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
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.
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.
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.
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.
