This past semester I took an exegesis class on 1 Peter. This brief letter is addressed to churches who suffer for doing good and following Christ. I became baffled by this notion of a church continuing its ministry in the midst of tremendous suffering and I tried to think of an example of such a church in our modern day context. The church in Colombia came to my mind. You may have heard about the situation in Colombia: 60 years of a corrupt government and civil unrest has devastated this nation. There continues to be a power struggle between the paramilitary groups and guerrilla forces, which has led to violence against civilians. Colombia has recently surpassed Darfur for having the most internally displaced people within its borders. The situation in Colombia has been complicated further by the Free Trade Agreement which is currently being considered by our nation’s leadership.
Amidst all of this violence and suffering, the churches in Colombia continue to serve and work toward peace. The PC(USA) has a partnership with the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia (IPC) which has built a bridge of support for our brothers and sisters in Colombia. The Accompanier program was started in 2004 and since then there has been a constant PC(USA) presence in Colombia. I learned about this program during my first semester of seminary and had an overwhelming urge to dropout of school and go to Colombia. I resisted that temptation, but the desire to participate in this program has been overwhelmingly strong. I finally have an opportunity to go, even though it will mean delaying my anticipated graduation date. In August I will serve in the rural region of Urabá, Colombia. I'll be there with another young woman, Kelsey, who I met at the training in March. Our purpose for being there is threefold: to be a ministry of presence and support to the IPC, to keep an eye on what is happening in Colombia, and to offer our presence as a means of safety for the church workers who face potential violence. In the seven years this program has been going, there has never been an instance where an accompanier has been harmed and with God’s blessing, that record will continue!
I've started making preparations for the trip and as the departure date approaches, this dream is starting to feel more like reality.
Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dreams. Show all posts
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, March 8, 2010
Let's hear it for ovaries!
Happy International Women's Day!
Last year I posted a list of women I admire and while I would like to do that again, I don't have the time to list them all. I seem to encounter more incredible females by the day. Like last night with the big win for Kathryn Bigelow, first female to win Best Director at the Academy Awards. You go girl.
I would like to take a moment to revel in this day. Celebrating women. This time that we are in is such a strange time when women are equals in theory, but in reality, not so much. Women are still oppressed worldwide. Women are still paid less here in the States. Women are still blamed for things that are not their fault. Let's hope that all comes to an end. Soon.
Here is a video clip that brings attention some issues women face:
NATO Clip
As I was researching for a paper today, I stumbled on this tidbit in the PC(USA) response to the BEM (A document the World Council of Churches created in the 80's to state what it is Christians believe):
"...we are convinced that for biblical, historical, and practical reasons, the ordination of women is a faithful expression of the apostolic tradition. Not only is the understanding and practice of the past to guide us, but also the Holy Spirit, who is the one leading us to the future. We affirm that the Spirit has led churches, among them our own, to perceive the ordination of women as consistent with the gospel and, in the belief that God can do a new thing, to accept the ordination of women as a part of the tradition which is ongoing and developing."
What a breath of fresh air. An affirmation that what I'm doing is okay. Even if churches still treat women in ministry like dirt, at least there is a formal statement saying what I'm doing is allowed. Good news after studying The Gospel of Luke and learning that he wasn't really for women like most people think.
Wouldn't it be lovely if within the next few years, there will be a similar statement with "LGBTQ" inserted where "women" is written? I weep for my brothers and sisters who are not given the same rights as us heteros. My stance on this is partly selfish since the plight of homosexuals is closely linked to the plight of women. If it is decided that homosexuals should not be granted the same rights and privileges and ability to become ordained, I fear that my right as a woman becoming ordained would be called into question. Think that is far fetched? Take a look at Scripture which seems to reveal more privileges for homosexual men than for women - straight and lesbians alike. I have hope for this situation and that justice will prevail.
Last year I posted a list of women I admire and while I would like to do that again, I don't have the time to list them all. I seem to encounter more incredible females by the day. Like last night with the big win for Kathryn Bigelow, first female to win Best Director at the Academy Awards. You go girl.
I would like to take a moment to revel in this day. Celebrating women. This time that we are in is such a strange time when women are equals in theory, but in reality, not so much. Women are still oppressed worldwide. Women are still paid less here in the States. Women are still blamed for things that are not their fault. Let's hope that all comes to an end. Soon.
Here is a video clip that brings attention some issues women face:
NATO Clip
As I was researching for a paper today, I stumbled on this tidbit in the PC(USA) response to the BEM (A document the World Council of Churches created in the 80's to state what it is Christians believe):
"...we are convinced that for biblical, historical, and practical reasons, the ordination of women is a faithful expression of the apostolic tradition. Not only is the understanding and practice of the past to guide us, but also the Holy Spirit, who is the one leading us to the future. We affirm that the Spirit has led churches, among them our own, to perceive the ordination of women as consistent with the gospel and, in the belief that God can do a new thing, to accept the ordination of women as a part of the tradition which is ongoing and developing."
What a breath of fresh air. An affirmation that what I'm doing is okay. Even if churches still treat women in ministry like dirt, at least there is a formal statement saying what I'm doing is allowed. Good news after studying The Gospel of Luke and learning that he wasn't really for women like most people think.
Wouldn't it be lovely if within the next few years, there will be a similar statement with "LGBTQ" inserted where "women" is written? I weep for my brothers and sisters who are not given the same rights as us heteros. My stance on this is partly selfish since the plight of homosexuals is closely linked to the plight of women. If it is decided that homosexuals should not be granted the same rights and privileges and ability to become ordained, I fear that my right as a woman becoming ordained would be called into question. Think that is far fetched? Take a look at Scripture which seems to reveal more privileges for homosexual men than for women - straight and lesbians alike. I have hope for this situation and that justice will prevail.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Seminary Lesson #379
I've become guilty of losing the forest for the trees. This is mostly due to the fact that I overloaded my plate of life this past month, leading to a near mental breakdown. Turns out I'm not superwoman and cannot handle 35-40 hours of working on top of seminary full time. Good lesson to learn.
I'm supposed to be in New York right now doing a training for the Accompanier program with the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. I'd been looking forward to this for months and would admit that getting ball rolling on this endeavor was at the top of my "Things I'm Excited About in Life Right Now" list. Instead, I'm in Austin. I canceled the trip because I would have missed one huge exam and three baby quizzes, which wouldn't have been the end of the world, but I came to realize my need to rest. Yes, the training would have been amazing. Yes, Spring Break is one week away. But my experience on the Gulf Coast with PDA taught me when to know my limits and to not push myself too far.
I've also become so focused on minor details and frustrations, that I haven't allowed the bigger picture to remain in focus. Take Hebrew for example. One of the reasons I came to seminary was a desire to learn Hebrew and Greek so that I could read the original text. I now have 250 Hebrew words memorized and yet I can't translate a sentence to save my life. Where the heck do the nuns and definite articles go? My frustrations have taken a hold of me and I've forgotten the reason I'm taking the class. I need to remember that in order to read the Hebrew Bible, I must do a lot of hard work first. This notion applies to the greater seminary experience as well. Yes I want to minister with integrity, which means I need a degree and must put in the hard work. Oy Vey!
I'm supposed to be in New York right now doing a training for the Accompanier program with the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. I'd been looking forward to this for months and would admit that getting ball rolling on this endeavor was at the top of my "Things I'm Excited About in Life Right Now" list. Instead, I'm in Austin. I canceled the trip because I would have missed one huge exam and three baby quizzes, which wouldn't have been the end of the world, but I came to realize my need to rest. Yes, the training would have been amazing. Yes, Spring Break is one week away. But my experience on the Gulf Coast with PDA taught me when to know my limits and to not push myself too far.
I've also become so focused on minor details and frustrations, that I haven't allowed the bigger picture to remain in focus. Take Hebrew for example. One of the reasons I came to seminary was a desire to learn Hebrew and Greek so that I could read the original text. I now have 250 Hebrew words memorized and yet I can't translate a sentence to save my life. Where the heck do the nuns and definite articles go? My frustrations have taken a hold of me and I've forgotten the reason I'm taking the class. I need to remember that in order to read the Hebrew Bible, I must do a lot of hard work first. This notion applies to the greater seminary experience as well. Yes I want to minister with integrity, which means I need a degree and must put in the hard work. Oy Vey!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Dreamer Video
As if you haven't been bombarded with celebrity news this week, here's a little diddy about Anthony Carter. Actually, the video is a promotion for AC, but it features our Dreamers at our Community Center. And no, I didn't pay the cameramen to get so much screen time.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Kooky Dream
Last night I dreamed that we took our Dreamers (the kids I work with) on a field trip to Jackson, MS. We played hide and go seek in an alley and then I went back to my car only to discover that it had a boot on it. So I went to the courthouse (which was conveniently across the street) to see about paying the ticket. As I arrived and was taking my earrings off to go through the metal detectors, giant ewoks came and started destroying the courthouse with lasers.
WTF?
WTF?
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