?
This body of death-
I did that?

Romans 7:15-25a

Photo: "Jail" by 710928003

Lectionary Haikus: The First Commission

A: What
Proclaim, cure,
Raise, cleanse, heal, cast out-
The Kingdom

B: How
With arms bare,
Gentle, impatient-
With great risk.

Photo: "Fixed: In sheep clothing" by manitou2121

Lectionary Haikus: New Wine, Old Wine

A: New
Fresh, innovative;
Susceptible, unaware-
The future is bright.

B: Old
Wise, experienced;
Short-sighted, set in their ways-
Life with dignity.

Photo: "Glitter/Brillo" by victor_nuno

Lectionary Haikus: The Wise Man

A: On rock

Build wisely, he says-
Storms are inevitable,
but I am with you.

B: On sand
Tell me why! he says-
Storms are inevitable,
but you won't listen.

Photo: "House on a rock!" by Anduze traveller

Lectionary Haikus: Worry

A: Serve
Money-less
Enslaved to God
You must choose?

B: Provide
To not worry is
to not have need-a lesson
for no one it seems.

Photo: "field of callalilies" by Darwin Bell

Lectionary Haikus: In the Beginning...

-AND-
Hear God speak;
waters, dark divide-
Forms the void.

-GOD-
Fragile dome divides;
Air holding back floods and rain-
God names expanse "Sky".

-SAW-
Sticky, peachy beard;
Pits nestled in wormy dirt-
On and on and on.

-THAT-
Life after campfire:
Polaris, Ursa Minor-
Hope in the darkness.

-IT-
God's first commandment
[to hornets, crows, salmon, dove]
swarm, fly, swim, make love.

-WAS-
Walking, fours or twos,
passing through death's dark valley
to the still waters.

-GOOD-
No calendars for
twenty-four, telephones off-
Made holy for me.

Click here for Trinity Sunday haikus

Image: "Released to Public: First Image of Moon and Earth in a Single Frame, 1977 by NASA (NASA)" via pingnews.com

Lectionary Haikus: Pentecost

A: Spark
Many flames,
Running free-
One fire.

B: Filled
Nonsense
understood-
God's power.

More Pentecost Haikus here

Photo: "candle" by lars hammar

Lectionary Haikus: Ascension

A: Flying
You're leaving,
after everything?
I'll be back.

B: Gazing
Up there: clouds-
Down here: life striving
for new life.

Photo: "ascension" by sadaiche

Prayer Requests as Systematic Theology

Every Sunday, I walk down or up the steps (depending on the church) for the weekly ritual of prayer. It is vulnerable to staleness, but most of the time, prayer time is "holy checkin'-in time".

I was reminded that one of the neat exercises I used to do in seminary was to play "fly" on the doctrinal web. The doctrinal web was an image used by our illustrious Systematic Theology professor at Drew. The image carries the notion that our theology is inevitably one and invariably connected. What one believes about Jesus affects what one believes about the Church. What one believes about atonement is affected by one's belief on the nature of humanity and is therefore connected to one's Christology, etc., etc., etc. Given this model, where one begins in constructing one's theology is very important.

I have found this to be true in my own theology. I have a difficult time with substitutionary atonement. To me, it inevitably leads to a God who kills his own children...not really a god I feel I can trust. So if God didn't send Jesus to die for our sins, what shall I make of the cross (not to mention Paul's statements that seem to indoctrinate the very doctrine that offends me)? It is a healthy exercise.

So, what does playing fly on the doctrinal web have to do with prayer requests? Every Sunday, I field dozens of requests which, in their own way, reveal the theology of the one making the request. This past Sunday, I fielded a wide variety of requests, which has taught me a lot about the congregations I serve. Here is a sampling:

(Request::Theological Element)

1) Joy for Frank's renewed strength AND Ecclesiology--Mary expresses her delight that her neighbor (and one of our patriarchs) Frank has found much success in his rehab from a stroke last year. The winter was a tough one for Frank, who is in his 80s but proud of his activity. Being prone to falls in recent months quickly raised fears in his home and his church. That a new rehab scheme has been a great help is a true joy.
Mary's expression of joy indicates that she finds the church to be a place of celebration and supportive community. Her ecclesiology is one that places great emphasis on the power of God working through the church to bring new life.

2) Thelma's appreciation for forsythia AND the Sovereignty of God--Our churches have seasonal prayer themes. Eastertide's prayer theme is "signs of new life". Thelma notes that her forsythia are still in bloom and "a completely new color this year". Having just turned age 90, Thelma is the queen of this particular congregation. Her mother took her to this church, even when "this church" was downtown. The forsythia line one edge of her corner property, the house her dad bought, same house she was born in to almost a century ago. The forsythia began as a shoot given to her mother many moons ago. Now they are rows of golden, uniform bushes that let the neighborhood know its spring.
Thelma notes the "sign of new life" because the reliability of forsythia in spring has taught her something about God. God can be trusted. God is not just a savior but a Creator who paints with a bright brush. The same God that put thought into the forsythia, made sure that Thelma was fearfully and wonderfully made. So wonderfully made is Thelma, that at age 90, new life is still before her.

3) Brenda's Son's Baptism AND the nature of humanity--I met Brenda's son Jimmy when his dad (Brenda's husband, Jim, Sr.) was in the hospital. I found him a bit brash, always at the steady ready with a smart quip of some kind. He rubbed me wrong when he blew off the awesomeness of Indian food. It never occurred to me that he was capable of spiritual introspection. So imagine my shock as Brenda's joy was to share that her son (at 35?) had gotten baptized. I could see in her expression both her surprise and pleasure. She looked like she wanted to giggle.
So God desires a close and renewed relationship with his Creation. This much we know. That God could prick the heart of one like Jimmy teaches me about me. It seems easy to picture God as the savior of humanity. It is much tougher to see God has the redeemer of smart-mouths and cynics. Why would God bother, unless there was something redeemable in even sinful man. So yes, Adam, we've fallen. Yes, Calvin, we can't get up. But yes also to Wesley, who knew that if God can pluck one out of the fire, one can redeem the world.

4) Betty's Joy over Police Activity in her Neighborhood AND the nature of grace--Several weeks ago, Betty raised a deep concern: that there had been a break-at the house next door to her. She expressed fear for the safety of her grandkids, and herself. She caught me in the doorway after worship and just gushed on the amount of fear she now had. Each week since then, Betty would fill us in on more break-ins and her growing fear. She did note that another parishioner had given her words of wisdom and encouragement. THIS WEEK Betty raised a joy that a young man had been arrested in connection with the string of robberies in the neighborhood. She expressed great relief, that her safety was now in repair. Her cheeks flushed red in relief. In church, she could let go of her fear. One thing that Betty concisely and beautifully stated was her wish that the young man in jail would turn his life around. She didn't mince words but stated that she could sympathize with the desperate and that she truly didn't wish ill on the man. I could see her sincerity.
Betty, even in the midst of potential danger, never lost sight of the advice and support she received from others. She noted the graciousness of kind words and sincere prayers. And when the temptation for vengeance was before her, she took the dignified approach, and wished well upon the intruder. Grace had been extended to her from others within the church and she did the best thing to do with such a gift: she passed it on.

5) Amy's grandfather's death and Theodicy--It's not that Amy's grandfather wasn't old. He was old, but sharp. The kicker is that for weeks we had been offering requests for Amy's grandmother. Her health had been failing for sometime and circumstance was just playing out too long. Life was lingering and death was cruelly close for a long time. Then Grandpa Jones just died, in his sleep: not done caring for his wife, just done with physical life.
The family is of course saddened that a beautiful life together ended so sadly. I guess that I really know very little. And even though Appalachians can be coldly matter-of-fact, I could sense in the family some confusion on the existential level. Why is such decay even possible while a just a merciful God is on the watch? Does prayer really work? What are we even doing here?

There were many other requests. It's not like my parishioners are classical theologians that give unfettered amounts of time to the articulation of their beliefs. Nevertheless, just by living their lives and taking an hour or two a week (for decades even) to hear God's word, the standard church-goer I come across are thoughtful and competent theologians. They know who God is, what god is about, a bit about how God operates and quite a bit about why it all matters to us. Throw in a healthy acceptance of mystery and you have quite an intriguing place to "do theology": the local church.

First Image: "Prayers Today" by marrngtn (Manuel)
Second Image: "Forsythia" by perldude