Remember....

 

The liturgy instructs us to "remember your baptism and be thankful."  Wise counsel. 

A cousin gave me the bulletin that announced my birth and stated the rose on the alter that Sunday morning many decades ago was in celebration of me!  That's a grand way to start a life!

I will never get over the total kick and rush of officiating a baptism.  When I moved from congregational setting ministry to the extension ministry designation, I would get teary every time a baptism was celebrated. I missed officiating those "place a bookmark here" moments in the lives of the child, parents, families, congregations.  I still have opportunities and every time I am asked, it's a ready 'YES!"  I've created my own liturgy to make it personal and relevant for all involved and I always use a seashell, I like the symbolism and if there is an older sibling provides an occasion to involve her/him in the sacrament by carrying up the shell and handing it to me.   Of course, parents tend to dress the baby in the frilliest, laciest, most layered outfit.  Those can be kind of slippy so I'm one who tells the parents to place the baby in my outstretched arms and I'll take it from there.

We Methodists, are big on infant baptism and sprinkling the water. We also take the newly baptized baby on a brief tour of the congregation for the congregants to "ooh and ahh" and be re-minded (dash intentional) that they have just promised to uphold and support and actively care for this little one.  I take that promise seriously and in my view that promise is a lifetime guarantee. 

Today, remember.....what you've been told about your baptism, were you a yeller or were you chill?  Who officiated?  

Remember the baptisms of all the beloved ones in your life at which you've been present. 

May your remembering be active and affirm that you are a blessed, beloved, beautiful child of God....always.  

I forgot the "F" word............

 Joe, my  Sunday School teacher, emailed to tell me I forgot the “F” word…I am very appreciative of his catch and I also chuckled…. I mean, those who know me would be shocked that I forgot the “F” word and in its various iterations. 

 

This alphabet is becoming quite the comedy of errors…mercy….

My Aunt Florence, she the librarian and lover and gifter of great books, would have each of her nieces and nephews when turning age 4 stand before her and count to one-hundred and recite the alphabet.  To do so successfully earned you $1.  

After this alphabet fiasco, I’m beginning to think I should refund the money….

 

F = FREEDOM 

I will be free of the inner critic who makes me feel and act small.  

 

 

My youngest nephew is a scholar of all things J.R.R. Tolkein.  He’s read the books and seen all the movies multiple times, he named his dogs after characters: Pippin, Finn; when he and his wife were expecting their first child, he wanted to name the kid “something that is unique.”  We were expecting the child to be named Gandalf or perhaps some Elfin name of which we could only identify in symbols.

 

Tolkein, born January 3 was a buddy of C.S. Lewis and with him formed the writing group, The Inklings.” As is true of most with the experiences of war, Tolkein was impacted by his service in World War I. 

One of the first books I received as a young reader was THE HOBBIT and I, like billions of others, was energized and enthralled by all the movies (The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) and they maintain their magic of being ones rewatched with ease and maintained enjoyment. 

For me what draws me to Tolkein’s tales are the sense of a group of persons who should not fit nor work well together, managing to do just that and to en-COURAGE, journey beside and battle together whatever “dragons” and evil wizards encountered. This sense has always been what calls me to my work in congregations, community organizing and collective efforts to build and expand the shared common good and beloved community. Oh, and I’m also a fan of “second breakfasts.”

 

NEW YEARS

 

Folks have to be asking how long is she going to be doing this ABC bit....enough already......for good writer's ju-ju, I had to do one more piece with the ABC's.  

Here are my hopes, plans, focus as a new year beckons:

A =       Avoid being an ass moments

B =       Be present

C=        Call…. actively answer it

D=        Disciple, evidence it in action and word

E =       Equity ---- advocate and fight for it

G =       Goals --- set them, pursue them, achieve them

H =       Hope --- maintain it

I =        Instruct --- teach what I know and be open to learn from others

J =        Join in 

K =       Kids --- spend more time 

L =       Laugh --- always

M =      Mum --- honor in living what she taught and shown

N =       New --- claim in the gift of each day….

O =      Organize

P =       Priorities ---- what matters

Q =      Quiet time

R =       Read --- do so in place of screens

S =       Sally --- know me,  live seamlessly

T =       Trust

U =       Unique

V =       Voice, mine is loud so use wisely

W =      Wings, emancipate them and leap

X =       Mystery --- trust it

Y =       Yes --- answer more and experience the moment

Z =       Zeal --- work with passion