Anita Lustrea

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

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I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today.

The post Poem/Prayer 33 Prayer Song from Ghana, traditional appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.19.24

1. “Have you read the Sermon on the Mount? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t say “when I was hungry you put me on a bus, when I was thirsty you booked me a one-way plane ticket,”or “when I was a stranger you treated me like cargo and shipped me off for political gain.” ~ Unknown

Using aliens and refugees as political footballs, kicking them whenever and however possible is not helping solve the problems of immigration and border security, of which there are many.  ‘Owning the libs’ is a childish and sinful motivation. Cruelty is never the answer. 

2. Judges, witnesses, and prosecutors involved in the trials of the former president are receiving death threats.

Not once have I heard the defendant say “Please, cease and desist.” Instead, he continues to use inflammatory rhetoric that eggs the haters on and keeps insisting that real retribution is right around the corner. 

Sick, isn’t it?

3. We all know people who are indifferent about the great issues of the day. Indifference is defined as being “without interest or concern; not caring.” 

Plato once said: “The price good people pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

4. “In the beginning, there was no doctrine of Jesus, only a radical ethic of Jesus… In the sermon on the Mount, there is not a single word in it about what to believe, only words about what to do and how to be. By the time the Nicene Creed is written, only three centuries later, there is not a single word in it about what to do – only words  about what to believe.” ~ Robin Meyers, “Saving God From Religion”

I happen to like the Nicene Creed. It gives me some hooks on which I can hang my theological hat. That’s a good thing. I’m glad we have it. It helps me define my faith.

I am a bigger fan of the Sermon on the Mount. I think that was Jesus’s stump speech actually. How many times did he deliver it? Many I think, in long and short form. The rule keepers didn’t like it. It was too loosey goosey for them. Plus, it was an unwelcome reminder of their own attitudes and behaviors.  Regular folks did like it, for they saw, in Jesus, a match between his words and conduct and they began to believe that they could actually live the way Jesus was asking them to live.

5. On the night before he was assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  told the audience that, if God had let him “choose any era in which to live, he would have chosen the one in which he had landed.”  King acknowledged that statement might appear to be strange  “because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around…. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” 

Our world is still messed up, our nation is sick, there’s trouble everywhere we look and there is an ever present darkness throughout the land. Peer deeply into the darkness. Do you see what I see? Do you see the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of points of light?  Yes? Good. That means you’re seeing hope revealing itself. 

Do you see that teeny, weeny, barely visible point of light hanging low in the southern sky? Yah, that’s me. I know. It should be brighter. I’m working on it. 

6. “The titles of my books reveal that I was encountering something in my faith tradition that didn’t sit right with me…. I felt like I was peeling an onion. I noticed, for example, that people who spend a lot of time in church often seemed to be some of the meanest, more arrogant, and most judgmental people that I met. I noticed the same being true of me at times as well…. It seemed that Christianity had become for many people an evacuation plan (how to get your soul out of earth into heaven) rather than a transformation plan (how to help God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven).” ~ Brian McLaren

Evacuation or Transformation? I’ll go with transformation. The evacuation option doesn’t smell like God. 

7. “Winning at politics, while losing the gospel is not a win. Trading in the gospel of Jesus Christ for political power is not liberty but slavery.” ~ Russell Moore

All throughout history, Christian leaders have been seduced by political power. All too often they succumbed to that seduction. In recent history, a good number of evangelical leaders were seduced and fell in love with right wing power and the glory that went with it. 

In his excellent book “The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory” author Tim Alberta noted that those seduced came to the conclusion that power was within their grasp but at a cost. 

“Unsavory alliances would need to be forged. Sordid tactics would need to be embraced.”

Alberta suggests that “the first step toward preserving Christian values was to do away with Christian values.”

More than a few evangelicals could not do that. Bravo. Seriously. At great cost to their reputation and to their  ministry they  stayed the course and were faithful to their calling. 

But a surprising number of very influential evangelicals dove right into the cesspool. They traded the gospel for proximity to political power. They said they were on committed to Jesus but began to follow and bow to the charlatans. They contorted scripture to fit a MAGA narrative. They abandoned truth tellers and fell in love with conspiracy theorists.  And then they used their own influence to persuade their flock and followers to join them. 

Read the book. It will rock your world. It will help you make sense of this tweet from Brian Zahnd.  

“In the end, Southern Baptists were more comfortable with Donald Trump than with Beth Moore. Just think about that.” 

8. “There are some conservatives who are trying to make this claim that somehow [President] Biden is a bigger risk than Trump. My view is I disagree with a lot of Joe Biden’s policies. We can survive bad policies. We cannot survive torching the Constitution.” ~ Liz Cheney

I wonder if… Cheney and those like her will decide to endorse Joe Biden’s candidacy and actively campaign against Trump, seeing him as a real threat to our democracy. 

If that happened, I wouldn’t be surprised if after the swearing in of elected officials in January 2025,  they would announce the formation of a new conservative political party, committed to the Constitution, not a personality, that would have candidates  on the ballot in every state in 2026.  

9. Jesus was not sent here to teach the people to build magnificent  churches and temples amidst the cold wretched huts and dismal hovels. He came to make the human heart a temple, and the soul an altar, and the mind a priest.” ~ Kahlil Gibran, 

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix

10. I find it helpful to remember that “God is always up to something.”

My job is to ask: “I wonder what He’s up to now?” 

And when I discover what that is, to join the Lord in that endeavor and invite others to go on the journey with me. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

The post Lectio Divina 87 – Mark 1:29-39 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Joyce Rupp joins me again on the podcast to talk about the season of Lent and her new lenten devotional titled, Jesus, Guide of My Life. This is the completion of a trilogy of Lenten devotionals Joyce has penned and one that will take us into a space of reflecting on the life of Jesus as we walk through Lent with the gentle and thought provoking guidance of Joyce Rupp. Joyce also mentions and quotes from a book by Dacher Keltner titled Awe. Also mentioned is Joyce’s Boundless Compassion books and ministry. Here is a link to all things Boundless Compassion!

Find Joyce in the following places:

• Website

Note: When clicking through on links to products on Amazon, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Joyce Rupp – episode 378 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. This poem is by Jenneth Graser and it’s titled One Word.

The post Poem/Prayer 32 Jenneth Graser appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.12.24

1. Rudolf Dreikeurs said: “Until I can risk appearing imperfect in your eyes without fear that it will cost me something, I can’t really learn from you.” 

Yep. Nailed it. What will my vulnerability cost me? How will you react to my ‘less than perfect’ efforts? Can you accept me as I am or do I need to wear a mask and pretend?

2. “For better or worse, elections and referendums are not about what we think. They’re about what we feel.” ~ Yuval Noah Harari

The MAGA movement and its subsidiaries (like FOX News) know this to be true. Thus, it has become particularly adept at  manipulating the feelings of their loyalists by simply distorting truth and discouraging discernment.

It’s all really quite sinister but in its own way, quite genius.

Even if they prevail (my whole being shudders even thinking this thought) one thing will remain true. Booker T. Washington said it well: 

“A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.” 

3. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world.  Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ~ Rumi

The people I admire the most are the ones who do make positive life changes. I’ve always loved the song  by singer/songwriter Sara Groves entitled Just Showed Up For My Own Life.

“Spending my time sleep walking

Hoping the changes would take by working their way from the outside in

I was in love with an idea

There are so many ways to hide

There are so many ways not to feel

There are so many ways to deny what is real

And I just showed up for my own life

And I’m standing here taking it in and it sure looks bright

I’m going to live my life inspired

Open the windows and feel all that’s honest and real until I’m truly amazed

I’m going to feel all my emotions

4. Heather Cox Richardson, on New Years Eve, reminded us of the vision President Biden laid out for our country in April, 2021. It sure beats the unseemly  “rot in hell” diatribe we received on Christmas 2023 from you know who.

“In a time of rising autocrats who believe democracy  is failing, can the United States demonstrate that democracy is still vital?

“Can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us, created equal in the image of God, have a chance to lead lives of dignity, respect, and possibility? 

Can our democracy deliver…to the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate, and fears that have pulled us apart?”

America’s adversaries are  betting that the U.S.  is so full of anger and division that it cannot. “But they are wrong,”  “You know it; I know it. But we have to prove them wrong.”

Friends, three years ago we came dangerously close to losing our country. Insurrectionists, fueled by the sitting president’s anger and rhetoric, tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power. They wanted Mike Pence to hang, they hunted for Speaker Pelosi, they attacked the Capitol Police, they destroyed property and prevented Congress from doing its job.

Do you remember that? 

I do. 

And I don’t want to forget it.

I know what I saw.

And I know the sitting president did nothing to stop what he provoked. Instead, he watched it on TV and reveled in what he saw. 

I’m still appalled by those who choose to believe and proclaim  that what happened on January 6 was a peaceful and orderly protest. That includes Republican members of Congress who were rightfully shivering in fright during the assault they’re now choosing to ignore.

5. “It’s funny, isn’t it? That you can preach a judgmental and vengeful and angry God and nobody will mind. But you start preaching a God that is too accepting, too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind… and you are in trouble.”  ~ Bishop Gene Robinson

“We find the God who comes down to visit us, not by basking in some elegant religious theory, but by setting out on a journey, seeking the signs of his presence in everyday life, and above all in encountering and touching the flesh of our brothers and sisters.” ~ Pope Francis

 “People who’ve had any genuine spiritual experience always know that they don’t know. They are utterly humbled before mystery. They are in awe before the abyss of it all, in wonder at eternity and depth, and a Love, which is incomprehensible to the mind.” ~ Richard Rohr, Falling Upward

6. Alexandra Petri’s opinion piece in the Washington Post was entitled: “GOP baffled that ‘We Don’t Care if You Die’ is not a winning slogan.”

 “The road to our version of the Handmaid’s Tale will be lined with smiling Christian Nationalists telling women to stop overreacting.” ~ Unknown

“First of all, come November I’m going to assemble all my thoughts and prayers and bring them with me into the ballot box.” ~ source unknown 

7. Go off somewhere quiet and hidden and say to God: 

“I don’t know. 

I don’t know where to go from here.

I don’t know what is happening. 

I don’t know how to process this.

I don’t know what to do with these emotions. 

I don’t know how to handle this situation.

And then with whatever dusty, sand grain of faith you have, say,

But you know.” ~ Unknown

And then you sit for a while in the very presence of God, who loves you, and  who honors prayers like this. You relax into the present moment and just ‘be’. Sometimes, that’s all we need to do. 

8. “New leadership is needed for new times, but it will not come from finding more wiley ways to manipulate the external world. It will come as we … find the courage to take an inner journey … to become healers in a wounded world.”  ~ Parker Palmer

Now, more than ever, we need healers. There’s walking wounded wherever we look. 

9. “Any god who is mine, but not yours, any god concerned about me but not with you, is an idol.” ~ Rabbi  Abraham Joshua Heschel

Lots of idol worship going on these days. Lots of it. 

10. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” ~ Viktor E. Frankl

When we get this right, everything changes. Everything. Thank God for a built-in pause button. What could happen if we actually used it?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-12-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is a weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and let me know your thoughts. My email address is [email protected]. Also, feel free to share this podcast on your social media or tell a friend about it. 

The post Lectio Divina 86 – I Samuel 3:1-10 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

I’m Anita Lustrea and I’m privileged to be a spiritual director. Each time I begin a session, I use a quote or poem or prayer.  As I share one of these with you, see what might catch your attention. Maybe there’s something here for you today. Today’s offering is by Jan Richardson and it’s titled Blessing the Threshold.

The post Poem/Prayer 31 Jan Richardson appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

This is an audio version of Mike Murphy‘s Friday rumblings. This is a regular post on Facebook that I’ve turned into a podcast. I decided Mike’s words needed a wider audience. You may agree or disagree with what he says, but there is certainly much food for thought contained here. You can friend Mike on Facebook for the printed version or read it below

Rumblings. 1.5.24  

1. 2024. Will this be the year that ends up haunting us? It appears there’s peril at every turn, in every country in the world, not just ours, and in every referendum. What do we do? Which way do we turn? 

Above all else, I need the optimism that faith offers me. Thus, I turn my attention and affection  to the Lord God Almighty.  What is God saying?  

“Christianity can be confusing, but the way of Jesus is  pretty clear

Move toward the poor

Empower women

Throw parties

Poke holes in oppressive systems

Forgive your enemy

Don’t store up wealth

Be present w/ people

Push back darkness

Heal

Announce

Love well

The kingdom is near” ~ Dan Sadlier, Pastor, NYC

I can do this.  As my baseball coach told me a long time ago: “As long as you keep your eye on the ball, you’ll be OK.”

2. Autobiography

 in Five Short Chapters

by Portia Nelson

Chapter One

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost 

I am helpless.

It isn’t my fault.

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don’t see it.

I fall in again.

I can’t believe I am in the same place, but it isn’t my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I still fall in.

It’s a habit.

My eyes are open.

I know where I am.

It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around it.

Chapter Five

I walk down another street.

3. “I told him to preach the Gospel. That’s our calling. I want to preserve the purity of the Gospel and the freedom of religion in America. I don’t want to see religious bigotry in any form …  it would disturb me if there was a wedding between the religious fundamentalists and the political right. The hard right has no interest in religion except to manipulate it. “ ~ Billy Graham recalling  a conversation with Jerry Falwell in Parade Magazine, February, 1981

What happened?  It was advice unheeded. Falwell and Co. were hell bent on politicizing the faith and they did it with great ferocity and ingenuity.  And the hard core, political right exploited it. 

And voila, we now have the culture wars, driven by a warped version of the Christian faith and supported by mean spirited, authoritarian political values. The result is a nation at war with itself.   

If you want to know more about how this ‘mess’ came to be, check out the book “Jesus and John Wayne” by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. 

And then grab some friends and sort it out together.

4. Pope Francis said: “Think of a single mother who goes to the Church or the Parish, and tells the secretary: “I want  to baptize my son.” And the attendant says: “No, you can’t, because you’re not married.” 

Let’s keep in mind that this mother had the courage to continue with a pregnancy, and what is she facing? A closed door.  And so, if we continue on this path and with this attitude, we are not doing the people, God’s People right… Those who approach the Church should find the doors open and not find people who want to control the faith.”

When rule keepers and the guardians of orthodoxy call the shots, they all too often succeed in keeping  people away from the  real Jesus. 

An alcoholic friend of author Philip Yancey once said to him:

“When I’m late to church, people turn around and stare at me with frowns of disapproval. I get the clear message that I’m not as responsible as they are.

When I’m late to AA, the meeting comes to a halt and everyone jumps up to hug and welcome me. They realize that my lateness may be a sign that I almost didn’t make it. When I show up, it proves that my desperate need for them won out over my desperate need for alcohol.”

That should be the church. In many ways and places it is. Ragamuffins are welcomed with open arms, not clenched fists and scowls. 

But in many other places, the orthodoxy police have a variety of litmus tests available to determine who’s in and who’s out. 

5. Travis Kelce’s college football coach impacted him greatly when he said to his star player: “Everybody you meet in this world is either a fountain or a drain.”  The coach went on to say that what he needed “was a fountain,” and that Kelce was being “a very big drain.”

Friends of Kelce said that woke him up. He had to deal with a pretty basic question. “How then shall I live, as a fountain or drain?” 

It’s a good question for us all to ask. 

6.“The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.~ Alden Nowlan

Forgiveness. Of others. Of yourself. That’s the smart play.  

7. I’m reminded that I can know a lot about God and still manage to ignore the heart of God. That heart asks me to love those I’d rather dismiss and compels me to speak when I’d rather remain quiet. To be honest, these days I find myself struggling with loving and I’m tired of speaking out. I sense that in some of you too. But what’s our option? To remain silent? To dismiss what we sense the Spirit is urging us to do? No, that’s not the way to go.

The good news is that God meets us even amidst the struggle and tiredness and bouts of cowardice. He might remind us to take a wee bit of a break for the sake of those who love us and for our own well being, but will never ask us to cease loving nor to remain quiet in the face of injustice. 

8. “It is said that before entering the sea

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

And in front of her,

But there is no other way.

Nobody can go back.

The river needs to take the risk

9. “Opinion is really the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires a profound purpose larger than the self … ” ~ Bill Bullard

I am increasingly annoyed with those who spout  opinions that are really not their own and have never been carefully and thoughtfully examined. There’s no depth or breadth to what they are saying. So when I ask a substantive question I don’t get a substantive answer back, only a sound byte. It’s nigh unto impossible to have a real  conversation. All I hear is noise and there is rarely a question put to me. 

It’s quite sad really. I am so grateful to all those in my life who are truly empathetic and thoughtful. Your considered opinions lead to delightful conversations and your insights help me to reconsider ideas and to even change my mind.

10. “Where, O where, are the prophets, when we need them, O Lord?

Where are these  brave ones who will speak truth to power?

Where are the anointed women and men who will refuse weapons of war?

Where are the women who stand at the cross in silent resistance against the systems that execute and crucify?

Where, O where, are the prophets?

We bring this entreaty to you today because you are our God. Help us to become prophetic in action, prophetic in witness, prophetic in love.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.” ~ Barbara Holmes, Center for Action and Contemplation. 

May we all have a prophet or two  in our life. May we be that for others.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 01-05-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.