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 124 – John 4:46-53 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.

Christine Valters Painter joins me again on the podcast. Her book, A Midwinter God, just released. It’s all about encountering the Divine in seasons of darkness and I highly recommend it. Our conversation is enlightening and informative as we talk about how we deal with darkness and grief in our culture and realize those moments are actually the path of true prayer.

Find Christine at Abbey of the Arts.

The post Christine Valters Paintner – episode 388 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. 9.27.24

1. “Donald Trump owns many properties; American Christianity cannot be one of them.” ~ Russell Moore, Christianity Today

Unfortunately, he has already staked out a majority position through a wide swath of Evangelical Christianity.  It ain’t pretty is it? Evangelicals may not  be the totality of Trump’s religious  brand but I’m not sure what second place looks like. It’s a sad state of affairs. 

2. “The problem is many of the people needing 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 

And God doesn’t see the world as White, Christian and American. I’m not even sure ‘red’ is His favorite color. If you’re disappointed, so be it. Sometimes reality really bites.

3. Them: “Are you afraid of losing friends over your posts on controversial topics?”

Me: No. “I’m afraid of remaining silent and watching evil advance. I’m afraid of seeing friends and their loved ones suffer because they lack knowledge.” ~ Author unknown

4. In one episode of the Simpsons, Homer finished reading  through the Bible and said: “ Everyone in this book is a mess, except this one guy.”

Yep. There’s that one guy.  

5. For four long, torturous years, the news was filled with Trump this and Trump that. Frankly, it was exhausting. Just the thought of four more long years of meanness, lying and asinine concepts masquerading as sound policy is mind numbing. But it is a possibility. The polls are close. 

I’m asking myself a basic question: 

“If he somehow manages to win, how then shall I live?

And if Kamala wins? Same question, with far less urgency and no fear attached to it. 

6. I have come to a reluctant peace over the fact that I am unable to neatly sort out all the life issues facing us as a country. As a result I don’t have a pretty little ‘life’ package with an even prettier bow to show you. And even if I did, I’d be reluctant to share it with you. Life issue discussions, I’ve discovered, bring out the worst in people. 

I’ve accepted the messiness of it all. 

And it is messy. 

Life issues are worth talking about. Finding the right  conversation partners is where the difficulties arise. It’s getting harder and harder to find those willing to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” (Covey, 7 Habits)

7. “… Imagine the surrender necessary for those who have been oppressed for hundreds of years to continue to work peacefully for justice. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone can do it without contemplation. How do we get to that deep place where we do not want to publicly expose, humiliate, or defeat our opponents? When we are hurt, we want to hurt back. This is our ego’s natural defense mechanism. Through prayer and contemplation, we change from the inside—from a power position to the position of vulnerability and solidarity, which gradually changes everything.  

True contemplation is the most subversive of activities because it undercuts the one thing that normally refuses to give way—our natural individualism and narcissism. Once we are freed from our narcissism that thinks we are the center of the world, or that our rights and dignity must be defended before other people’s rights and dignity, we can finally live and act with justice and truth.” ~ Richard Rohr 

8. “Nonviolence is the use of power to try to resolve conflicts, injuries, and issues in order to heal and uplift, to solidify community, and to help people take power into their own hands and use their power creatively.”~ James Lawson 

Non violence is considered by many to be a weakness, perhaps even a character flaw. Let’s face it. Someway, somehow, assertive, mean spiritedness  and confrontational posturing has become the default position for a whole lot of folks. 

Unfortunately for them, it’s not  Jesus’s preference. Unfortunately for us, we have to navigate around and through such sinfulness without responding in kind.

9. The Bible says lots of things. I especially like it when it urges us to turn the page to read more about God’s love and compassion.

10. Nice tribute. I needed the smiles it gave me. It has the ‘feel’ of a long ago, and much missed  style of sports writing.

“Guys tend to have three kinds of days: “meh, good and I’ll-never-have-to-buy-a-drink-again for the-rest-of-my-life.”

Until last week, there were only three of this last kind:

Neil Armstrong walks on the moon

Michael Jackson wins eight Grammys in one night.

Lyle Lovett marries Julia Roberts.

But then came last Thursday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Japanese giant Shohei Ohtani had the single greatest day in the history of professional baseball, which, admittedly, has been a thing for only 155 years.

In a single nine-inning game, Ohtani went 6-for-6 and drove in 10 runs, with three home runs, two doubles and two stolen bases. His three hours and six minutes of work not only clinched the Dodgers a playoff spot but vaulted him into the 50-50 club — 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.

“I’ve never seen anybody do that even in Little League,” Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux said.

The 50-50 club is not large. Here’s the roll call:

-Ohtani  

His was the best day anybody has had since Neil Young wrote three hit songs in one afternoon. No other player has even sniffed 50-50 and the 30-year-old Ohtani did it with nine games to go. Not only that, but one of his homers went 440 feet, which is farther than a lot of people travel during an entire game of pickleball.

Ohtani was so ridiculous in this game, the crowd made him come out of the dugout and take a bow. And he was in Miami.” 

… I hear you screaming “Babe Ruth!” C’mon, now. Ruth, standing next to Ohtani, would look like his neighborhood grocer. Ruth ran like a guy with a fridge on his back. The guy never even joined the 20-20 club, forget 53-55. Ohtani is Ruth with abs and a jetpack.” ~ Rick Reilley, WAPO

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-27-24 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 123 – John 4:19-26 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. 9.20.24

1. I’m pretty sure the “I hate Taylor Swift” posting was not a particularly sound political move.  

2. History’s dark side is filled with people who chose not to know and those who knew full well and chose not to do anything about it.  

3. Even the best of us have days where everything starts to unravel around us. And then we begin to unravel. I bet you know what I’m talking about. 

Back in the day, I somehow learned that when the unraveling begins I should give myself permission to inhabit, with integrity and wisdom, that space between stimulus and response, giving  myself permission to take an ATO (Adult Time Out) and to not leave that space until I sort things out a bit. 

I’m still a work in progress.  

4. Life got scarier for Haitian immigrants last week. 

Some people, such as the MAGA Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, have never learned how to zip their lips. No thought, no matter how denigrating and nonsensical, is left unexpressed. Concern for the ‘other’ and truth checking is never an option for them. It’s a sin. Flat out, it’s sin. How low will they go?

J.D. Vance finally admitted he was lying about Haitians eating pets. But it wasn’t his fault. Somehow Kamala & friends forced his hand. He had no other choice.  (Pause here for a giggle and/or a deep sigh of disgust)  

And MAGA didn’t even blink. They’ve been brainwashed so many times and at this juncture truly believe the end justifies the means, even when it terrorizes the innocent. 

5. “ …The public doesn’t see the extent of the harassment journalists face. What you do not see are the nasty letters or packages or emails. The threats of physical violence, … “I hope you get raped and killed,” one person wrote to me just this week. ‘Raped and killed.’ Not just me, but a couple of my female colleagues as well.” ~ Katie Tur,  MSNBC

 “It is our mission (as journalists) to defend freedom of expression -even if you die- …to put light into dark areas and show the truth…journalism is a social change agent…

These days It is very unsafe and the violence against women journalists is worse than anything else. This is a different type of violence – they want to create fear and stop the flow of information. It is barbaric …” ~ Loyola University Chicago Magazine.

It’s tough to be a journalist anywhere in the world these days. Did you know that  major network journalists in our country are now protected by security at MAGA rallies? When you’re verbally attacked from the podium and people are given license to give you the finger and threaten you, what choice do you have? 

Is it possible to have a free country without a free press? I think not and pray we will never have to face that possibility. But we’re inching closer to that possibility. 

6.  NIL—Name, Image, and Likeness—is now a common term in college and even high school sports. Athletes can earn money by leveraging their personal brands. Barry Switzer, the legendary Oklahoma coach, humorously remarked, “You know what NIL means, don’t you? Now It’s Legal.” 

7. “The Church has an unconditional obligation to the victims of any ordering of society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I want to make sure we all catch this. The church’s primary play is towards the victims, not the victimizers and towards the oppressed, not the oppressors. 

We are signed on, so to speak, to live as citizens  in what many theologians call “The upside down kingdom of God.” There, the Lord doesn’t keep score the way we do. Down is up. Less is more. Status and acclaim is not the end game. 

We gotta get this right.

8.  Emmett Till’s mother had this conversation with her son days before he was brutally murdered. He was 14. The year was 1955. 

“Don’t start up any conversations with white people. Only talk if you’re spoken to. And how do you respond? “Yes, sir,” “Yes, ma’am.” “No, sir,” “No, ma’am.” Put a handle on those answers. Don’t just say “yes” and “no” or “naw.” Don’t ever do that. 

If you’re walking down the street and a white woman is walking toward you, step off the sidewalk, lower your head. Don’t look her in the eye. Wait until she passes by, then get back on the sidewalk, keep going, don’t look back. If you have to humble yourself,” then just do it. Get on your knees, if you have to.” 

Emmett replied, “Oh, Mama, it can’t be all that bad.” Looking him in the eye and driving the point home by invoking his nickname, Mamie countered, “Bo, it’s worse than that.”~ Robert P.  Jones, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy (one heck of a read by the way)

And it turned out that hell, itself, was unleashed on Emmett Till. 

By the way, that discussion in various forms is still being had today. Why? Because Black parents want their kids to live a long and meaningful life. 

Don’t kid yourself. Racism never left the building. Just ask the Haitians.

9. “God did not say: You will not be assailed, you will not be belabored, you will not be disquieted, but he said: You will not be overcome. God wants us to pay attention to his words and always to be strong in our certainty, in well-being and in woe, for he loves us and delights in us, and so he wishes us to love him and delight in him and trust greatly in him, and all will be well.” ~ Julian of Norwich 

10. During a “Pray as you Go” session this week, Josh Garrels with The Porters Gate sang “Christ Has No Body Now But Yours.”

“Christ has no body now but yours, 

no hands, no feet on earth but yours. 

Yours are the eyes with which He sees, 

Yours are the feet with which He walks, 

Yours are the hands with which 

He blesses all the world: 

Yours are the hands.”

I am and we are the Body of Christ. And what do we do with that? 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-20-24 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 122 – John 3:31-36 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. 9.13.24 

1. James Baldwin wrote: “The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed the collection of myths to which white Americans cling: that their ancestors were all freedom-loving heroes, that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen, or that Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace…” 

Baldwin’s sharp critique lays bare the uncomfortable myths many white Americans have adopted about their country. These myths obscure the historical injustices against marginalized groups, creating a national identity built on selective memory.

Historian Jemar Tisby echoes this sentiment: “I am increasingly convinced that the critics on the Right are intellectually unserious about a fuller and accurate understanding of history. Perhaps even worse, they are incurious. I suspect they prefer valorous mythology rather than a precise past.”

I especially want adults who have never heard of Baldwin and Tisby to read Baldwin and Tisby.  Both authors offer insights that challenge the narratives we’ve been conditioned to believe, and their voices are more relevant and needed than ever.

I regularly interact with people whose patriotism blinds them to the darker aspects of American history and I wonder if they’re even open to exploring a more complete version of our past. I won’t know until I ask them, huh? 

My gut tells me that Baldwin’s and Tisby’s insights would be seen as an attack on their core beliefs, not an invitation to reflection and conversation. Plus, their tribe would shout ‘no flippin way!’

2. Hans Küng wrote, “The Kingdom of God is creation healed.” 

What a beautiful thought. 

In the end, everything is restored to its original, intended state. It makes sense that our role in the here and now is to participate in that healing and restoration. Easier said than done, of course, but isn’t that what makes it worth striving for?

3. Trevor Hudson, a Methodist minister from South Africa who marched with and was jailed with Bishop Desmond Tutu during apartheid, reflects deeply on race. He says, “From the moment of my birth, I was recruited into whiteness.”

His words resonate with me, hopefully with you too. Every white person in America has, in one way or another, been “recruited” into whiteness. It has influenced how we have seen ourselves and others, where we live and how we participate in our community. I’ve been sitting with this for a while and grappling with the full implications of the privilege that accompanies it. 

4.  Corrie ten Boom wrote, “What a sad mistake we make when we think that God only cares about Christians.” 

Does God also care for:

Muslims? Yes. 

Buddhists? Yes. 

Atheists? Yes. 

Raging materialists? Yes.  

Securalists? Even secularists. 

MAGA and its subsidiary Christian Nationalism? Yes. But I think He wants to have a long conversation with them. 

God cares about all of us. However, It doesn’t mean He’s OK with our behavior. 

5. Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: “I’m not screwing around. All of this pretending and performing—these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt—has to go. 

Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy and lovable, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever. Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. 

You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”~ Brene Brown

Brown is simply using different, but powerful words, to describe the dichotomy between true self/false self. As we age we need to shed the armor we’ve built up to protect ourselves. It’s time to live authentically.

7. “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people, so let’s be clear about that and clearly he’s having a very difficult time processing that. We cannot afford to have a president of the United States who attempts as he did in the past to upend the will of the voters in a free and fair election.” ~ Kamala Harris

As I listened to the debate this week I used this as my prayer. 

 “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” ~ Khalil Gibran

8. From time to time, someone points at me and essentially declares that I am “dead” to them and to God. It’s like a scene from “Goodfellas”.

The judgment (minus any kind of conversation) most often comes from someone who is upset that I no longer follow their particular blueprint for what my life should look like. They’re disturbed that I have a different way of approaching politics, cultural issues and spiritual formation. It’s confusing to them. I get it. They need a box to put me in and I’m not cooperating. You see, I don’t like boxes. Too confining. 

What I do know is that I’m on a journey that draws me into the life and teachings of Jesus and the example set by good, thoughtful, and prayerful people who have trekked with Him throughout the ages. ‘Tis a good place to be. I’m in good company. It’s better than living in a box. 

9. “The farther the outward journey takes you, the deeper the inward journey must be. Only when your roots are deep can your fruits be abundant.”  ~  Henri Nouwen 

So, what’s your ‘take root’ plan? Do you need help? Will you look for and  accept help?

10. Ridding our country of assault weapons is a pro-life initiative we need to start taking seriously. It requires, however, abandoning our cult-like worship of the 2nd Amendment. That’s not going to happen soon. There’s still a mob of folks who believe that holding The King James Bible in one hand and an AR15 in the other is the American way, endorsed totally and fully by Jesus, and they find their justification somewhere in the good book they keep on misquoting.  

Lord, have mercy.

And yes, I know. Some of you are going to say  “You’re dead to me and God”.  Reread Rumble #8. 

The post Mike’s Rumblings 09-13-24 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 121 – John 2:3-11 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 120 – John 1:14-18 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 119 – John 1:6-13 appeared first on Anita Lustrea.