Ordination Day

July 15, 2007, the day I was ordained into the partoral ministry of the United Church of Christ. The good-looking galoot by my side is my husband, Paul.

What a journey this was. There were points along the way when I wondered if the day would come.

I am thankful for those that God sent to accompany me along this circuitous path, a number of whom were present at the ordination. Sallye, Doug, Michael, Deb, Joe, Brenda, Jan, Beth, John, Mom, Rob, Liz, Drew, Helen W., Helen S., Ernest, Betty, Jean, Chris, Amy, Tyler...the list goes on. The clergy who laid hands on me were Anglo, African-American, Filipino, married, divorced, straight, gay, UCC, Baptist, Methodist and who knows what all. This was, as several commented, the Church as it is supposed to be. And as the UCC motto states: "That they may all be one." (John 17:21)

I am also thankful for those who accompanied me through the rocky roads leading to this day, and who could not be here: Jackie, Emily, Butch, Steve, Laurie, Richard, Diane, Pat, Julia, Paul M., Laura, Gay, Ed, Rob L., Kris, Carolyn and a host of others.

Some of them know that I have gotten to this day. Others do not, but I know they will rejoice. Thank you for being there, lifting me, supporting me, guiding me.

What Would Sadden Jesus

What would sadden Jesus?

I imagine the refusal by High Point Community Church to keep its commitment to provide a memorial service for Cecil Sinclair, a Navy veteran who happened to be gay.


According to the news story
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/66436.html the decision was not a matter of hatred or discrimination, but principle. So what is the principle involved here?


Could it be this one:

10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.

Matthew 9:10

Possibly this principle:

2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

John 8:2-11

What does it mean for us to be Christ -like?

It is to love, our God, our neighbor, and our enemy.

God's Hands

I don't know if this would surprise Jesus. It might surprise me, but it reminds me of the story of Jesus' baptism. On that day the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased."

Many times in our lives, we live in a veil of clouds, uncertain if the sun will shine again. Through faith we will live to see the clouds lifted, and the shroud of darkness torn back.

The following poem was written today in the writer's workshop called Zoetrope. Those of us who dabble in poetry and wish to play gather around the keyboards at about 1pm eastern time, and respond to a prompt. Today's prompt was to consider what we understand as faith.

Crossing

Crossing the James River Bridge
catching at the periphery
points of light--
beacons lining the shoreline
into tomorrow
destination unknown.

Shivering--
the remnants of fear
clung like a peat-moss
cloak;
praying the waters
would close over
Pharaoh's chariots.

Scanning the landscape
in search of a landmark:
a sign, a fleece
a herald of welcome-
a cold draught of water
for the itinerant.

Amid the neon banners
competing for attention
the warm glow
the humble yellow
peeks through the swath
of red, blue and green--

a refuge of familiarity--
as the tinny juke-box plays
in the Waffle House
and we receive bread
we know without a doubt
we've been led home.

© Grace M. Murray, 2007

Revelation Tag

Carver Adams challenged me to a game of revelation tag .

Here are the rules:
1. The rules must be posted by each participant at the beginning of the post.
2. Each player posts 8 facts about himself/herself.
3. Tagged parties post their own 8 items in a blog, and post these rules.
4. At the end of the blog, each player or 'tagee' must post the names of eight people s/he is tagging in turn.
5. And inform said tagees by e-mail, telegraph wire or telepathy if blessed with such ability, but in any case inform them or they'll have trouble participating.

Fascinating Facts about Gracie
1. After a long, circuitous journey, I was ordained in the United Church of Christ on July 15, 2007. Of course, the journey is not over. Destinations are simply landmarks on the way.

2. I am a published writer. My published works include:
Flash Fiction- Naked at The Writer's Ezine , June 2006
Poetry - Fossilized & Civilized Communication - both at Static Movement, September 2006 Lioness in Miniature at Antithesis Common
and now, in Print! "Spay or Neuter Your Humanoid" in the Drabbler, February 2007.
To date I have earned the vast sum of $16.00 for my work.

3. I discovered a new culture in the North Carolina Orthopaedic Hospital in Gastonia, NC. As a girl I was hospitalized there three times. We were grouped and we related to one another according to our orthopaedic problem. There was crossover, to be sure, but there is that sense of forming clans according to some common denominator.

4. Before I became familiar with the miracle at Pentecost, when the disciples spoke in tongues that all people could understand, I use to wonder if we really all speak different languages, but hear others words in our own.

5. I have learned to pick my battles. But I am acutely aware that some will never know the battles I chose to avoid.

6. Preaching is my passion. My second is writing. Words are powerful. I pray I use them wisely.

7. I have done things I never thought I would be able to do. Lived as a single parent and earned a Master of Divinity during that time. Began an Interfaith Disaster Response that continues though I have moved on. Went whitewater rafting and lived to tell about it.

8. I get up every morning and knowing some of the trials I have been through, I look in the mirror and smile and say to myself and the world: I'm still here!

People I am tagging to play Revelation Tag:
Joe Emerson, Brenda Tagge, Christopher Hicks, Rob Licht, Elizabeth Dill, Sue Thurman, Jake MacKillan, Margot Miller