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.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-13-24 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. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 134 – John 11:38-44 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.

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.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 12-06-24 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. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 133 – John 10:22-30 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. 11.29.24

1. Rich Villodas is the Pastor of New Life Fellowship in Elmhurst Queens NYC . Here he talks about how his faith/theology plays out in everyday life.  

“It moves me towards both God in prayerful love and my neighbor, honoring their experience as people made in the image of God.

It empowers me to stand against all forms of injustice and mistreatment against the vulnerable.

It reminds me to live into the Fruits of the Spirit in all my interactions, especially with those I don’t see eye to eye with.

It helps me to be honest about sin in its personal, interpersonal and institutional manifestations …”  

2. One of the most exciting and thought provoking speakers I ever experienced was Tony Campolo who passed away last week. He was a college professor who taught Sociology and an ordained Baptist minister, who cared very much about justice issues. In word and deed he was very much a red letter Christian. 

He also rattled a lot of cages. He liked to disturb the comfort of career Christians. 

He used this story many, many times when he addressed a church crowd.

“Here are three facts. 

Fact number one: tonight, thousands of children will starve to death. 

Fact number two: most of you don’t give a sh&t

Fact number three: most of you are more concerned about the fact that I said sh&t than the fact that thousands of children will starve tonight.”

And guess what, he was right. His edginess frustrated many but earned him the trust of people like myself who needed a Tony Campolo to poke and prod us to become more and more like Jesus. He challenged us to look the religious status quo power brokers in the eye and to respectfully call their bluff, asking the questions they didn’t want to answer. 

We needed his stories, his outrageously impactful sense of humor and his self deprecating way of being.

Campolo lived prophetically, honestly, and with great compassion for those who experience grave injustice. RIP.

3. “God, I can’t for the life of me figure out how to pray for him

who mocks your beloved and seems to think he’s you. 

I can’t for the life of me figure out how to pray for him 

whose god is power, whose currency is cruelty.

I know, I know, he is also your child, made in your image.

I know, I know, I have promised to be faithful in prayer.

I know, I know what you want me to do. 

I just don’t know how. And I really, really don’t want to when his name tastes sour on my lips.

God, the best I can do right now is name this aversion. The best I can do is want to pray better. . . “  ~ Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, retired Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia

Getting even with his real and imagined enemies is the cornerstone of his agenda. I cannot support that in prayer.  The last time I looked revenge is not a fruit of the Spirit and dismantling democracy never makes my prayer list. Nor does bullying. Certainly not lying. 

So yes, I can relate to Bishop Goff. Her confession is mine. I don’t know how to pray for the president-elect either. I’ve said before: “The best I can do is pray that he has a come to Jesus moment or two, maybe three.” 

4. “The general population doesn’t know what’s happening, and  it doesn’t even know that it doesn’t know.”  ~Noam Chomsky

Is there an app for Willful Ignorance? 

 5. ”…Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion–its message becomes meaningless.” ~ Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Large parts of Christendom have failed the authenticity test in recent years. Its sins have become headlines. It’s politicization is well documented. Its relevance has been dismissed.

I still believe that the church (both the gathered and dispersed faithful) is meant to be a hopeful symbol of the goodness of God in this world. I believe this because I see a faithful remnant who never quit fighting the good fight.

Much thanks and love to church folks who never lost sight of their original calling to walk and talk with Jesus, living out their faith in helpful and compelling ways. 

6. I was reading through some old notes and came upon a sermon about OT Esther, whose life was interrupted when she was asked to do something really hard, for the sake of others. And she did it. 

May it be so for us.

7. “Your time on earth is limited. Don’t try to ‘age with grace’. Age with mischief, audacity and a good story to tell.” ~ source unknown

Oh yah. Finally, permission granted.

8. I’m quite frustrated with the Bible Trumpers in various MAGA states who are attempting and slowly succeeding in their attempts to Christianise (their politicized version of it)  public schools.

 In the short term it’s going to cause much angst and even more division and in the long term it’s going to bite them in the arse. 

You see, their Christian nationalist world view conveniently dismisses Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc., Christians who aren’t Bible Trumpers, and a bunch of non-religious types who passionately believe in the separation of church and state. 

There’s a whole lot of these kinds of folks and they don’t suffer fools well. But they do love a good fight. 

9. “ … When day comes, 

we step out of the shade aflame and unafraid.

The new dawn blooms as we free it. 

For there is always light, 

if only we’re brave enough to see it.

If only we’re brave enough 

to be it.“ ~ Amanda Gorman

10. I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~ E.B. White.

Yah, me too. Both are good, right?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-29-24 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. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 132 – John 10:14-18 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. 11.22.24

1. In January, when the deportations begin, I’ll be fearfully interested as I watch how it all unfolds. It will speak volumes about the content of the collective character of the next administration. Will they treat the undocumented immigrants as men and women made in the image and likeness of God or as garbage that needs to be thrown to the curb? 

Campaign rhetoric leans toward the latter. 

If that’s the case, I will probably say something about it. 

And then people I know will get up in my grill arguing that “We’re finally cleansing our country of ‘those people’. If you’re not with the program, leave with them.” 

At that point, I will give myself permission to shake my head in total disgust.

2. “Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.” ~ Sojourner Truth

And all God’s people said Amen. 

I know a whole lot of folks who were devastated by the results of the election. It was and still is a dark time for them. Many gave themselves a time out, licked their wounds, did some intentional self care, and are now ready to at least consider easing back into the fray. When push comes to shove they won’t allow their disappointment to get in the way of God’s call on their lives.” 

Others have caved into the darkness and it is slowly, but surely  sucking the life right out of them. It’s hard to watch. If that’s you, please look for help. 

3. “No man is an island,

Entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent, 

A part of the main…

Any man’s death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee.” ~ John Donne 

Donne’s poem, for good reason, is linked in my brain, to the Swahili word Ubuntu which means “I am because you are.” 

The understanding is that when we see each person as having deep value and when together, we contribute towards the common good and the welfare of others, everyone wins. 

We are not isolated islands of humanity. We are not meant to be rugged individualists, bereft of community. We were created to need and care for each other.

4. I feel compelled, in these tumultuous times, to refresh the memory of when and why I said yes to Christ in the first place. 

And since, I have had many conversion experiences (one and done is not my testimony) it behooves me to also refresh and cherish those memories. It’s like being born again, again.

5. If I was the president elect and had the power to weaken our country from the inside out, I’d start by nominating an extremist, clown-show level executive branch team, beholden to special interest groups, ill equipped by virtue of character and experience to serve the country well, and totally committed to never, ever, stand against me. 

Once sworn in, I would demand that they weaponize their particular agency and wage a vicious war against any and all of my perceived enemies. I’d also do whatever I could to bypass the legislative branch of government, ignoring established check and balances norms, and would continue to stack the judiciary with people who would do me no harm. 

I’d also slash taxes on billionaires and corporations and reduce funding for programs aimed at the poorest and most vulnerable among us.

In the aftermath of all this, I’d be delighted if the end result was chaos and instability. Of course, I’d blame that on others. 

Quite obviously, integrity won’t allow me to do such things. My faith would order me to repent if I tried. My love of country would stop me in my tracks. My friends would call me on it. 

Seriously, who would do such things?  And who would be gullible enough to continue to root for that person? 

I’ve met some of the gullible ones. They’re in for a rude surprise. I don’t know when but there will be a time when they’ll realize they’ve been duped and are next in line to be  thrown on the trash heap, discarded and demeaned. Cuz that’s how their guy rolls. 

6. In times of distress rule #1 is to be present to the Presence (of God), in the present moment.  

7. When I meet someone whose ego is supersized it doesn’t take long to ascertain that their conscience is probably undersized. 

8.  ‘When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.’ ~ Dom Helder Camara

Ah, the name callers. They’re in your corner until you ask a question they won’t or cannot answer. Then the gloves come off. 

9. Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently stated: “We are confronted with the urgency of now” and we must make every effort not to be “too late.”

Sadly, we probably are too late regarding some things, but not all things. Embracing  the urgency of ‘now’, like right now, needs to be a priority. Standing up and speaking out is a rather good  way to start. I’m with Dietrich Bonhoeffer who wisely proclaimed that  “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.”

10. “All truth is God’s truth.” ~ Augustine

If you are a regular reader of the Rumblings, you’ve noticed that I quote a wide variety of people, much to the dismay of some whose view of what’s acceptable and what’s not is pretty rigidly set. Richard Rohr really sets them off, as does Rumi and Malcolm X and women theologians.  

Most of those I quote are from the fairly diverse Christian world I inhabit but many aren’t. I’m just attracted to the wisdom of insightful people, even though I might disagree with them. I’m choosing to be a lifelong learner. The goal has never been to be considered learned.

“All truth” is indeed “God’s truth.” 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-22-24 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. 

If you’d like to support this podcast you can do so through a gift to PayPal using the email address [email protected], or Venmo Anita-Murphy-20

The post Lectio Divina 131 – John 9:24-29 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. 11.15.24

1. This prayer by Steven Charleston,  former Anglican Bishop of Alaska spoke to me, offering an encouraging way forward.  

“When they hate, may we love. 

When they curse, may we bless. 

When they hurt, we will heal.

We are  a servant of the light. 

We are not afraid of darkness.

We will carry on with our work, as stewards of this Earth and of all her children. 

When they divide, we will unite. 

When they rage, we will be calm. 

When they deny, we will affirm.

We will simply be who the Spirit created us to be.”  

2. Random thoughts in the aftermath of the election:

-Somewhere on MAGA’s ‘transition checklist’ is a little something called “Get even with those who betrayed Donald.” Won’t that be fun to watch?!?

-Even though much of what was said wasn’t even remotely truthful, stoking the fires of fear, anger, and grievance was a winning strategy for the MAGA party. My guess is that fear, anger, and grievance, wrapped in more untruth, will also play a consequential role in their governance strategy. God help us all.

-Women are deeply concerned about more ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ types of legislation. They should be.

-NATO is rightfully worried as is Ukraine. Poland is wondering if they’re next.

-Democrats are licking their wounds, the finger pointing has begun, and hard questions about how best to be an impactful minority party are being asked. They know full well that a rapidly withering system of ‘checks and balances’ needs their strong and unified voice. Can they make that happen?

-Putin and other authoritarian leaders are quite obviously delighted with the outcome of the election. That should chill our hearts. 

-Kamala Harris showed us how it’s supposed to be done, ending her campaign with grace, dignity and integrity.

-We appear to have an abundance of folks in our country applying to be the oligarchs of the Western world. Ah, greed. Thou art powerful. 

-The Middle East remains a powder keg and everywhere you look there’s a fuse waiting to be lit.

-Religious folks who are over the top giddy with their excitement and adulation of the president elect appear to be forgetting  that all throughout scripture idol worship is frowned upon. 

-Is anyone else deeply concerned that an overly enthusiastic and gleeful purge of undocumented criminals will prove to be so intoxicating to the purgers that they will make up other reasons to get rid of even more people who had no real choice but to leave their country of origin? 

-“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.” ~ source unknown

3. Reading through Hebrews last week I came to chapter 11 with its stirring “By faith” role call of faithful men and women who trusted God in the midst of scary uncertainty. That glimpse of faithfulness opens the door to the challenge ch. 12 extends to us.  

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance, the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

‘By faith, not sight’ is God’s invitation to those of us who are walking in the shadowlands. Jesus is to be our compass, our true North. The path forward requires the staying power that a long and rigorous journey, filled with obstacles, demands. 

4. When I get angry and afraid, it helps to interrogate both the fear and anger in order to discover what’s real and what’s not. I know that the stuff I’m making up in my head, which gets me all angsty, isn’t helpful. 

5. Stephen Colbert, looking for the silver lining in the election results, sarcastically quipped: “At least there’ll be a peaceful transfer of power.”

It’s sobering to realize that a Harris/Walz election loss was the only thing stopping all hell from breaking loose again.  

6. “This, my dear,

 is the greatest challenge to being alive: 

To witness the injustice of this world, 

and not allow it to consume our light.” – Oxherdboy 

7.  When someone suggests that the president-elect is God’s plan for us, I can only shrug and say – “I think not” and then walk away. 

I’m done arguing with religious fools. 

8. “My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”~ Pope Francis

The Pope has, for a long time, championed a seamless ethic of life philosophy. I admire his tenacity in the face of strenuous pushbacks. And he’s right, racism and exclusion minimizes the sacredness of human life.

9. “Peace is not just about the absence of conflict; it’s also about the presence of justice. Martin Luther King Jr. even distinguished between ‘the devil’s peace’ and God’s true peace.

 A counterfeit peace exists when people are pacified or distracted or so beat up and tired of fighting that all seems calm. But true peace does not exist until there is justice, restoration, forgiveness. 

Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting injustice without mirroring injustice, the act of disarming evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.” ~ Shane Claiborne 

“ …Both the oppressed and the oppressors need to be set free.” Yes, yes, yes.

10. “A fire broke out backstage in a theater. 

The clown came out to warn the public;

they thought it was a joke and applauded.

He repeated it; the acclaim was even greater. 

I think that’s just how the world will come to an end: 

to general applause from twits 

who believe it’s a joke.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard  

The post Mike’s Rumblings 11-15-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.