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. 10.21.22 

1. “The whole purpose of spiritual direction is to penetrate beneath the surface of a [person’s] life, to get behind the façade of conventional gestures and attitudes which he/she presents to the world, and to bring out his/her inner spiritual freedom, his/her inmost truth, which is what we call the likeness of Christ in his/her soul.” ~ Thomas Merton

I do spiritual direction. I go to a spiritual director. We all need help going beyond the facade that all too often defines our lives. Self honesty needs to be encouraged. Confession needs to be normalized. Freedom needs to be found. The likeness of Christ in our soul needs to be coaxed out.

2. “Francis of Assisi came to know the God of humble love by meditating on and imitating the poor and humble Christ.” ~ Ilia Delio, CAC

It’s important that we don’t succumb to the temptation of molding Jesus into our image and likeness. Unfortunately, that’s often what happens. That Jesus often demands next to nothing and validates, all too often, every step we take, even when it is rude and crude. There is, however, something life giving that happens when we grow close to the real Jesus. It changes us.

3. The cartoon by Dave Waymond was of a mother and two daughters walking. They were dressed in Handmaids Tale garb. The oldest of the two daughters asks her mother: “But why didn’t you vote against them? Why didn’t you try to stop them from taking it all away?”

Mom responded: “Well, back then gas prices were quite high honey …?”

Mike Ditka (hard to believe I’m quoting him) once said: “You get in life what you’re willing to tolerate.”

So, what are you willing to tolerate or not tolerate? 

My answer is simple. Despite feeling an economic pinch I won’t lose my mind about it. And because I’m choosing to remain sane, my precious vote this year is going to be cast against those with authoritarian goals. I won’t vote for the contrived  ‘grievances’ of that crowd which is hell bent on eroding confidence in our form of governance and believe that anointing a leader is far better than electing one. I can’t tolerate such things 

4. Satirist Andy Borowitz nailed it with this headline.

“Tucker Carlson Warns That Alex Jones’s Billion-Dollar Penalty Will Have Chilling Effect on Lying.”

And then this punchline. “The Fox News host called the jury’s decision a “direct attack on the lying lifestyle.”

Alex Jones is still telling lies and fundraising off of those lies. That’s who he is. That’s what he does. What I can’t get my head around is that people are still giving him boatloads of cash? Who are these people and when and how did they lose their moral compass? And why do I think they all watch FOX News?”

5. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way–in short, the period was so far like the present period that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” ~ Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

6. “At the last meeting of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol, as Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) showed that former president Trump both recognized that he had lost the election and intended to leave the White House, he noted that on November 11, just four days after Democrat Joe Biden had been declared the winner of the 2020 election, Trump had abruptly ordered U.S. troops to leave Somalia and Afghanistan by January 15 … Kinzinger’s point was that Trump clearly knew he was leaving office because he was deliberately trying to create chaos for his successor.” ~ Heather Cox Richardson

Creating chaos for his successor is nothing to applaud. How many lives were lost and how much instability was thrust upon people all over the world? And it’s all because one very immature man couldn’t accept the fact that the American people didn’t choose him to be president again. 

Will #45 honor the subpoena the January 6 Committee issues? Of course not. Why? Plain and simple. He lacks the courage and maturity to honestly face both his words and the consequences of his actions. Don’t forget people died on January 6. He doesn’t want any part of that guilty verdict. 

7. “The prophets were always these wonderful people who went to wounded places. They went to where the suffering was, to the people who were excluded from the system. They saw through the idolatries at the center of the system because those who are excluded from the system always reveal the operating beliefs of that system. Speaking the truth for the sake of healing and wholeness is then prophetic because the “powers that be” that benefit from the system cannot tolerate certain revelations. They cannot tolerate the truths that the marginalized—the broken, the wounded, and the homeless—always reveal.

Are we willing to take the risk and become prophets ourselves? It’s not that we get to preach or speak hard words and then feel justified and righteous when we are excluded. It’s that we experience some level of exclusion or heartbreak, and then we have the inner authority to preach what may sound like hard words. Sadly, they will sound like very harsh and even unfair words to people who have never been on the edge, or the bottom, or who have never suffered. The prophets always bring the sufferers to the center.” ~ Center for Action and Contemplation

What a deep and penetrating question. Are we willing to take the risk and become prophets ourselves?

8. The GOP candidate for Governor in Arizona has indicated she will accept election results only if she is elected. There are 298 other election deniers on ballots throughout the land. 

What could possibly go wrong? 

9. Great prayer. Linger a bit in each pause.

Be still and know I am God. (pause)

Be still and know I am (pause)

Be still and know (pause)

Be still (pause)

Be (pause)

Be still (pause)

Be still and know (pause)

Be still and know I am. (pause)

Be still and know I am God. (pause)

10. “I became, during my fourteenth year, for the first time in my life, afraid – afraid of the evil within me and afraid of the evil without.” ~ James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

I can’t name the year but somewhere along the line (much later than it should have been) I was forced to come to grips with the depth of the dysfunction within my own life that was showing itself and it scared me and I worried that it scared others.

At various times, this current political moment being one of them, I have felt afraid. I shiver a bit just thinking about it.

It’s a good thing to come to grips with our own tendencies toward evil (I prefer the word dysfunction, even though evil is probably the better word). It’s even a better thing to wrestle with those tendencies and subdue them. 

The “evil without” is something else altogether. It’s a bit unwieldy. One person, alone, can’t wrestle it to submission. But I’m betting that together we can.

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-21-22 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 22 – John 15:1-8 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Civil War Scholar and Director of Education at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, John Lustrea, joins me on the podcast, along with longtime broadcaster, Melinda Schmidt. We talk about some of the fallout of the Civil War that we still bump up against today. Maybe you’ve been to a wedding or an event, or visited an arboretum on the beautiful property of a former plantation. How do we process that? Have some plantation properties, or cities, who have taken down monuments or changed names on public buildings done it right? How do we look at and process some of these icons of our difficult history? It’s a thoughtful conversation about that and more on this week’s Faith Conversations.

Links to things mentioned on this podcast:

The IMDb page for “Civil War, or Who Do We Think We Are?”

How the Civil War is taught in classrooms – interview with Rachel Boynton by John Lustrea

Emmanuel Dabney’s reading list

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

The post John Lustrea & Melinda Schmidt – episode 338 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. 10.14.22 

1. There’s a toxic coalition of Trump Republicans, their friends at Fox News, MAGA Evangelicals, Election Deniers, White Supremacists and assorted other like minded folks who are primed and ready to go as low as they need to go during this election season and for that matter, in the aftermath of the election. I seriously doubt that there’s any tactic that they would be reticent not to use. There appears to be no ‘bridge too far’ for them, and there’s nothing that I can see them doing  that would alienate their core constituencies – both secular and religious. 

I don’t want any of this to be true but both my head, heart, and gut are in alignment on all this. This is scary stuff. 

It should be noted that a democracy cannot survive without a thoughtful blend of character driven men and women, on both sides of the aisle, whose primary goal is to genuinely care about the welfare of the entire Republic. In a nation where character is lacking and thoughtfulness mocked, democracy will find itself in deep peril. 

Democracy is on the ballot in November. Vote well my friends. Vote well. 

2. The drawing, by Joe Dator, was of a fictional game show named “Facts Don’t Matter”. The text underneath is priceless, capturing the spirit of our times:

“Sorry Arthur, your answer was actually correct, but Paul shouted his opinion louder so he gets the point. And an extra bonus point also goes to Sue as she was offended by your answer.”

3. “What’s the worth of livin’, if we ain’t livin’ good.” ~ Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

 “We are made for goodness. We are made for love. We are made for friendliness. We are made for togetherness. We are made for all of the beautiful things that you and I know. We are made to tell the world that there are no outsiders. All are welcome: black, white, red, yellow, rich, poor, educated, not educated, male, female, gay, straight, all, all, all. We all belong to this family, this human family, God’s family.” ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu

4. “A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what’s going on inside him/herself, inside his or her consciousness, lest the act of leadership do more harm than good.” ~ Parker Palmer

A leader must know him/herself. In the process of knowing there will some moments of serious internal wrestling. That’s a good thing for it shapes and humbles them. We are all called to some form of leadership. Get to know yourself. Wrestle with your demons. Find your ‘true north’. You’ll be the better for it as will those you help lead.

5. “Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) recently recounted a telling anecdote told from the Republican cloakroom on Jan. 6, 2021, when an unnamed GOP colleague came in and signed papers objecting to the election results. Cheney said the fellow House member muttered: “The things we do for orange Jesus.” ~ Eugene Robinson, WAPO

I shuddered when I read this. No wonder President Biden said that “We are in a fight for the soul of our nation.” 

6. “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: … a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community …

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives …like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people…” Galatians 5, MSG

God’s way is the good way, freeing us to be true to the Divine Image within us. 

I find myself comparing candidates for office based of the fruits the spirit. Try it sometime. It’s not definitive but it’s helpful. I look for whether or not “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” are being manifested in that candidate’s life. 

As the years pass more and more candidates fail to pass the test. One flunked it completely. Twice. He’s itching to try one more time. 

7. I’m reading an informative and challenging book titled “Discernment,” published by Harper One. It’s  based on the writings of Henri Nouwen. It heartened me greatly to read one of the exercises the editors provided at the end of one of the chapters. 

“Nouwen looked back at his life and saw that he had some persistent challenges which he had struggled with for years. He remained a restless, nervous, intense, distracted, and impulse-driven person. Retreats and prayers did not help these struggles to subside. Still, he found freedom in trusting that God loved him, would guide him, and would allow him to offer guidance to others even when these challenges were not removed.”

I resonate with each of Nouwen’s shortcomings and am encouraged that those challenges did not bar him from ministry but rather equipped him to speak honestly and transparently with others who needed guidance. Nouwen was always a work in progress. Oh Lord, may that be true of me. And you. 

8. “Ridicule is the tribute paid to the genius by the mediocrities.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Ridicule has become a defining habit throughout our culture. After all, it’s easy to do and it gets you noticed. Unfortunately, those adept at being mediocre are now coupling it with willful ignorance. That spells trouble. And their tribe is growing. 

I prefer those who practice civility because it is a character driven asset that helps build people up, not tear them down. It also provides a behavioral framework for those times when a tough conversation becomes necessary and hard decisions need to be made. 

9. “… a library is not just a reference service: it is also a place for the vulnerable. From the elderly gentleman whose only remaining human interaction is with library staff, to the isolated young mother who relishes the support and friendship that grows from a Baby Rhyme Time session, to a slow moving 30-something woman collecting her CDs, libraries are a haven in a world where community services are being ground down to nothing. I’ve always known libraries are vital, but now I understand that their worth cannot be measured in books alone.” ~ Angela Clarke

We need libraries. Let’s not allow them to be messed with. Seriously, let’s not let their value be minimized. 

10. Marge Waldschmidt’s writing task was to craft a poem with the word Zip in it. She reads the Rumblings and listens to Anita’s podcast Faith Conversations and one of those things (she thinks) helped inspire this poem. My guess it was the podcast.

And That is Enough

“Zip-open

I peer out of my cocoon.

I see the world.

Should I go out there?

I see sadness,

Doubt,

Hardship,

Disappointment,

Abandonment,

Abuse.

Zip- closed

I want to

Walk away.

Hide.

Avoid.

But,

I am called.

I have a mission.

I must shine my light.

Zip-open

I open my heart.

I share,

I respect,

I listen,

I help,

I smile,

I love.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my hands.

I work,

I hug,

I carry,

I pray,

I wave,

I clap.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my mouth.

I console,

I praise,

I joke,

I talk,

I teach,

I reminisce.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I open my mind.

I learn,

I reflect,

I change,

I listen,

I feel,

I write.

Zip-closed

Is that enough?

Will any of it really matter?

Will  my actions truly have an effect?

Zip-open

I am left with only hope.”

—

Hope. I like hope. I can ride that a long way.  And you? 

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-14-22 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 21 – Psalm 63:1-5 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Enneagram expert Marilyn Vancil joins me on the podcast this week. She has written Self to Lose Self to Find as well as the book we focus on in our conversation, Beyond the Enneagram. Her new book is all about the invitation to experience a more centered life with God. Marilyn pairs the ancient wisdom of the Enneagram with new tools and insights to create an enhanced model for a more integrated spirituality.  What she proposes in Beyond the Enneagram is something she calls “The Drawing.” In her words, “It incorporates its wisdom, and also focuses inwardly toward the center space and extends beyond the existing circle.”

It’s a lively discussion with some new thoughts taking us Beyond the Enneagram.

Find Marilyn Vancil:

• Website

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

The post Marilyn Vancil – episode 337 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. 10.7.2 

1. “Paul can talk in this paradoxical way about power and weakness because he meditated on the mystery of the cross. The one who was a failure became the redeemer. The one who looked naked and weak and like a loser became the ultimate winner. And so Paul sums it up in his beautiful philosophy, ending with the line, “It is when I am weak that I am strong” …

Let’s honestly admit almost none of us believe that. We think it’s when we’re strong that we’re strong. But no, it’s when we’re weak that we’re strong. It doesn’t make a bit of sense to the rational, logical mind. Only people of the Spirit understand how true it is. The Twelve Step Program made it the first step: We have to experience our powerlessness before we can experience our power.  

Paul says he experienced God telling him, “My grace is sufficient for you. Power is made perfect in weakness” but the philosophy of the United States of America is that power is made perfect in more power. Just try to get powerful: more guns, more weapons, more wars, more influence, more billionaires. Everybody’s trying to get higher, trying to get up, up, up. While Jesus, surprise of surprises, is going down.” ~ Richard Rohr

Some call this the upside down Kingdom of God and until we reckon with its meaning we will be spiritually out of kilter. Our failure to admit that our relentless striving is getting us nowhere fast is sucking us dry – spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

2. “It is in the process of embracing our imperfections that we find our truest gifts: courage, compassion, and connection. . . 

When we can let go of what other people think and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness—the feeling that we are enough just as we are and that we are worthy of love and belonging. When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don’t fit with who we think we’re supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving. . . .

There is a line from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem” that serves as a reminder to me when . . . I’m trying to control everything and make it perfect. The line is, “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” . . . This line helps me remember the beauty of the cracks (and the messy house and the imperfect manuscript and the too-tight jeans). It reminds me that our imperfections are not inadequacies; they are reminders that we’re all in this together. Imperfectly, but together.~ Brene’ Brown

What if God decided that only the perfect were deserving of His love? He’d be lonely. We’d be lost. 

3. “Scott Dudley of Bellevue Presbyterian Church often tells his congregation that “if the Bible doesn’t challenge your politics at least occasionally, you’re not really paying attention to the Hebrew scriptures or the New Testament.” The reality, however, is that a lot of people, especially in this era, will leave a church if their political views are ever challenged, even around the edges.” ~ The Atlantic, Peter Wehner

Scripture is many things. It is convicting and challenging. It is also comforting. We like being comforted a lot. Being convicted and challenged not so much.

Our politics (right or left) can certainly endanger our faith. When we care about this or that candidate and/or issue far more than we care about our walk and talk with Jesus – well, that’s going to eventually bite us in the butt. It’s idolatry actually. When a church treats it as idolatry, people vote with their feet and walk away instead of dealing with it.

4. “What white Americans have never fully understood but what the Negro can never forget—is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.” ~ 1619 Project quoting The Kerner Commission, 1968

And 54 years later, we’re dealing with many of the same attitudes, policies, and behavior. What does that say about us?

5. Adrenaline fatigue is what someone called the weariness that afflicted those of us who were impacted by Hurricane Ian. 

It’s real. Ian was relentless, slow to move, packing a punch like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve been through epic blizzards many times. That takes its toll too. There’s plenty to worry about when 20 inches of snow comes at ‘ya accompanied by strong winds. But this hurricane was a whole different thing. 100 homes in our subdivision had substantial damage. We were fortunate not to experience the level of storm surge communities to our south experienced. Wowzer. 

Can’t help but wonder about the role climate change plays in all of this. We’re experiencing a whole lot of extreme weather events. And there’s more on the horizon. 

Sorry God, we’ve not taken creation care seriously at all. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima  culpa.

6. We did some grocery shopping the day after we returned home from our safe house (Brian and Laurie you’re the best). Our local Publix was very, very crowded. Its shelves were well stocked. The next day Anita went to pick up a few things we forgot to buy and she said the shelves were uncomfortably empty. Store personnel said they’ve never seen anything quite like it. 

A couple of days later shelves were fully stocked. Of course, we’re grateful for that. Ian didn’t disrupt our stop on the supply chain. Other communities are facing shortages, however. 

All this reminded me of the oh so many in our nation, who live in food deserts and people all over the world who don’t even know what a supermarket looks like.

It’s not just food either. Florida has a growing affordable housing crisis. Those with low or fixed incomes are struggling mightily to find a decent place to live.  

So with all this in mind, please make sure you give to your favorite relief organization’s Hurricane Ian fund. We tend to go with the Salvation Army for disasters in our country. They are a reliable, cost efficient ministry that makes a habit of getting the job done. There are others of course. Pick one. 

7. Why didn’t people evacuate when they had the chance prior to Ian hitting? Lots of reasons. A history of procrastination, lack of transportation, health issues, monetary concerns, a misunderstanding of the ‘cone’, stubbornness, a “God will care for us” mentality, didn’t know where to go, not trusting the authorities, thrill seeking … all this and more. 

8. Election deniers are on the ballot in every state. They are, without question, a clear and present danger to the health of our republic. Please keep that in mind as you consider your vote. These candidates endorse the big lie and then spend their time making up more lies to prove that it’s true. 

My considered opinion is that serial liars can’t be trusted to do what’s right for our nation. I don’t want to see power handed over to anyone who lacks conscience and virtue. 

Across the globe right wing candidates are gaining more and more traction. It always starts with rhetoric that insists that elections are rigged. Of course, if those candidates do get elected they’ll change that tune immediately.

9. “Do not grow old.

No matter how long you live,

never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.” ~ Albert Einstein

It helps to remember that childish and childlike are two different things and curiosity implies that one is willing to ask questions and blow through the smokescreens. 

10. “O Thou great Chief of the world,

light a candle in my heart 

that I may see what is therein 

and sweep the rubbish from my dwelling place. Amen”  ~ African prayer – Morning and Evening Prayerbook/Jeanie and David Gushee”

The post Mike’s Rumblings – 10-07-22 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 20 – John 15:9-15 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Hi friends! This week on the podcast Mike Murphy joins me and we talk about Hurricane Ian as well as other hurricanes that might enter our lives. We focus on some encouraging breath prayers from the book Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker. There are breath prayers for any circumstance. I picked some that seemed relevant to this difficult week for so many in Florida and beyond.

Find Mike on Facebook

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

The post Mike Murphy & Anita Lustrea – episode 336 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Welcome to the weekly release of the spiritual practice Lectio Divina. I hope you’ll listen and ponder the scripture passage offered and lean into the invitation from God. 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 19 – Luke 24:35-43 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.