Writings From the Grassroots

A Sabbath Rhythm: Examen

I read Jonny Bakers blog often and I want to give credit to him for the content of This Sabbath Rhythm becauase I found it in his worship trick and I had to share it with all of you. Enjoy.

THE EXAMEN

St Ignatius of Loyola taught the examen as part
of his Spiritual Exercises. It is a way of connecting
with the presence of God in our lives and
discerning the direction in which we should go.

The simplest form of the examen consists in asking
two questions:
For what moment today am I most grateful?
For what moment today am I least grateful?

These questions help us identify moments of
consolation – that for which we are most grateful
– and desolation – that for which we are least
grateful. Ignatius expected that God would speak
to us through these moments of deepest feelings
and yearnings. We should aim to do more of what
brings us consolation, and to listen to and respond
to what brings us desolation. Done regularly over
a period of time, the examen can guide our lives
and help us to make wise choices.

Doing the examen
Find a quiet place where you can sit and relax.
Take a moment to quiet yourself and to breathe
deeply. You may find it helpful to light a candle
to remind you of the presence of God.

Ask God to bring to your heart the moment for
which you are most grateful. Reflect on what
made it so special. Stay with this moment and
breathe in the gratitude and life that it brought
to you.

Ask God to bring to your heart the moment for
which you are least grateful. Reflect on what made
it so difficult. Stay with your feelings and ask God
to fill you with his love.

Give thanks for what you have just experienced.

Monday's Remedy: YOU

It's Monday Morning, it's extremely overcast (in Riverside, CA), on TV the newscaster is speaking of the numerous natural disasters around the world (Myanmar, Missouri, China), and it doesn't seem like the price of gasoline will be going down anything soon.  Not a good way to begin a Monday morning, but I suppose it is days like these that we should be reminded of the things we do have?  Here is where 'Monday's Remedy' becomes interactive.  What are you grateful for?  This has quickly become a time of self assessment and self reflection.  I hope you find things that are great in your life.  Share with us what they are?  I suppose though, that if you are reading this, you have at least one good eye, fingers to type, and lungs to breath - that's a start.  If you still need something, listen to the new song by Coldplay, "Viva La Vida".

A Sabbath Rhythm: The Hammock

This week for A Sabbath Rhythm is a poem.  Enjoy.

The Hammock

If Sabbath were a thing
I'm convinced it would be a hammock
It swings in a sacred cadence
side to side

In the shade
Under a tree

In it you can stop to listen to the sounds that surround you

In a hammock there is no room for a tv, computer, or cell phone
Just you and the stillness

Perhaps it’s the closest you get to flying
Getting off your feet and be suspended in mid air

Almost like being cradled in the perfect embrace of safety
God

In a hammock we stop trying to be someone we are not
and acknowledge who we are

We dream,
We wonder,
We believe,

We are embraced.

Gas is the New iPod in Evangelism

I just read about a church that is raffling off two $500 gas cards.  Click HERE to see the video.  Here's how it works.  A Revival begins on Sunday (don't know which one) and it will end on Wednesday night.  So people sign up for a raffle and the raffle is drawn on Wednesday, good way to keep people coming to church.  I have heard of churches raffling off iPods but apparently they are not in demand as much as gasoline is.  Maybe the large evangelistic campaign in the City of Angles can spend its $1 Million Dollars set for evangelism, on gasoline?  I know I would attend and I am sure some churches would be filled to capacity if we offered free gasoline.

It still sounds to me like evangelism is about bringing people 'INTO' the church because somehow when people walk "INTO' the church they will somehow be transfromed.  Not always the case (have you been to some churches).  From what I have encountered in the Biblical Narrative, Jesus transformed people in the city, on a mountain, along the road, at a well, during lunch, in a boat, along the sea...I could go on.  In scripture we see a picture of God who ' GOES OUT' into his world and becomes one with the people.  I am of the school that we are to bring Jesus and the Kingdom into our community.  Transformation happens when we enter into solidarity with our community and find solutions to the problems that face us.  Instead of just gasoline, what if we encourage carpooling and other modes of transportation and how that also makes for cleaner air.  The essential question to ask is "If God were living in my community what would make him upset and then we could begin to tackle those issues."  No gimmicks just the belief that God wants better for humanity and from humanity. I don't see anything wrong with giving out free gasoline, especially now.  But I don't know if I feel comfortable using it as a gimmick, because that is what that is.  The sign of the cross should not be a sign of power or prestige or even a soap box but rather the place where we are confronted with the question "what needs to die" and "what needs resurrection" .  If we could answer these questions people will be transformed.  Check out my friend, Ryan Bell's Blog (specifically the post "Affordable Housing Los Angeles") by clicking HERE and see what he and his church are doing that is directly impacting their community and how that is good news to the citizens of Los Angeles.  I would call it evangelism.

Hillary Clinton for President?

If Hillary Clinton had started her Presidential Campaign with the speech she gave this morning in West Virgina I might have voted for her.  She talked about student loans (Adventist Education is not inexpensive and Pastors don't make much) and how she would take on the student loan companies and have reduced interest rates.  She said she would forgive student loans up to a certain amount ($10,000 or more) if people were willing to do public service (I think that is what she called it).  She said she would bring the troops home.  She said she would provide universal health care for everyone. The key words are 'She Says" and though it all sounds good, I can't help but look at her with a more than skeptical view.  It is so hard to believe anythings she says anymore.  "Hillary, you should have started with this speech." 
Sadly, she did not start with this.  As this campaign has progressed she only gets better as a 'politician'(not a good thing).  She knows what she needs to say to get people to vote for her.  But talk is cheap.  She says that this campaign is not about speeches but about getting things done.  However, how do we know that she will do everything she says she will do?  We don't, and if elected she doesn't have to do anything.  It just seems to me that she will say anything to get the votes, and I hate that.  That is why I like Barack Obama so much, he doesn't say things just to get votes.  His message has been consistent throughout the campaign, but her message seems always to change dependent on what gets her the vote.  I am glad to see Obama back on message and looking good.  I hope he stays that way.  It makes for a winning campaign.  YES WE CAN!

Monday's Remedy: Calvin and Hobbes

Click on Comic Strip to make it bigger. Have fun.

I am the biggest fan of Calvin and Hobbes and I think that the themes Bill Watterson writes about in these comic strips cut deep.  Here's to hoping you have a much better Monday because of Calvin and Hobbes.

A Sabbath Rythym: Prayer

"Prayer is the bridge between my unconscious and conscious life.  Prayer connects my mind with my heart, my will with my passions, my brain with my belly.  Prayer is the way to let the life-giving Spirit of God penetrate all the corners of my being.  Prayer is the divine instrument of my wholeness, unity, and inner peace." (From Henry Nouwen's A Sabbatical Journey pg. 5)

Air Quality Report Press Conference

This past Wednesday, the Imperial Valley Chapter of the American Lung Association also known as the Clean Air Coalition, released the Quality of the Air Report.  Unfortunately the Imperial Valley received a grade of "F" but don't let that fool you, the air is actually improving thanks to the efforts of the Air Pollution Control Agency and the Clean Air Coalition.  To learn more about the statistics click HERE.  There were three speakers at this press conference, Brad Poiriez- the Imperial County Air Pollution Control Officer, Dr. Jorge Robles the El Centro Regional Medical Center Chief of Staff - Very important people in the Valley and th third speaker was Me, a Pastor from a smallish church in El Centro.    The following is what I said in my presentation (more or less). 

Everyone dreams of a better world, where things are as they “ought” to be.  Anyone can look around and point out the problems in our communities – that’s easy.  However, there are some, like yourselves, that are willing to take up the issues that lesson our quality of life and do something about them.  In this case it is the air we breathe.  Today, WE stand before you calling everyone to awaken to the possibility, - the reality that a better world is possible.

There is a nascent feeling hovering above the surface of our collective consciousness that we cannot do anything about some problems, the air quality being one of these.  But we at the clean air coalition and the friends we have made in the community believe that the opposite is true.  We believe that cleaner air is possible, we believe that a better world is possible – and to borrow the words of Arundhati Roy, “Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”  This is why, we take on issues like this.  “because when we champion one Cause, it gives way to take on other issues, This brings Hope, Hope brings belief, Belief brings action, action brings change, and Change is what we are all about”.

Monday's Remedy: Moments

We often hear that the grass is greener on the other side.  However I refuse to accept that.  I prefer the grass on my side, even if it is yellow and dead, than the greener pastures on the other.  Because I am here. 

A Sabbath Rythym

I am starting a new series of posts.  I have decided to call them "A Sabbath Rhythm" .  The Idea is that there
is a harmony (refer to the post, "My Christianity" Movement two) to life,a best way to live and experience life, namely - living in the harmony that God creates.  For me Sabbath is a day when we get back in rhythm with this Harmony. When we get connected to God and others.  A day when we get a 'glimpse' into eternity'.   I hope to experiment with this, from Sabbath to Sabbath it will be something different, a youtube video, a poem, a thought, a Biblical Text, anything really.  Its purpose, hopefully, is to move us to feel, contemplate, pray, celebrate, worship...

"Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life.  It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive.  It is spiritual wonder.  It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being.  It is gratitude for life, for awareness and for being.  It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and beings in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent and infinitely abundant Source(New Seeds of Contemplation pg. 1)."