Today's honoree is one of my very favorite people, and my favorite priest. I met her[ yes, HER} in August of 2010 when she came to Beach Parish as the new rector. At the time I was attending Small Parish, but really enjoyed Christie's conversation and company.
When I moved to Beach Parish she became my priest, and to this day she's the priest who has had the most effect on me. Christie taught me to embrace my human foibles . She knows she isn't perfect--- and because of her " real-ness" I learned to be more authentic in my dealings with people. Christie is such a good priest mainly because she's unapologenically authentic--- a trait that I admire.
I also learned from her that a strong woman need not buy into the ' strength is not feminine' bullshit that is put out by are media and culture. She's " all girl" yet displays a strong and capable presence .
I miss her terribly here on the Coast, but I know God will do great things through her in her new parish and position.
Showing posts with label #WomensHistoryMarch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #WomensHistoryMarch. Show all posts
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
March 3 Rev Cathy Zappa
Today's honoree is someone whom I just learned about recently. Her name is Cathy Zappa.
She is an Episcopal priest serving at The Cathedral of St Philip in Atlanta who is also the spiritual director of the only woman on Georgia's Death Row. [ that is fodder for another essay entirely}
Rev Zappa, as a prison chaplain, ministers to and with some of society's most-despised citizens. While I do not condone what many of the people in America's penal system have done, I DO believe it is our duty as citizens of a civilized society to respect the dignity of each and every person. And ESPECIALLY as people of faith, those of us who follow Christ as our Lord and Savior are MANDATED to serve the downtrodden and the despised. There are many examples in the four Gospel lessons of Jesus our Savior serving those in his society that were "untouchables". Whether we like it or not, we are also called to do the same here and now.
I shall admit that prison ministry is NOT something that I am called to do. But all of us can support those such as Rev Zappa who ARE serving among those in our prison systems. She is doing what very few people will do and for her service I commend her.
Amen.
She is an Episcopal priest serving at The Cathedral of St Philip in Atlanta who is also the spiritual director of the only woman on Georgia's Death Row. [ that is fodder for another essay entirely}
Rev Zappa, as a prison chaplain, ministers to and with some of society's most-despised citizens. While I do not condone what many of the people in America's penal system have done, I DO believe it is our duty as citizens of a civilized society to respect the dignity of each and every person. And ESPECIALLY as people of faith, those of us who follow Christ as our Lord and Savior are MANDATED to serve the downtrodden and the despised. There are many examples in the four Gospel lessons of Jesus our Savior serving those in his society that were "untouchables". Whether we like it or not, we are also called to do the same here and now.
I shall admit that prison ministry is NOT something that I am called to do. But all of us can support those such as Rev Zappa who ARE serving among those in our prison systems. She is doing what very few people will do and for her service I commend her.
Amen.
Monday, March 2, 2015
March 2 " Grandma" Jeanne
Today's honoree has passed on to the next life. I think of her often and still miss her, especially when I return to the lake for my summer visit.
Although I refer to her as ' Grandma' , she actually was of no blood relation to me. ' Grandma' Jeanne was my Godfather's mother, and I loved her as though she were my blood relative.
She and I were as different on many levels as two women could have been, and I shall admit to feeling frustrated by and downright mad by her words and actions on some occasion. But Grandma Jeanne taught me some good life lessons, and for these I am grateful for her influence in my life.
She taught me the value of hard work and how to manage time. I remember working at the snack bar at the campground that my Godparents own on Sundays waiting for Gram to arrive in her golf cart. She made sure that I, as well as the rest of the staff, stayed busy while 'on the clock' and did not waste time. I learned to be a good employee under Gram's watchful eyes.
Another valuable lesson I learned from Gram is to have an eye for natural beauty. As an artist, she was fascinated with the natural beauty of the lake and had an observant eye for detail.
RIP , and thanks so much, Gram.
Although I refer to her as ' Grandma' , she actually was of no blood relation to me. ' Grandma' Jeanne was my Godfather's mother, and I loved her as though she were my blood relative.
She and I were as different on many levels as two women could have been, and I shall admit to feeling frustrated by and downright mad by her words and actions on some occasion. But Grandma Jeanne taught me some good life lessons, and for these I am grateful for her influence in my life.
She taught me the value of hard work and how to manage time. I remember working at the snack bar at the campground that my Godparents own on Sundays waiting for Gram to arrive in her golf cart. She made sure that I, as well as the rest of the staff, stayed busy while 'on the clock' and did not waste time. I learned to be a good employee under Gram's watchful eyes.
Another valuable lesson I learned from Gram is to have an eye for natural beauty. As an artist, she was fascinated with the natural beauty of the lake and had an observant eye for detail.
RIP , and thanks so much, Gram.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
March 1 My Grandmother
Today I want to honor my paternal Grandmother, " Anne"
Truth be told, Grandma Anne is actually my Dad's stepmother. Dad's birth mother died when he was just a baby, and my Pap married Anne when Dad and his older brother were small children. Pap and Anne had four more children, and all six of said children produced 15 grandchildren. I am the eldest of the 15 grandchildren, and spent a lot of my early childhood with my paternal grandparents.
Anne is a retired emergency room nurse who earned her Physician's Assistant degree. Her entire career was spent working in the emergency room of Small Town Pennsylvania Hospital, , all while raising six children at home. Grandma Anne taught me early on that it is not only acceptable, but ADMIRABLE for a woman to be a wife and mother as well as successful in her career.
My family is blessed to still count Grandma Anne among us, and I am grateful for her presence in my life. even in her 8th decade, she's feisty and I love her spunk!
Truth be told, Grandma Anne is actually my Dad's stepmother. Dad's birth mother died when he was just a baby, and my Pap married Anne when Dad and his older brother were small children. Pap and Anne had four more children, and all six of said children produced 15 grandchildren. I am the eldest of the 15 grandchildren, and spent a lot of my early childhood with my paternal grandparents.
Anne is a retired emergency room nurse who earned her Physician's Assistant degree. Her entire career was spent working in the emergency room of Small Town Pennsylvania Hospital, , all while raising six children at home. Grandma Anne taught me early on that it is not only acceptable, but ADMIRABLE for a woman to be a wife and mother as well as successful in her career.
My family is blessed to still count Grandma Anne among us, and I am grateful for her presence in my life. even in her 8th decade, she's feisty and I love her spunk!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
the cost of dicipleship...and apostleship. And are you ready to pay?
Today Best Dude went with me to Beach Town Parish for Mass this morning.
On this second Sunday in Ordinary Time the priest talked about how discipleship & apostleship are not easy.
In today's Gospel lesson from St Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples what it will mean to proclaim Him as their risen LORD. This is a part of the discourse in Matthew's Gospel that is unsettling to we 21st-century Christians. Look closely at the text for today:
Jesus says" ...and whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of me. "
Ouch.
Jesus is letting His disciples , and also we Christians in today's modern era, that discipleship & apostleship is not for the weak or faint-of-heart. Taking our Crosses and doing Jesus' work here on earth is hard. In order to BE Christ's hands & feet in the here & now, I've come to the conclusion that I must be of good spiritual & emotional health. In order to give my best in the service of God, I must first BE my best.
As hard as it can be, sometimes service to God requires that we alter our earthly relationships with some people who might hold us back from giving our all in the Service of the Creator/Redeemer/Sustainer Godhead .Jesus was obediently even to a very physical death, and His disciples were left bereft of His physical Self. he sends the first apostles to do His work, and He warns them very explicitly that the cost of being a disciple & apostle is heavy
Humans are created to be in relationship with each other, but this passage of Matthew's Gospel reminds me that we are also called into a relationship with God, and unhealthy relationships with other humans can metaphorically bleed into out spiritual lives.
Following Jesus is not easy. Yet , as Marines are fond of saying" I never promised you a rose garden."
Amen.
SEM
2 Pentacost 2014
On this second Sunday in Ordinary Time the priest talked about how discipleship & apostleship are not easy.
In today's Gospel lesson from St Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples what it will mean to proclaim Him as their risen LORD. This is a part of the discourse in Matthew's Gospel that is unsettling to we 21st-century Christians. Look closely at the text for today:
Jesus says" ...and whoever does not take up the cross and follow Me is not worthy of me. "
Ouch.
Jesus is letting His disciples , and also we Christians in today's modern era, that discipleship & apostleship is not for the weak or faint-of-heart. Taking our Crosses and doing Jesus' work here on earth is hard. In order to BE Christ's hands & feet in the here & now, I've come to the conclusion that I must be of good spiritual & emotional health. In order to give my best in the service of God, I must first BE my best.
As hard as it can be, sometimes service to God requires that we alter our earthly relationships with some people who might hold us back from giving our all in the Service of the Creator/Redeemer/Sustainer Godhead .Jesus was obediently even to a very physical death, and His disciples were left bereft of His physical Self. he sends the first apostles to do His work, and He warns them very explicitly that the cost of being a disciple & apostle is heavy
Humans are created to be in relationship with each other, but this passage of Matthew's Gospel reminds me that we are also called into a relationship with God, and unhealthy relationships with other humans can metaphorically bleed into out spiritual lives.
Following Jesus is not easy. Yet , as Marines are fond of saying" I never promised you a rose garden."
Amen.
SEM
2 Pentacost 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
#BanBossy #WomensHistoryMonth: Boys & Girls & fifth grade
March is Womens' History Month.
While I am grateful for the women { and men} in my life who have encouraged me to be the innovative, strong, most creative human I can be, I do recognize that there was and is much gender bias against girls & women even now.
Growing up, I played with children of both genders. Since we lived in rural northern Appalachia, I played outside { in the dirt} with children of both genders & did not see anything wrong with this arrangement until puberty. As a pre- teen my parents subscribed to " TEEN MAGAZINE for me while buying " SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS for my younger brother.
Say what?!
I , as do most American teens, totally bought into the idea of what is " feminine": n obsessive interests in fashion, celebrity gossip, and finding a boyfriend. were the norms among my female classmates in the 5th grade .I, like most girls of that age, started to notice boys. But the boys whom I found attractive I sought among my classmates & playmates...I did not understand why the girls in my class suddenly acted coy and silly around the boys. Instead of working and playing together, my fifth-grade class became a virtual mine of cattiness. A tall and awkward { both physically & socially} girl, I retreated into my books while the other girls started the cat-and-mouse game of 0ne-upmanship. Suddenly it became apparent to me that " popularity" and quests to win the favor of the class "Queen Bee" were important.
Even as an adult, I see evidence of this mentality in my adult life. Women are overly concerned with one-upmanship and placating the " queen bee" of their social group{s]The media saturate our senses with the idea that women must compete with one another regarding me, looks and {for some} careers.
Why cannot we women move beyond fifth grade?
While I am grateful for the women { and men} in my life who have encouraged me to be the innovative, strong, most creative human I can be, I do recognize that there was and is much gender bias against girls & women even now.
Growing up, I played with children of both genders. Since we lived in rural northern Appalachia, I played outside { in the dirt} with children of both genders & did not see anything wrong with this arrangement until puberty. As a pre- teen my parents subscribed to " TEEN MAGAZINE for me while buying " SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS for my younger brother.
Say what?!
I , as do most American teens, totally bought into the idea of what is " feminine": n obsessive interests in fashion, celebrity gossip, and finding a boyfriend. were the norms among my female classmates in the 5th grade .I, like most girls of that age, started to notice boys. But the boys whom I found attractive I sought among my classmates & playmates...I did not understand why the girls in my class suddenly acted coy and silly around the boys. Instead of working and playing together, my fifth-grade class became a virtual mine of cattiness. A tall and awkward { both physically & socially} girl, I retreated into my books while the other girls started the cat-and-mouse game of 0ne-upmanship. Suddenly it became apparent to me that " popularity" and quests to win the favor of the class "Queen Bee" were important.
Even as an adult, I see evidence of this mentality in my adult life. Women are overly concerned with one-upmanship and placating the " queen bee" of their social group{s]The media saturate our senses with the idea that women must compete with one another regarding me, looks and {for some} careers.
Why cannot we women move beyond fifth grade?
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