The Irreverent Reverend

Today is the forty-first anniversary of my ordination. On this June day, I stood in front of 300 or so people, quaked out my vows, felt the hands of my new colleagues on my head and shoulders as I took on the office of ministry. There is nothing special about forty-one years, but every year on this day I reflect on this weird and wild ride that is a life in ministry. It’s a bit like Dr. Seuss…”Oh the Places You’ll Go.” Every year different things come to the fore. Here are this year’s reflections.

I was ordained six weeks before my twenty-fifth birthday. I should have had “clueless” tattooed across my forehead. At some level I knew that I didn’t know nearly enough to launch me into this life, but I blundered forward as best I could.  That I didn’t screw up worse than I did is testimony to grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. And though I know a lot more now than I did then, I still have moments of cluelessness.

I have spent almost fifty years in service to the church. I was ordained to the ministry of word and sacrament and the office of pastor and teacher. This continues to shape my life. I believe in the power of the gospel to transform just about anything that needs to be transformed. That said; the church is a helluva disappointment in many ways. I have moments when I wonder if my service to the institution has been in vain. It is such a screwed up mess. 

I have seen churches wrenched apart by conflict that goes on for generations, an ecclesiastical version of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. I have seen the worst of what church people can be. I have seen clergy violate the trust of their office and leave a mile wide path of destruction in their selfish and broken wakes. I have seen churches mired in “the way we’ve always done it” to the point where they choke the life out of what’s left of their living history. Still, it’s what we have (for better or worse) for the ministry of the gospel.

Still, I believe in the life giving, life affirming radical love that is the heart of the gospel. It’s just that I am so disappointed that the church is such a miserable failure at living that out. Now the unofficial keeper of the social status quo, the church has forsaken its role as a radical agent of transformative love and justice making change. It’s enough to make this preacher wring her hands.

Yet, I still stand up every Sunday and preach from the center of my being, because it is what I am called to do. I want to believe it makes a difference but sometimes it is hard to tell. As Scripture reminds us, “God gives the increase.” It’s not about me.

Still, it’s not all gloom and doom. I have seen the church rise to the occasion of local need, global struggle and desperate pain. I have witnessed the healing power of community to reach to the heart of human brokenness and bring hope. I have felt the movement of the spirit when the word comes alive in the preaching and the listening energy is enough to blow me out the back of the chancel. I have witnessed individuals come alive in their faith and be “born again.”

Still, I believe in the ministry of word and sacrament. I believe in the value of gathering at the table to be nourished by the gifts of grape and grain and standing at the baptismal font to bear witness to the promises made with water.

Still, I believe the church has the potential to be transformed, if it can just get out of its own way. If the church can worship God more than it worships its building, it may have a chance. If the church can be the radical life giving community that Jesus intended and intends it to be, there may be hope for the institution. If the church can grow enough in grace and faith to embody a PART of what is called for as the new community in Christ, there may be hope. I have no vested interest in whether the church in its current incarnation survives. Sometimes I think the church should be like a phoenix and rise up out of the ashes of the past into something new and exciting. But the fire has to come first.

I’ll get the matches.

A good reason to celebrate Pride Month is that it makes the religious fundamentalists and social conservatives uncomfortable. Spewing their hatred and judgment, they try to out-shout the out and proud people who march in parades…and they fail. It’s a beautiful thing.

The best reason to celebrate Pride Month is because it is all about hope. It is a witness to LGBTQ persons, especially youth who are fed hatred and bigotry instead of love and acceptance. Consider these chilling facts:

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-24 (Hedegaard, Curtin, and Warner, 2018)—and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth are at significantly increased risk.
• LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al. 2020).
• The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth (13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the US—and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
• The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
• Data show that bisexual youth report higher rates of depressed mood, bullying, sexual assault and physical harm.
• LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates of attempting suicide than their white peers in the last year (12% white youth, 21% of Native/Indigenous youth, 20% of Middle Eastern/Northern African youth, 19% of black youth, 17% of multiracial youth, 16% of Latinx youth, and 12% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth).
• Black transgender and nonbinary youth report disproportionate rates of suicide risk—with 59% seriously considering suicide and more than 1 in 4 (26) attempting suicide in the last year.

These statistics are from the Trevor Project website. The Trevor Project provides crisis services, advocacy, research public education, and TrevorSpace (a safe international community)

If this has not captured your attention, consider this. Much of what is represented in these statistics is wrapped up in a distorted theology of who God is and what God is about. LGBTQ youth and adults are barraged by the media with messages that God hates them, they are condemned to hell, they must repent, and the like. Every day children are cast out of their homes because their parents have internalized a message of hate about LGBTQ individuals. Research shows that LGBTQ are 120% more likely to experience homelessness and that up to 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQ.

To all the Open and Affirming, Welcoming and Affirming, Reconciling Congregations and faithful allies of the LGBTQ community…it takes more than a rainbow flag flying over the front door to get the message of God’s love across to those who have been beaten over the head with a bible by people trying to pray the gay away.

Being a gay friendly community asks something of us. It requires risk. The vast majority of Open and Affirming congregations I encounter in the UCC proudly fly their rainbow flags and proclaim that all are welcome. Their hearts are in the right place, and I celebrate the steps they have taken to be an inclusive community. More, however, is needed.

It takes a tremendous amount of courage for someone who has been traumatized by religion to walk in the door of a church. I don’t care how many rainbow flags festoon the building. I have heard too many stories of members of the LGBTQ community visiting an “open” church only to have no one talk to them, give them anything but a perfunctory welcome, and perhaps stare at their non-conforming attire. Of course we do that with straight people too, so it’s nothing new. But the damage done to someone who has mustered all their courage to walk in the door  is devastating.

What is most tragic, though, is that the heart of the message is never delivered or received. That message is the radical, inclusive, all embracing, joyous love of God who celebrates each and every person just as they are. What is never communicated is that they are truly welcome because this God we worship throws the door open wide to all who hunger and seek, and to all who need healing. The very heart of God is opened with the front door of the church to embrace everyone who walks in the door. The God we worship is a place where one can “unlearn” the hateful, distorted theology they learned that judged and rejected them.

We need Pride Month and we need people of faith to march in gay parades with signs that advertise their church. Straight people need to show they are allies to the gay community. Newspaper editorials and articles are needed to show a loving Christianity that is trying to drown out the voices of hate that are thinly veiled in a distorted view of what faith.

If you’re going to hang a rainbow flag, be prepared to live a rainbow life. Otherwise, don’t bother. The damage you reinforce will be even harder to unlearn.     

Yesterday, Florida’s Republican Governor and soon to be presidential candidate signed SB 1580 into law. This allows health care providers to deny medical care on the basis of moral, ethical or religious belief. The law also allows insurance companies to refuse coverage for procedures if they go against their stated moral or religious guidelines. Further, the bill grants full immunity from liability for any negative consequences resulting from their denial of care.

There are so many things wrong with this law it is hard to know where to start. That it ever got far enough to be signed into law is difficult to believe. This amounts to state sanctioned discrimination in the delivery of health care services.

The bill has a broad definition of healthcare payors. It includes any employer, health insurer, health plan, HMO, “or any other entity that pays for or arranges for payment of any health care service.” The law also has a broad definition of health care providers. According to the ACLU of Florida, “This bill is so overly broad that it includes not just doctors, but any health care provider or facility licensed under a dozen different statutes, including doctors, nurses, pharmacies, hospitals, mental health providers, medical transport services, clinical lab personnel, and more. It applies to both public and private schools, colleges and universities.”

I have questions. For example, a woman is in a motor vehicle crash and goes to the hospital for emergency medical care. This woman happens to have very short hair, several tattoos and multiple body piercings. On the SUSPICION that she MIGHT be gay, hospital personnel can deny her the care she needs AND be protected from any liability for doing so.

How does one determine if someone is gay? Is it by looks alone? Is there an interrogation? Is there some state ID that is issued? It sounds like we are heading down the road to yellow stars on sleeves.

And Ron DeSantis is running for president. One of his slogans is “Make America Like Florida.” If elected, his broad reaching powers have a more than average chance of making national laws that protect segregation and privilege, whitewash our history, undermine civil rights and push us further down the road to fascism.

Broadly defined, fascism is an extreme political movement that emphasizes nationalism, militarism and the supremacy of both the nation and a, powerful leader over the individual citizen. It opposes socialism, pluralism, individual rights and equality and democratic government.

I didn’t think America could survive a repeat of #45. I’m not sure our country can survive a DeSantis presidency either. The gerrymandering of voting districts will make it almost impossible for any democrat to win in any election. I am not an alarmist, but there is more than a little reason to be very nervous.

And here’s another disconnect. About 444,500 people moved to Florida between July 2021 and July 2022. Florida has a robust economy, with an unemployment rate of 2.6%, compared to 3.4% nationally. The median household income is $57,703, compared to $31,133 nationally. On the surface it looks pretty good. But the non-monetary costs of exclusion, bigotry, erosion of civil rights and systemic racism make it hard to see Florida as a desirable place to live.

Personally, I think it’s time to boycott Florida. I cannot in good conscience give them my tourist dollars. If I get sick in Florida, as a gay woman I might not be able to get the health care I need. I might be denied visitation privileges with my spouse. The scenarios that play out are terrifying.

It’s easy to think that my little boycott will have no impact on Florida, and it is probably true. But living my conscience is part of what it means to be faithful and to have integrity. And “two and two and fifty make a million”, as the old song goes. I know many of you, dear readers, have property in Florida and vacation in Florida. I vacationed in Florida this past year–but not next year. We have to put our money where our mouths are. It is part of loving our neighbor as ourselves–our gay neighbor, our black neighbor, our trans neighbor, our immigrant neighbor, our Muslim neighbor. If we have not love, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals as 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us. And love is not mushy-feel-good-warm-fuzzy-schmaltz. It is clench fisted denial, protest, making our voices heard and not backing down from what we know is right, true and just.

We forget that as consumers, we are the most powerful group. By choosing where we put our tourist dollars, how we spend our disposable income and where we put our civic and national efforts, we have the power to change things. And things need to be changed.

Since my blog last week many have written to share their stories with pets that have touched their lives. I love hearing from you. Thank you for writing.

One comment reminded me that organized religion is not everyone’s cup of tea. Yet, the desire for connection remains. Enter “The Nearness.” According to a story from the Religious News Service, “The Nearness is an online community where people of all religious and non-religious backgrounds can nurture and define what spirituality looks like for them outside of traditional religious institutions.” You can learn more about The Nearness here.

Casper ter Kuile and Alec Gerwitz founded The Nearness last fall. Their vision for this online community came from a desire to have different religious experiences than those provided in their childhood.

The Nearness provides courses on various topics and engages leaders from various traditions and philosophies. The courses provide guidance as well as “prompts for reflecting, asking questions, finding connection and experimenting with new practices and rituals.”

The Nearness is a community that has appeal to the ever growing population of the spiritual but not religious. This online community is a place where everyone is welcomed and affirmed, a place where people can be honest, as well as give and receive compassion. As an aside, it is a pathetic commentary on the church in general that so often it is NOT. It is interesting to note that many people who participate in this community are still affiliated, but not connected to a congregation.

For years research has shown that the single largest factor in member retention in religious communities is making significant friendships with other members. Ter Kuile notes that the data show that fewer people are making significant relationships within the church. Their  feelings of disconnection and isolation cause them to cease participation.

This does not bode well for the church. That said; I have no investment one way or the other in whether the institutional church survives. In fact, in its current incarnation I think it needs to die.  How such a radical, countercultural community of ordinary people, misfits and outcasts became the symbol of the status quo in a capitalist, success oriented, consumer culture is mind boggling. Perhaps in place of the thousands of churches that are closing every year, new vital communities that offer what people need and a vision for how to serve others might spring up. It’s pretty clear that the current model isn’t working.

In addition to groups for learning and growing The Nearness is experimenting with different kinds of rituals to ground significant life experiences. One thing that remains with people who may participate in religious life at no other time is that they often want to be married in a church, have their children baptized and have a minister preside over their funeral. Creating rituals apart from traditional religious ceremonies, allows significant life cycle events to be grounded in community and in ceremony.

I think The Nearness is on to something here. Maybe the church can learn a few lessons. Online opportunities for group participation, more small group interaction and a true spirit of hospitality are a good place to begin. Then, if the church could lose its self-righteous piety it might have a fighting chance.

Robert Fulghum may have learned what he needed to know in kindergarten. Much of I what I need to know I have learned from my dog.  Here are a few lessons from dogdom that have taught me something about the kin-dom, faithfulness and discipleship. 

Bark with your buddies.  Barking is an act of community.  When a dog barks, dogs in the distance answer.  Barking says we’re all in this together. “Improved communication” through electronics may make us more connected, but it fails to provide human contact. Being in community is, however, important.   

There’s a reason worship is central to a life of faithfulness. We are created to live in community.  Yes, we can pray on our own, connect with God on the mountains, water or golf course; but there is no substitute for corporate worship. Singing praise together, praying for one another and greeting one another in the spirit and love of Christ are an essential part of spiritual wellbeing.  Part of being a follower of Jesus Christ means gathering regularly for the encouragement of fellowship.

Greet loved ones with a wagging tail.  Nothing is more important than feeling loved, and there’s not a creature on the planet that does it better than a dog. One of the things I miss the most about my dog, Pearl, is that no matter how big a jerk I may have been on any given day, Pearl was happy to see me and ready to give me a slurp.  She reminded me that unconditional love is a beautiful thing and that I have a long way to go before I am even close to embodying it in my own life. 

Dogs remind us that loyalty is a good thing. Loyalty has fallen on hard times in our fickle culture as we are sometimes quick to trade in our friends, jobs, churches and spouses when the going gets tough; but loyalty it is a critical element of discipleship.  In Christ we are invited to a new relationship for a lifetime, not for a season, not for a time, but for all time.  And like all relationships, ours with God knows seasons. As the disciples anticipated tough times, Jesus reminds them and us that we continue to belong to God.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.  You know how dogs eat, slobber flying everywhere, chasing the dish across the floor to get every last morsel.   Twice a day Pearl would jump around and bark and couldn’t wait to dive into her food bowl. Watching a dog at mealtime is a great reminder that eating is a celebration of life. 

Breaking bread together is holy.  To nourish the body is not a chore, but a sacrament.  Eating together is deeply intimate. Barriers are broken down, relationships are renewed and nourished, and friendships are born and strengthened.  Eat with gusto; enjoy all the flavors and spices of creation.

We are also reminded of the basic need that all have for nourishment.  In this troubled world economy it is frightening to think that a basic commodity like rice, a staple for millions of the poorest of the poor, is becoming more and more expensive.  Riots in around the world and the increased numbers at meal sites and food pantries are not just social tragedies, but defining moments for God’s people.  Each week the local food pantry is all that stands between people and growing hunger right here in our own communities.

Run, romp and play daily. Physical exercise is as important for the soul as it is for the body. Pearl was absolutely unabashed in her demand for daily exercise and attention.  She would sit at the door and bark until one of us went outside to throw the disgusting tennis ball that was her constant companion. Or she would look at the leash and bark.  Through the years I’ve had a lot of pets–dogs, horses, cats, goats, chickens, you name it. Caring for them was always a welcome discipline and a reminder of how important it is to tend to physical needs. 

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your tail. Thankfulness and celebration are powerful dynamics for healthy living. Gratitude is a spiritual discipline that helps us affirm the essential goodness of life.

Even when adversity strikes, gratitude helps us maintain our perspective and carry us through the low moments. And when I speak of gratitude, I don’t mean some schmaltzy, shallow, put on a happy face crap. Pearl reminded me to cultivate gratitude through simple things.  In the grand scheme of things she didn’t ask for much–a few minutes of my undivided attention, a short walk a couple times a day, decent food, a safe dry place to sleep– and she was happy. 

Learn to be present.  At the Nursing Home, Pearl would visit with other residents and she was different with each of them.  If a person was playful she would be too, if they were withdrawn she would quietly sit down beside them.  

Watching Pearl reminded me of the value of sitting close by and being present.  I may have said this before, but one of the most valuable things I learned from my mentor is that, “when you don’t know what to say, for God’s sake, shut up.” 

This is a challenging and complicated life we all lead and there is no doubt that we are in need of comfort and encouragement.  I’m not suggesting that everyone run out and get a dog. I am suggesting that looking for simple places to find comfort and encouragement is a balance to what can be a difficult time in life.

Finally, when you choose to surround yourself with lives even more fragile than your own, you learn that time is fleeting and life is precious. Pearl passed from our keeping to God’s a bit ago, taking her place with the canine, equine and other critter companions who have graced my life through the years.

The truth is that each day is filled with opportunities and invitations that make the difference between merely existing and truly living. May you find the simple things that bring comfort, encouragement and glimpses of peace and joy.

Via the door is the logical answer. But when it comes to church, going in the door is not the same as getting in. Anyone can walk through the door of a church. After that, they have the daunting task of finding a way into the community. And it isn’t always easy, especially if you are an introvert.

It’s hard to walk up to someone you don’t know and introduce yourself. It’s even harder when a dozen people descend on you like flies on a hot apple pie. You may hear the unfortunate phrase, “You are sitting in my seat.” The congregation stands and sits at odd times. Everyone seems to know a couple of the ditties they sing–“Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow” and “Glory Be to the Father”– but there are no page numbers and no words. When they say the Lord’s Prayer, you say trespasses and they say debts. You don’t know when you are supposed to do what. And then, when worship is over there is this awful thing called “Coffee Hour” where people talk to each other, but because you don’t know anyone you stand there all by yourself sipping really bad coffee and looking for the nearest exit.

And we wonder why people never come back.

But that’s not even the worst of the problem. People show up to church because they are looking for something. In my experience very few people show up to church the first time because their lives are going swimmingly. They come because they are in crisis (and not just a spiritual one) or more often, because they are lonely. People often come to church because they are looking for a place where they can belong.  According to the Roots of Loneliness Project, “52% of Americans report feeling lonely, while 47% report their relationships with others are not meaningful. Only 59% of Americans say they have a best friend.”

Often when they come to church, they find there is no way “in.” And if that is the case, chances are good they will not come back through time. If they join, they will become inactive within six to nine months. Studies have shown again and again that new member retention depends on opportunities to connect with small groups of people for study, fellowship, mission opportunity and more.

In the “olden days” when I was growing up, the Ladies Aid Society was the group that bound the women together. They were the backbone of the church. These women’s groups are shriveling on the vine as their members grow older and newer women are not interested in the format or content of the group. Bible study was always an option and lots of people got to know each other through the six to eight week sessions that ran throughout the year. The choir was a pretty tight group, meeting once a week for rehearsal and singing together on Sunday morning. Church clean up days in the spring and fall provided another opportunity for people to get to know each other. Pot Luck suppers and opportunities to eat were always popular, too.

Times, however, have changed. The church has been slow to follow.  In many churches getting someone on a board or committee is considered getting a new member to be active. I think it’s dumb. A person joins an organization, has no idea how it works, gets put on a committee and is expected to make decisions and participate in processes they know nothing about. Has anyone really thought this through as a membership retention strategy?

The point is that people are yearning for community. The cure for loneliness is connection. People don’t need more jobs or tasks of content. They need more connection. The two churches with which I have relationship have such opportunities to be together. My home church has a monthly meal that is not only a fundraiser for the church, but provides opportunity for people to come together as a team. They also have a weekly bible study. The other church I connect with that is closer to my home just started a free community meal. Inviting people from the community afforded us opportunity to meet people who live in the same neighborhood as the church. It also gave me an opportunity to meet and work with people I did not know. It was a blast!

Churches that provide invitation and opportunity for people to participate in small groups help to quell the epidemic of loneliness that plagues our society. How is your church, synagogue or mosque doing at providing opportunities for people to be together? My guess is there is room for improvement. Leave a comment and let me know your experience with groups in your church. If you don’t have a church or religious community, leave a comment on what would encourage you to participate.

While it is coming to the fore in strong and frightening ways, the idea of Christian nationalism is nothing new. There are, according to John D. Wilsey in The Many Faces of Christian Nationalism, several distinct periods when Christian national identity was strengthened in American history. These periods are American Puritanism and Puritan Millennialism, Christian Republicanism, Manifest Destiny, Lincolnian Unionism, Wilsonian Idealism and Christian America.

Christian America is the period in which we find ourselves today. It first gained ground in 1977 when Peter Marshall and David Manuel published a book called The Light and the Glory. It set forth the idea that persists today, that America is the new Israel, God’s beloved and chosen people. It promulgates the idea that America was founded as a Christian nation and that all efforts to blend American and Christian identity together were to be supported and strengthened.

Christian nationalism is once again coming to the limelight and has widespread support in various sectors of American life. Such ideology is seeping into our national leadership with legislators (I cringe to use the term) like Marjorie Taylor Green selling T-shirts on her website sporting the words “Proud Christian Nationalist.”

According to the Religious News Service, a poll from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that fully one third of Americans hold Christian nationalist views.

If you’re not afraid yet, you should be.

At its simplest, Christian nationalism is the belief that being Christian is central to American identity. As an ideology, the “Christianity” it embraces is racist, homophobic, xenophobic and about every other phobic you can name. While the percentages of people who wholeheartedly embrace this ideology are relatively small, they hold positions of power and influence that make their numbers more than the sum of their parts.

There is, however, some good news. The Religious News Service reports that, according to PRRI, “Americans who have heard of Christian nationalism are twice as likely to hold a negative than a positive view of the term. These Americans also reject the specific ideas associated with the ideology. Indeed, the 3 in 10 Americans that PRRI found who align with Christian nationalism to some degree are opposed by near the same percentage who completely reject the ideas associated with Christian nationalism. Another 39% are skeptical.”

The good news is that there is value in making our voices heard to stand against Christian nationalism. The squeaky wheel does indeed get the grease, and it is time for us to squeak more loudly than those who support the ludicrous notion that America should be a straight, white, Christian nation.

The pushback against Christian nationalism is taking a pluralistic form. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Vote Common Good are visible groups working to counteract Christian nationalism. They are joined by the longstanding Baptist Joint Committee, the Poor People’s Campaign and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Vote Common Good has a state of the art curriculum titled, “Confront Christian Nationalism Curriculum,” for faith community leaders and individuals.

As is often the case, the majority is often the silent majority. Clearly more Americans stand against Christian nationalism than for it. It is time to make our voices heard. Join one of the organizations listed above and support their work. Educate yourself on the manifestations of Christian nationalism. Here are some examples posted by Keith Simon on the Blog “Truth Over Tribe”:

• You believe America was founded by white evangelicals.
• You want your church to fly the American flag in the sanctuary.
• You think America is God’s chosen nation.
• You call yourself an evangelical but don’t go to church.
• You think it’s wrong to criticize America.
• You think government zoning laws should allow churches to be built, but not mosques.
• You want mandatory Christian prayers in public schools.
• You think immigrants aren’t as good as Americans who were born in this country.
• You think spiritual revival will be ushered in by a new president.
• You believe the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are divinely inspired.

Think long and hard about which of those statements lives somewhere in you. Your country is depending on you.

On Palm Sunday, Jesus made his final journey to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. Long before Jesus ever set foot toward the city of Jerusalem for Passover, however, the most important journey of his life was well underway.  It was the journey inward, to a place that was not a place but grounded all other places.  This journey kept Jesus grounded in what he was supposed to do and kept him doing it even when it ceased to be popular. This journey gave him the fortitude and clarity to remain undeterred. 

All that he did and said and spoke was the fruit of this journey. Before Jesus ever answered a call to do, he answered the call to be.  His first pilgrimage was inward.

It is no coincidence that Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem coincided with the celebration of Passover.  Passover is all about freedom from bondage.  It is the celebration that marks the Exodus and the end of slavery in Egypt at the hands of Pharaoh.  Like all Jews who were physically able to make the trip, Jesus and his friends made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the celebration. Passover was and remains a ritual symbolizing their belief that God set them free. It is an archetypal story that speaks to the human experience–from bondage to freedom, from death to life, from vulnerability to strength and back again, through suffering to new life.  Every great world religion has a feast/festival or celebration that marks the cycle of renewal and refreshment, freedom and new identity.

Passover and the rituals that surround it are all about freedom, deliverance, identity and the kind of inner clarity that keeps one going when nothing else can.  Much of Jesus’ teaching and ministry was about setting people free from bondage and slavery that came from too much money and too little money, too much power and too little power,  those who were broken and isolated and shunned  for whatever reason.

Jesus was formed in the crucible of the Passover celebration. It was a reminder that God’s intent was freedom and life without fear.  He was tempered by the prophets’ words and scarred with the fire of others’ pain.  He lived and laughed and loved after the way of God and showed God to all who would look and listen and follow.

It’s hard for us to grasp this. We are so intent on doing and accomplishing and having.  In our culture we are what we have and we are what we do.  And when we read this back into the Bible it’s easy to focus on all the cool stuff Jesus did; but this wasn’t about doing, it was about being.  This was a moment that defined Jesus and gave us a glimpse of his inner space. Most of us can point to a few moments that define who we are.  As Frederick Beuchner says, we are formed by a tender and terrible process, moments too wonderful and too awful to tell.  As life rolls out around us and sometimes right over us, we are shaped by the response we make, by the place deep inside that we reach to in order to keep on going. 

Jesus did not go to provoke the situation, though it seems pretty clear he knew what was waiting for him, that this would bring clashes with the religious poobahs of the day to a head.  It’s kind of ironic. He is going to celebrate freedom knowing he will be arrested.

Maybe today is a day to think twice about what freedom really is.  Jesus came into the city for a celebration that marked freedom. It suggests that he saw a truth beyond what appeared. Though he would be arrested later in in the week, this day staked Jesus’ path of freedom that was not measured by the absence of bars but by clarity of purpose.

The celebration of this day lies not in the palms and cheering crowds but in Jesus’ gentle resolve to keep on being who he was, to keep on doing what he was doing.    Jesus’ inner journey is a path for us to follow, but in a way that is uniquely our own.  We discover it by reaching inward and listening for God’s whispering presence.  It’s one of the ways Jesus stayed grounded; he went off by himself because it was the only way he could hear what was happening inside of him. 

Jesus lays a path for us to follow. It is the journey inward to that place that is not a place; yet it grounds all other places.  This journey will keep us focused on what we are supposed to do, even when it ceases to be popular. This inner journey will give us the fortitude and clarity to remain undeterred.  This is how we follow Jesus on the way.

I am so tired of “thoughts and prayers.” I have grown weary of prayer vigils and ceremonies “honoring” the victims. I am sick to death of piles of flowers and lit candles in front of schools where children were mown down by a shooter. I am angry at the apathy of people who have grown accustomed to these atrocities and have lost their righteous anger. I am over the spin of the NRA and the kooks who think everyone has the right to own an assault rifle. I am tired of focusing on the shooters’ mental health as the reason for mass shootings. I am disgusted with politicians who accept money from the NRA and thus continue to support their ludicrous agenda. And I am angry that these politicians are not soundly defeated in elections because good people do nothing.

If you have not written a blistering letter to all your legislators at LEAST once, you are part of the problem. If you are one who says “tsk tsk” and does nothing, you are part of the problem. If you are one who faithfully prays for the victims and wrings your hands at the horror of it all, but forgets that prayer is a verb, you are part of the problem. It is horrifying to me that our legislators are not consistently inundated with correspondence calling for gun reform. Even in areas where there is strong support for the NRA and free-wheeling gun ownership, I am willing to bet there is enough opposition to make a difference in who legislators believe is their constituency. If you live in a state with lax or non-existent gun laws and have not made your voice heard, you are part of the problem.

Yes, this is a rant. And I am ranting long and loud because there has been yet another school shooting.

Here is a list of schools that have experienced mass shootings since such records have been kept. Sadly, this is probably an incomplete list.

Covenant School
Thurston High School
Columbine High School
Heritage High School
Deming Middle School
Fort Gibson Middle School
Buell Elementary School
Lake Worth Middle School
University of Arkansas
Junipero Serra High School
Santana High School
Bishop Neumann High School
Pacific Lutheran University
Granite Hills High School
Lew Wallace High School
Martin Luther King, Jr High School
Appalachian School of Law
Washington High School
Conception Abbey
Benjamin Tasker Middle School
University of Arizona
Lincoln High School
John McDonogh High School
Red Lion Area Junior High School
Case Western Reserve University
Rocori High School
Ballou High School
Randallstown High School
Bowen High School
Red Lake Senior High School
Harlan Community Academy High School
Campbell County High School
Milwee Middle School
Roseburg High School
Pine Middle School
Essex Elementary School
Duquesne University
Platte Canyon High School
Weston High School
West Nickel Mines School
Joplin Memorial Middle School
Henry Foss High School
Compton Centennial High School
Virginia Tech
Success Tech Academy
Miami Carol City Senior High School
Hamilton High School
Louisiana Technical College
Mitchell High School
EO Green Junior High School
Northern Illinois University
Lakota Middle School
Knoxville Central High School
Willoughby South High School
Henry Ford High School
University of Central Arkansas
Dillard High School
Dunbar High School
Hampton University
Harvard College
Larose-Cut Off Middle School
International Studies Academy
Skyline College
Discovery Middle School
University of Alabama
DeKalb School
Deer Creek Middle School
Ohio State University
Mumford High School
University of Texas
Kelly Elementary School
Marinette High School
Aurora Central High School
Millard South High School
Martinsville West Middle School
Worthing High School
Millard South High School
Highlands Intermediate School
Cape Fear High School
Chardon High School
Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Oikos University
Hamilton High School
Perry Hall School
Normal Community High School
University of South Alabama
Banner Academy South
University of Southern California
Sandy Hook Elementary School
Apostolic Revival Center Christian School
Taft Union High School
Osborn High School
Stevens Institute of Business and Arts
Hazard Community and Technical College
Chicago State University
Lone Star College-North
Cesar Chavez High School
Price Middle School
University of Central Florida
New River Community College
Grambling State University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School
Ronald E McNair Discovery Academy
North Panola High School
Carver High School
Agape Christian Academy
Sparks Middle School
North Carolina A&T State University
Stephenson High School
Brashear High School
West Orange High School
Arapahoe High School
Edison High School
Liberty Technology Magnet High School
Hillhouse High School
Berrendo Middle School
Purdue University
South Carolina State University
Los Angeles Valley College
Charles F Brush High School
University of Southern California
Georgia Regents University
Academy of Knowledge Preschool
Benjamin Banneker High School
D H Conley High School
East English Village Preparatory Academy
Paine College
Georgia Gwinnett College
John F Kennedy High School
Seattle Pacific University
Reynolds High School
Indiana State University
Albemarle High School
Fern Creek Traditional High School
Langston Hughes High School
Marysville Pilchuck High School
Florida State University
Miami Carol City High School
Rogers State University
Rosemary Anderson High School
Wisconsin Lutheran High School
Frederick High School
Tenaya Middle School
Bethune-Cookman University
Pershing Elementary School
Wayne Community College
JB Martin Middle School
Southwestern Classical Academy
Savannah State University
Harrisburg High School
Umpqua Community College
Northern Arizona University
Texas Southern University
Tennessee State University
Winston-Salem State University
Mojave High School
Lawrence Central High School
Franklin High School
Muskegon Heights High School
Independence High School
Madison High School
Antigo High School
University of California-Los Angeles
Jeremiah Burke High School
Alpine High School
Townville Elementary School
Vigor High School
Linden McKinley STEM Academy
June Jordan High School for Equity
Union Middle School
Mueller Park Junior High School
West Liberty-Salem High School
University of Washington
King City High School
North Park Elementary School
North Lake College
Freeman High School
Mattoon High School
Rancho Tehama Elementary School
Aztec High School
Wake Forest University
Italy High School
NET Charter High School
Marshall County High School
Sal Castro Middle School
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Great Mills High School
Central Michigan University
Huffman High School
Frederick Douglass High School
Forest High School
Highland High School
Dixon High School
Santa Fe High School
Noblesville West Middle School
University of North Carolina Charlotte
STEM School Highlands Ranch
Edgewood High School
Palm Beach Central High School
Providence Career & Technical Academy
Fairley High School (school bus)
Canyon Springs High School
Dennis Intermediate School
Florida International University
Central Elementary School
Cascade Middle School
Davidson High School
Prairie View A & M University
Altascocita High School
Central Academy of Excellence
Cleveland High School
Robert E Lee High School
Cheyenne South High School
Grambling State University
Blountsville Elementary School
Holmes County, Mississippi (school bus)
Prescott High School
College of the Mainland
Wynbrooke Elementary School
UNC Charlotte
Riverview Florida (school bus)
Second Chance High School
Carman-Ainsworth High School
Williwaw Elementary School
Monroe Clark Middle School
Central Catholic High School
Jeanette High School
Eastern Hills High School
DeAnza High School
Ridgway High School
Reginald F Lewis High School
Saugus High School
Pleasantville High School
Waukesha South High School
Oshkosh High School
Catholic Academy of New Haven
Bellaire High School
North Crowley High School
McAuliffe Elementary School
South Oak Cliff High School
Texas A&M University-Commerce
Sonora High School
Western Illinois University
Oxford High School

Come on people, it is past time to grow a pair and start pushing back against the ridiculousness of the gun lobby. It is past time to become an activist. Yes, you may be labeled a fanatic. Yes, you may lose a few friends. Yes, you may be unpopular in your community. Deal with it. It is time to stand up and be counted as one who says, “No More!” If “we the people” are going to truly be “we the people” who work for justice and accountability, it is time to stop sending “thoughts and prayers” and act.