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.5.17.24

1. To remain silent when people are being treated unjustly, is problematic at best. At its worst it is flat out sinful.

Folks justify their silence, though, by saying “I don’t want to make waves.” Or, “It’s none of my business.” Or if “I say something my friends at work, school, and/or church will wonder if I’m still one of them.”

I understand these things. I’ve done my fair share of not doing anything and fear is something I’m acquainted with, perhaps even too acquainted.

However, I also claim to be a follower of Jesus. The Jesus I know made it his business to speak truth to power and in the process he made some waves.  Religious leaders  didn’t care much for His truth telling nor were they thrilled with the waves he created so they came after Him hard.

It seems to me that where there is injustice, good people need to find a way to speak up and make those Jesus style waves because someone has to remind the bad people that what they are doing is unconscionable.

2. Wisdom from Anne Lamott:

 “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.” 

“Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.”

“I’m here to be me, which is taking a great deal longer than I had hoped.”

3. Around 

every corner 

opposition 

and 

opportunity

show up 

prepare 

for both.

4. “Our whole business in this life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.” ~  St. Augustine

I really, really love this. I see it as an invitation to first restore to health the eye of my heart and to help others do the same.

5.  Hunter S. Thompson was a writer and social critic in the latter part of the last century. It was said of him  “that he feared the straight-laced and bland existence” and so he “often made himself ugly to expose the ugliness around him.” Sadly, he ended up  taking his own life. 

I confess I’m drawn to thoughtful rebels.  That’s why so many Christian ‘saints’ appeal to my sensibilities and why I find ways to hear the echoes of the prophets in the writings of people like Hunter Thompson. As Mother Theresa said: “God often comes to us in a distressing disguise.”

Thompson  wrote: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”

It gets me thinking. How then shall I finish my life?  Now, I’m just speaking for myself, but straight laced and bland doesn’t sound nearly as inviting as “Wow! What a Ride?”” 

How  about you?

7. I’ve been rereading James Martin’s book “ Becoming Who You Are. Insights on the True Self.” The book is only 99 pages long but it sure does explain true self/false/self in a winsome way. Here’s a sample:

“Thomas Merton identified the false self as “the person that we wish to present to the world, and the person we want the whole world to revolve around…”

James Martin, a Jesuit priest, says of the false self. “I had created, over many years, this persona, this other self, which I thought would be pleasing to everyone: to my family, my friends, my professors. And this “false self,” separated from my true desires, was sure that a life in corporate America was the right path. This false self was sure about everything.”

Richard Rohr, the Franciscan priest, says “Our false self is who we think we are. It is our mental self-image and social agreement, which most people spend their whole lives living up to—or down to. Keeping this false self alive requires a good deal of work…”

8. There is a centuries-old aphorism, sometimes attributed to St. Teresa of Avila, that states, “God writes straight with crooked lines.” 

The meaningful movements in our life very rarely follow a straight course.  At least that’s true for me. Nothing is wasted in our walk and talk with God. It’s just that sometimes we get lost in the twists and turns of life and discouragement sets in. If we lay claim to the discouragement we’re sizzled. When we embrace the twists and turns and prayerfully try to make sense of them something good begins to happen. 

9.. “An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.” ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War 

“The winner is the last man standing” they’ll proclaim. So stinkin’ sad. For them. For us. There’s a lot of folks talking about and doing evil these days. They are almost impossible to ignore and if you can’t spot them – well, that says something doesn’t it? 

10. This is from Heather Cox Richardson:

“…Josh Dawsey and Maxine Joselow in the Washington Post revealed that last month, at a private meeting with about two dozen top oil executives at Mar-a-Lago, Trump offered to reverse President Joe Biden’s environmental rules designed to combat climate change and to stop any new ones from being enacted in exchange for a $1 billion donation. 

Trump has promised his supporters that he would be an outsider, using his knowledge of business to defend ordinary Americans against those elites who don’t care about them. Now he has been revealed as being willing to sell us out—to sell humanity out—for the bargain basement price of $1 billion (with about 8 billion people in the world, this would make us each worth about 12 and a half cents). 

Chief White House ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration Richard Painter wrote: “This is called bribery. It’s a felony… even a candidate who loses can be prosecuted for bribery…”

Quid pro quo is one of his favorite games and finding players for it is never a problem for him but playing it at the expense of environmental protections is ‘mad man’ crazy. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-17-24 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 104 Matthew 8:28-34 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.

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-10-24 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 103 John 17:13-19 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Our soul speaks, but can we hear it? This is the question Marsha Crockett poses in her new book Speak, My Soul: Listening to the Divine With Holy Purpose. What does it look like to search for quiet in the midst of our noisy and overcrowded lives?  Crockett invites us in to conversation with and opens up space for sitting with the Divine. If you are looking for a way to discern the Divine’s prompting in your daily life, check out this weeks podcast.

Find Marsha in the following places:

Website

Facebook

The post Marsha Crockett – episode 382 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. 5.3.24.

1. “Can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the United States at an event that doesn’t begin with a bailiff saying ‘all rise’?” ~ Colin Jost, White House Correspondents Dinner

Our previous president hated this event and stayed far away from it. He couldn’t handle the thought that people would have a little fun at his expense. He also lacked the requisite skills to do any kind of smart and clever humor sparring.

2. How then shall we live as people of faith in a troubling political climate? I recently attended a program at our church  featuring NY Times Opinion Columnist, David French, who addressed this question.  He  suggested taking a long hard look at  Micah 6:8.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

    And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Good advice. But then he suggested that we flip it upside down and  start with learning how  to “walk humbly with our God.” From his vantage point ‘humility’ in Christian circles has gone into hiding. 

He’s spot on. If we prioritize walking humbly with God  perhaps loving mercy and acting justly will become second nature to us. Wouldn’t that be nice?

“Step out of the traffic! 

Take a long, loving look at me, 

your High God, 

above politics, 

above everything.” ~ Psalm 46:10 MSG 

3. “Christian spirituality is a spirituality of descent. It invites us to follow Jesus on a journey of self-emptying surrender.” David Benner

And through that descent and surrender we don’t necessarily get to the place we aspire to be but we will find ourselves in the place God intends us to be. 

4.  “I might believe in the Redeemer if his followers look more redeemed.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche 

‘Christians behaving badly’ is far too common. They make  Jesus look a little suspect. But there’s still a whole lot of true Christ followers who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. They don’t flaunt their Christianity. They don’t politicize their Christianity. They just try to live it out fully. We dare not forget about them. They are the church.

Author  David Gushee challenges us by saying: 

“Better is one day in the company of those bullied by Christians but loved by Jesus than thousands in the company of those wielding scripture to harm the weak and defenseless.”

5. “Franciscan spirituality asks us to let go, to recognize that there is enough to go around to meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed. A worldview of enoughness will predictably emerge in us as we realize our naked being in God instead of thinking that more of anything or more frenetic doing can fill up our infinite longing and restlessness. Francis did not just tolerate or endure simplicity; he loved it and called it poverty. Francis dove into simplicity and found his freedom there. This is hard for most of us to even comprehend.  

Francis knew that climbing ladders to nowhere would never make us happy nor create peace and justice on this earth. Too many have to stay at the bottom of the ladder so some can be at the top. Living simply helps level the playing field and offers abundance and enoughness to all, regardless of our status or state of belonging to religion or group.” ~ Richard Rohr

“There is enough to go around to meet everyone’s need but not everyone’s greed.”  Yes, that’s true. 

6. “It’s OK to be heartbroken for more than one group of people at the same time.’ – Source unknown

I can weep with the Jews and mourn with the Palestinians. 

I can weep for the people of Ukraine and still mourn for the citizens of Russia who are oppressed. 

7. “…Native people are listening to the wind to see if there’s a song in it for us. It might sound esoteric, but we’re listening to the way that we “spin in silence” by hearing what I believe is perhaps Creator’s most communicative means on earth—which is creation.   

I think of that when I read Luke chapter 4, the story where Jesus goes out into the wilderness for forty days. The idea we’ve been taught is that he is tempted for forty days, but everybody knows that you can’t be tempted for forty days. Let’s say the temptations took up ten days—well, what about the other thirty? What was he doing? Jesus was watching creation. He was observing what was going on around him. He was listening. The reason that we know that is because when he comes back, he talks about creation for the rest of his life. He talks about flowers and birds and trees and seeds and crops and the earth, and the soil. He could have talked about all kinds of things—Roman chariots and their power and aqueducts and the ingenuity involved—but that’s not what we have a record of. What we have a record of is someone who seemed to be at peace with the quietness of creation.…” ~ The Center for Action and Contemplation, Randy Woodley

Creation speaks. Just go to a sunset. 

8. “Any message that is not related to the liberation of the poor in a society is not Christ’s message. Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology.” ~ James Cone

Check your personal and your church’s messaging and theology. If it doesn’t contain the language of liberation I’d start asking questions. 

9. “Take Jesus out of the box you’ve put him in and he’ll help you get out of that box you created for yourself.” ~ Source unknown

There are boxes everywhere and they all need to be opened and then possibly destroyed lest we cave into the temptation to use them again. 

10. The brilliant comedian and movie actor W. C. Fields was not known as a religious man, but as his death approached he began to look through the Bible. When a friend asked him about this behavior he humorously explained that he was just “looking for loopholes.”

In one way or another, we all do that don’t we?

The post Mike’s Rumblings 05-03-24 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 102 John 17:6-12 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. 4.26.24

1. “The Good Samaritan story is not just an example of compassionate spirituality. It is a critique against religious passivity. If church people won’t work for justice and mercy, God will find some other people who will.” ~ Rich Villodas 

No doubt about it, church people are and have been working for justice and mercy for a long time. But it’s not all church people. Too many are still on the sidelines. Is God looking elsewhere to find people willing and able to take up the slack? Sure. That makes sense and comes as no surprise to me that sideline Christians are miffed by that. You see, they don’t want in on the action and at the same time don’t want anyone else taking their place. 

That’s just not the way it works. When God has a mission, he finds those people willing to fulfill it. Those who say no can be miffed if they want but that doesn’t stop God from finding those who will say ‘yes’. 

2. “People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’ … If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” ~ Martha Gellhorn

How deeply we invest ourselves in politics will vary from person to person, right?  Some invest too deeply and become too absorbed with it and find their lives are out of balance. But that can be easily corrected. But to dismiss politics altogether is frankly, irresponsible.  

3. Jordan Klepper on the Daily Show asks the question -“Has Trump ever considered paying himself hush money?” 

After the ex-president seemed to fall asleep in court, Jimmy Kimmel said it was “nice to see even Donald Trump is exhausted by Donald Trump.” 

He exhausts us all. He takes up way too much space and energy. He’s noisy even when he’s being hushed. And he does it without much real effort but in the process still manages to conjure up malice towards many. 

Pray for the jurors in the trial in Manhattan. They’re between a rock and a hard place. 

4. “My life is a megaphone through which God speaks.” ~ Albert Haase OFM

This week my life as a megaphone has been saying ‘let’s give peace a chance’.

5. “The good news is that amidst our searching lives, our broken relationships, our battles with addiction, our desperate, reaching out for something more, our fractured, and hurting world, Jesus Christ reaches out to us with the compelling vision of another kind of life. He comes to us in his risen presence and says to each one of us. 

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Another kind of life is available to you. You are invited into a legitimate pilgrimage to the heart of my Abba father, who loves you beyond your wildest imaginings. As you keep company with me, my sisters and brothers will become your new family. Overtime I will reveal to you God‘s personal calling for your life. I will show you how you can partner with me in healing my Father’s world. Along the way, I will slowly transform you into the loving, compassionate, and generous person you were meant to be. My powerful spirit will set you free from whatever enslaves you and will empower you to act on behalf of the common good. Above all, there’s nothing that will ever separate you from the Father’s love with which I love you. This is the divine vision I have for your one life on earth.” ~ Trevor Hudson, Seeking God

I think all this is extraordinary good news.  Hudson reminds us that this kind of life is not for passive observers but rather “for those serious enough to ache for it, reach out for it, and turn into it …if we want to enter this life that God gives, you and I must become seekers.”

7. The Christian Coaching Network offers this perspective. 

“Christian nationalism is just plain old nationalism in which Jesus is trotted out as a mascot to endorse something that bears absolutely no resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount or apostolic Christianity.”

Mascot Jesus is essentially powerless but in the wrong hands can be used to help create a counterfeit version of Christianity.  How can we know what’s real and what’s counterfeit?  Read and reread and pray through the Gospels. Immerse yourself in the person, words, and work of Jesus. Do this consistently and in no time at all, anything counterfeit will be easy to spot. 

 8. 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.” ~ Booker T. Washington

Be diligent and discerning. Look for truth and proclaim it. Fight wrong. Stand against evil. Oppose the liars. Become the resistance. Don’t just go along to get along. Throughout history a committed minority challenged the status quo and became change agents. 

9. “I have come to regard with some suspicion those who claim that the Bible never troubles them. I can only assume this means they haven’t actually read it.” ~ Rachel Held Evans

Some have told me that “if the Bible says it, I believe it.” Hmmm. Here’s my take. Scripture consoles me and welcomes me. It teaches me and reminds me that there’s a God and it ain’t me. Often, I wrestle with scripture, ask questions of it and look to the heavens and say “seriously?”

Evans is right. If the Bible you read doesn’t trouble you at times, you’re reading it wrong.

10. “A system in which the power of the “good guys” is derived from opposing the “bad guys” is a bad system. A very bad system. No matter who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are.” ~ Karen Swallow Prior

‘Tis indeed a bad system. Very bad actually. There is nothing noble about it.  Immaturity and vindictiveness defines it. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 04-26-24 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 101 Matthew 5:1-10 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. 4.19.24

1. Listening to ‘Pray as You Go’  recently, I was touched by The Kyiv Chamber Choir singing  the Creed: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”

In the midst of growing uncertainty in Ukraine about its future as a country, voices there are still being raised in song to proclaim belief and allegiance to their God. 

It was, therefore, quite humbling to join them in their profession of faith knowing full well the devil was on their doorstep. 

In our country MAGA legislators are increasingly hesitant to offer Ukraine continued aid and support. Why? Because their standard bearer doesn’t want them to and they lack the courage to defy him.

‘Tis a sad state of affairs when Americans turn away from friends, listen to scoundrels and give a tip of the hat to tyrants. 

2. “When our story is told a century from now – and it will be – how much of the American church ran after idols and delusions, false christs and conspiracies, history will not only fault the pastors for not confronting us with the truth but the congregations who forbade them to.” ~ Beth Moore

“Friends, I honestly believe that the container of American Christianity is breaking apart in ways that cannot be fixed. This is painful and scary. But what might get itself born in the ashes?  How could the peace-making, enemy-loving, neighbor-serving Way of Jesus find new and dynamic life in our aching world?  In you and me?  What goodness and justice and healing are we going to be FOR?  Bring it on.” ~ Aaron Niequist

3. You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

I see that happening in big and small ways every day. It’s easy to look at the ‘crazy people’ but they aren’t in the majority. They just think they are. 

4. Hundreds of  people walk the 2,000 plus miles of the Appalachian Trail every year for a variety of reasons. They seem to find something, often themselves, during the journey. Many find the contentment and happiness that has been lacking in their life. Others come to grips with a deep wounding and begin healing.  Some  find peace after a loss of some sort. Some see it as a pilgrimage of sorts or a test of fitness and resolve. Whatever the reason, something changes in them. 

May we all embark on a journey that brings us to an understanding of the truer meaning of self, of God, and our place in the thick of it all, huh? It doesn’t have to be a two thousand mile walk but whatever it is, make it epic.

5. Which state will come up with the most stupefying anti-abortion legislation? 

Arizona is the current front runner. They’re way ahead of the pack but rest assured other states will do whatever is necessary to catch up. And the unifying thread will be that the life of the mother will be an afterthought, medical professionals will be put in a moral quandary, and resources to enrich the life of the child who is in born will be scant. 

And the legislators will insist they’re doing God’s will. 

6. I was challenged to think about people by asking the question: Is he/she a hero, villain, or victim? 

What a great discussion starter. 

Grab some thoughtful friends. Throw some names of newsmakers into a hat. Pull them out one at a time. Ask the question. Hero, victim or villain? Could make for a great evening. 

Throw your own name into the hat and make it dicier   or use hero, victim, villain as a private Examen. I promise that it will prove to be a sobering reflection. 

7. Well the eclipse came and went but the rapture never arrived. Surprised? Or did the rapture occur and none of us made the cut?

I’m not a member of  the ‘left behind’ fan club. The  theology supporting it is iffy and those  packing and repacking their bags while awaiting the trumpet call, look a little silly. Plus they miss the point of being a true disciple. They want out of the troubles in our world. Unfortunately for them, Jesus has always called us to be healers, beckoning us not to escape but rather to engage. 

But if we engage will we have enough time left to peddle those other time consuming things – like conspiracy theories? The answer is no and that will be a blessing for you and to others. The absence of stupid things will give you the freedom to breathe life into your tired soul and people will begin to trust you again. 

8. As I continue the next steps of my own journey I continue to wrestle with the realization that the world wants young and pretty. Is there still room for someone who’s old and cute? OK, maybe not cute. That might be a stretch. How about winsome? Instead of old, maybe weathered is a better word. Or seasoned.  So, instead of old and cute, is there room for someone who’s winsome and weathered?

9. After eight years attending and serving at Church of the Palms, PCUSA  in Sarasota, we signed on the dotted line and became members. 

Amidst the packet of materials we were given was this gem of a statement regarding the Bible. It reads: “We Presbyterians don’t believe that the authors of the Bible were ‘the pens of God’ but rather they were inspired by God to reveal God to all people.” 

I’m always encouraged by the thought that the words in the Book are the real words of real people who were divinely inspired to write about their authentic experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly) with the Living God. 

I’m further encouraged by the thought that even today ordinary people are still inspired to write, revealing what they know of God to others. They build upon the old stories and the wisdom of the spiritually curious across the ages, and then apply it in the words of today, all the while inviting the Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of their readers. In many respects they’re writing the 29th Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. 

10. 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)

The post Mike’s Rumblings 04-19-24 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.