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].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 43 – Mark 10:13-16 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

I’m delighted to have Marsha Crockett join me to talk about the gifts of spiritual direction. She is a spiritual director and the author of Sacred Conversation: Exploring the Seven Gifts of Spiritual Direction. God did not intend for us to walk this journey of life alone. In fact, He created humans with the desire to both know others and be known. If you’ve always wondered about spiritual direction, check out this week’s podcast.

Find Marsha 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 Marsha Crockett – episode 357 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. 3.10.23 

1. “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in an illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” ~ Walter Brueggemann

We, who call ourselves people of faith, are called to be truth tellers, mourners, and distillers of hope. The world yearns for us to do just that.

All of us need to consider who we are and where we stand amidst the struggles going on all over the world. Who do we represent? Where’s our loyalty? Do our political allegiances mean more to us than the prophet’s clarion call begging us to “do justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God?”

 2.  “The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from is the idea that God sees the world the same way they do.” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor

She is a wise woman. 

3. Conventional Christianity prefers to see Jesus as a directive or destination rather than this path [of love]; for them “way” is a noun, not a verb… ” ~ Diana Butler Bass

“The great traditions always call people on a journey of faith to keep changing. There’s no other way this human personality can open up to all that God is asking of us.” ~ Richard Rohr

I love the word ‘pilgrimage’. Our primary calling is to walk and talk with God. It leads us into a lifetime of purposeful and even accidental encounters with all kinds of people, places, and adventures. Often, it’s all quite delightful. Other times not so much. Delightful or not, the journey itself brings value to our lives. 

4. “Unfortunately, the Lenten season often gets reduced to the question, ‘What are you giving up for Lent?’ This is a fine question, but it can only take us so far. The real question of the Lenten season is, ‘How will I repent and return to God with all my heart?’ …Where in my life have I gotten away from God, and what are the disciplines that will enable me to find my way back?” ~ Ruth Haley Barton

Repent. Be honest. Deal with your sorrow. And your fears. Look for what  you think you need. Give as much as you know about yourself today to as much as you know of God. Do it again tomorrow. Delight in the baby steps you take and pay attention to the whisper of angels. 

5.  “… the universe did not appear as it is now. It began very small and literally blew up and is still expanding, growing, changing, developing. Like the Earth and life on it, the universe emerged a long time ago and continues to blossom. For those of us who believe that a Creator is responsible for all there is, that Creator seems to be in the habit of creating not once and done, not fixed permanence, but by constant emergence. This creates in me a sense of jaw-dropping, deer-in- the- headlights awe, where words are out of place. A changing, unfolding universe does not rob God of glory. It  declares it – though finding that space takes major adjustments in my thinking about God.” ~ Pete Enns,  “Curveball: How I  Stumbled and Tripped My Way Into Finding a Bigger God”  

People I admire make adjustments in their theological understandings. It’s an ongoing process that can involve stumbling, tripping and bumping into things. 

We’ve all sung Amazing Grace which is an autobiographical, confessional hymn. We’ve all lifted our voices to sing the haunting words “I once was lost but now I’m found, blind but now I see.” The composer was admitting that he once was broken and confused, but then, through God’s grace, something  happened (google the story) and it changed his understanding of himself and of God. 

Making adjustments in our thinking and behavior sends a clear signal that we’re alive and want to keep growing. 

6. God, 

Keep my anger from becoming meanness.

Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.

Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking. 

Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.

Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.

Keep me fiercely kind.

Amen.” ~ Laura Jean Truman

7. Periodically, I send a short email to my elected representatives. I try to be both firm and kind. Does it do any good? After all, one  voice can be so easily dismissed. But my hope is that I’m not the only one who tries to hold elected reps to account. 

Last week I sent one of those emails. And for the first time I was a bit frightened. I actually hesitated before sending it. I live in a state where free speech is under attack by the Governor and the MAGA legislative supermajority. And people like me, who want to live in an awakened state of being, are considered to be the enemy by those in power.

I don’t say that lightly.  

I’m not trying to be melodramatic.

I’m not making these things up.

I’m not seeing things that aren’t really there.

And so, when I sent my inquiries to my State Senator and District Representative I did it with a minor sense of apprehension, wondering  about what could happen if I got on the wrong person’s radar. 

Such is the state of freedom of speech in Florida these days. 

And it’s not just Florida is it? 

Good people are getting jittery. Maybe even you. Some are choosing to just shut up and shut down. Perhaps it’s wise to consider something Plato once said: “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men [and women].”  It behooves us to dare to challenge ourselves to speak bravely. ‘Cuz if we don’t, evil people will win by default.

8. Quote of he week. 

“I hate Trump passionately.” ~ Tucker Carlson, FOX News. 

This speaks volumes doesn’t it? And yet Carlson continues to defend and prop up who and what he detests. The whole FOX News Universe is in desperate need of a civics class, a confessional, and a moral compass. Their continued defense of what they know is indefensible continues to erode the very foundations of our Republic. 

9. “I have no special talent. I’m only passionately curious.” ~Albert Einstein

If we lived in a world filled with passionately curious people, life would be far more interesting.

10. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains.

Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the Maker of heaven and earth…” ~ Psalm 121

Yes. Absolutely yes. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-10-23 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].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 42 – John 4:19-26 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Amy-Jill Levine is a prolific author and she is recently retired as University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt Divinity School. She currently teaches at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.  This is a re-release of a podcast I recorded with Amy-Jill in the fall of 2021. She recently spoke at my church and I was reminded of her brilliance and wanted to highlight her again.  The book we focus on in our conversation is The Difficult Words of Jesus.

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

The post Amy-Jill Levine – episode 356 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 3.3.23 

1. I No Longer Pray For Peace

“On the edge of war, 

one foot already in, 

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.

I pray that stone hearts will turn

to tenderheartedness,

and evil intentions will turn

to mercifulness,

and all the soldiers already deployed

will be snatched out of harm’s way,

and the whole world will be 

astounded onto its knees.

I pray that all the “God talk” 

will take bones,

and stand up and shed 

its cloak of faithlessness,

and walk again in its powerful truth.

I pray that the whole world might

sit down together and share

its bread and its wine.

Some say there is no hope, 

but then I’ve always applauded the holy fools who never seem to give up on the scandalousness of our faith:

that we are loved by God……

that we can truly love one another.

I no longer pray for peace:

I pray for miracles.” ~Ann Weems 

Living in a ‘locked and loaded’ culture  means too many are trusting what’s  in their holster more than God these days. That’s dangerous. That’s why I pray for miracles too. 

2. I’m of the opinion that God is always up to something. What is God up to now? I’m not entirely sure but I kind of think God wants to do something big by asking us to go small.   

We’ve been through a long season of ‘go big or go home’. Maybe God wants that to end. Maybe he wants us to do the basic things again, to take baby steps, to do the little things well, to breathe deeply, and act righteously. Perhaps, God wants us to forsake mega-faith and all that involves and replace it with a simpler, less politicized and less frenetic way of being God’s people. 

I think one of the reasons the awakening/revival at Asbury College was so meaningful and captivating is due to the fact those in leadership didn’t let big shot, name brand Christians hijack it. They chose to go small and God honored that decision. 

3. Last Saturday, on what extremist groups were calling a National Day of Hate we headed to Church of the Palms to listen to biblical scholar  Dr. Amy-Jill Levine. 

Dr. Levine talked a bit about the Day of  Hate saying (and I’m paraphrasing a bit): “On this Day of Hate a Presbyterian church is filled with both Christians and Jews who came to  listen to an Orthodox Jewish woman, who just happens to to be a New Testament scholar, speaking about the Jewishness of Jesus.” 

Everyone smiled and clapped when she said it and when she ended her talk she was greeted by a standing ovation. 

What better way to stare down hate than a show of solidarity, huh?

Levine  remarked in her talk that “if we’re reading the Bible at age 66 the same way we read the Bible at age 6 something is wrong.” She’s right. I have a hunch the Bible the day of hate folks read is interpreted in childish (not childlike) ways and thus their understanding of it is fairly primitive, as are their motives and tactics. 

4.  “… remember the temptation of Jesus in the desert (see Matthew 4:1–11). Three temptations to the misuse of power are listed—economic, religious, and political. Even Jesus must face these subtle disguises before he begins any public ministry; this is a warning to all of us.” ~ Richard Rohr

This reading comes at us on the first Sunday of Lent every year. It’s sobering. How are we being tempted  to misuse power these days? What are the economic, religious and political enticements that pull at us and whisper sweet nothings in our ear? 

5. “Change is not what we expect from religious people. They tend to love the past more than the present or the future.”  ~ Richard Rohr

Not just love the past. Religious folks like to put their love of the past in a box, wrap it in pretty paper, put a bow on it and then put it on an altar and worship it.  

6. It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change, that lives within the means available, and works co-operatively against common threats.” ~Charles Darwin

Darwin paid close attention to patterns of behavior in different species. He championed evolution. I appreciate his discoveries. Others don’t. Lots of religious folks don’t like anything that smacks of evolutionary theory. Why? Because theories like that challenge both the biblical narrative and the biblical literalism they’ve anchored themselves to. It gives them the shivers just thinking about such things.

The problem is that a faith rooted in biblical literalism, sincere as it may be, isn’t able to handle the kind of challenges science, history, and even Scripture itself presents. Those challenges are seen as attacks. So, the wagons get circled, and a lifetime is spent trying to debunk anything that challenges their belief that the Bible contains the answers to ‘everything’.  It’s an immature response. It thwarts spiritual growth actually. It’s fear based. It requires trying to make the Bible speak about all kinds of things that it really doesn’t address. And it keeps them from exploring the interesting things that people like Darwin try to teach us. 

7. FOX News lied. It was brazen. It involved their highest level punditainers who willingly promoted the false narrative that the election was stolen. Why would they do this?  Greed, lack of integrity, a foundation of disrespect for their listeners and a willful dismissal of patriotism are all pieces of the puzzle. 

8. “The desert is a place of spiritual revolution, not of personal retreat. It is a place of inner protest, not outward peace. It is a place of deep encounter, not of superficial escape. It is a place of repentance, not recuperation…

The desert is a necessary stage on the spiritual journey. To avoid it would be harmful.

Ironically, you do not have to find the desert in your life; it normally catches up with you. Everyone does go through the desert…. It may be in the form of some suffering, or emptiness, or breakdown, or breakup, or divorce, or any kind of trauma that occurs in our life… If we go through this experience involuntarily, then it can be both overwhelming and crushing. If, however, we accept to undergo this experience voluntarily, then it can prove both constructive and liberating.” ~John Chryssavgis

We might not call it a desert experience. We might call it a dry time, where we experience more desolation than consolation. We often make the mistake of believing we can ignore it. How do you avoid what is? Oh, one can try fill their life with laughs and distractions but it doesn’t seem to work. Sometimes the spiritual life requires us to do some very hard work, to face the pain, to own up to our stuff, and to allow our Good God to do His healing work in our lives. 

9. Sr. Jean, who made a name for herself during Loyola Chicago’s inspirational 2018 Final Four run,  is now 103. She just published her memoir entitled “Wake Up With Purpose -What I Learned in My First Hundred Years.” 

Probably worth a look see. She still serves as a chaplain to students, including the men’s basketball team. Wonder what the next 100 will bring.  

10. We’re learning here in Florida that when one political party has a supermajority, a democracy begins to look and sound like an autocracy.  Every decision is heavy handed and the rhetoric is harsh and condescending. Gun toting fringe groups have a bigger voice. And God becomes more  of a right wing nut job and not the Prince of Peace.  Be careful how you vote friends. There are consequences,  big ones, especially in this pivot point moment in time.  

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 03-03-23 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].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 41 – John 3:3-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Mike Murphy joins me on the podcast this week as we talk about a tremendous talk we attended given by Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine. Interestingly it was held on what was deemed by some as a national day of hate. Our speaker and the crowd gathered defied that. We touched on a couple of Mike’s recent Rumblings also.

Here are a couple of Amy-Jill’s books and a link to Mike’s Facebook page.

Witness at the Cross

The Difficult Words of Jesus

Also, see episode 356 for my interview with Amy-Jill Levine.

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

The post Mike Murphy – episode 355 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. 2.24.23. 

1.  The NY Times reported last week that “Newly disclosed messages and testimony from some of the biggest stars and most senior executives at Fox News revealed that they privately expressed disbelief about President Donald J. Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, even though the network continued to promote many of those lies on the air.”

Ah, integrity. You can smell it in the air at FOX News. Ha. Actually, what’s in the air is the putrid smell of hypocrisy,  conspiracy, and greed.  

And to think Speaker McCarthy thought it was a great idea to hand over  the security videos of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol to FOX News, entrusting the footage to Tucker Carlson, who is the master of rumor, innuendo, and disinformation. It just boggles the mind and makes one wonder about the future of our democracy. 

2.   “ …I came upon the story that a Florida school board has removed a book about Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente “to see if it complies with a new state law limiting discussions about race”.  Many other books (about Jackie Robinson, Jim Thorpe, Hank Aaron, etc) were removed also. This is in response to Gov. DeSantis’ culture-war crackdown on anything he deems “woke”…which often is code for “true, but inconvenient for the narrative I’m telling.”  ~ Aaron Niequist

Being  ‘woke’ is considered to be an egregious and dangerous way of being by the Florida Governor, who fashions himself to be  a culture warrior without peer. He is pushing a fear based narrative. And he knows anyone who is awakened is a threat to his finishing that story. There is no room for inconvenient truths, even though he knows full well that history doesn’t treat book banners well. 

So, he’s doubling down on his efforts . 

And he has allies.

A tweet by Congressperson Lauren Boebert said: “One thing you can be sure of – I’ll never go woke.” 

Gotta love the response by @Leslieoo7. 

“I’m sure of that. To be woke requires awareness, an enlightened mind, exposure to different cultures and different types of people. It requires maturity to realize that not everyone looks like you or thinks like you and that’s okay.”

Touche’.

I want to be ‘woke’. Hope you do too.

3. “ … In my Methodist home I was taught that all of us are God’s children, and are loved, and that love is the light that shines. Christianity has never been spoken with just one voice. Often the majority of voices express fear and an exaggerated need for power. That was evident in pre-World War II Germany, when a majority of Christians supported the rise to power of the Nazis.

There was, however, a minority voice of Christians called the Confessing Movement that let their light shine supporting the dignity and value of all human beings.

I believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are the heart of the Christian ethic of love. As a Christian, that is where I will let my light shine, regardless of who is currently in the majority.” ~ Rev. Stephen G. Hoffman, in a letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald Tribune

4.”Do not let the wise boast of their wisdom. Do not let the mighty boast of their might. Do not let the wealthy boast of their wealth.Let those who boast, boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord….” ~ Jeremiah, the Prophet

You know who has reflected steadfast love, justice, and righteousness? 

Jimmy Carter. 

He will soon go home to be with the God he has known and loved for a long, long, time. 

He once wrote: “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” 

He understood that the God he knew and loved was the one responsible for all those differences and that the Lord expects us to embrace them, not rail against them. 

5. Before you engage someone in what could be a heated conversation, make it a point to discern whether or not that person is mentally, morally, spiritually and emotionally mature enough to grasp the concept of different and nuanced perspectives.

Not everyone has that kind of maturity, right? My wife had a counselor who once cautioned her  “that you can’t reason with a crazy person” ( and no, that person wasn’t me).

Periodically, I have waged a war of words with individuals who lacked that kind of maturity.  Stupid me. What a waste of time and energy.  And how much hurt did I inflict in the process? 

6. “I am not losing my mind.

I’m not losing my faith.

I’m not failing or falling or backsliding.

I have simply outgrown much of American Christianity.

So has my God.” ~ Jon Pavlovitz

In  the midst of the ongoing, essential process of recalibrating our faith, there is a need to be careful, lest we throw out that which still makes our heart feel ‘strangely warmed’ (thank you John Wesley).  The essence of that warmth and the good memories it invokes are God’s gift to us. It’s good  to cherish those memories.

And what about those things that turn your heart cold? 

Some of it needs to be thrown away. 

The rest needs to be filed away. Filed away? Yes. A portion of our healing and/or someone else’s, down the road, might require some access to what’s in those files.   I know that I have grabbed for a file or two or three that contained things I once considered useless but actually were not and were worthy of a second look.  

7. Author and speaker John Maxwell was convinced that too many of us live with  “uphill hopes that will never be realized because we have cultivated downhill habits.” Ain’t that the truth. 

8. My Spiritual Director mentioned to me that a very respected monk, a man well versed in matters of intimacy with God through meditation and contemplation once said:  “My growth in the spiritual life is measured, in good part, by the knowledge that I’m screwed up and I need a savior.” 

9. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. Someone is given a challenging responsibility but then is not given the necessary authority and resources to succeed. 

10. For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie–deliberate, contrived and dishonest–but the myth–persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” ~ President  John F. Kennedy 

I’m all for myth busting and letting go of cliches that lack meaning. And “discomfort of thought” has helped me grow up. I want kids in our schools to be able, in age appropriate ways, to bust the myths and to enjoy the delight of grappling  with thoughts that can, at times, prove to be uncomfortable. 

For that matter I want that for their parents and grandparents cuz they’re  the ones up in arms and causing all the trouble.  

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 02-24-23 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].

If you enjoy the beautiful guitar music, you can learn more about Steve Wick and how to purchase his music on his website.

The post Lectio Divina 40 – Matthew 4:18-22 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.