I've always found water a powerful symbol of the divine. Around lakes, streams, rivers, and even oceans I sense God at work - a cleansing, healing, uniting, loving energy. Throughout history water has served as an important element in Church ritual, blessings with water, baptismal significance, and more. If you were to place water in your life right now in what capacity would it appear -- playing joyfully in a stream, treading busily to stay above water, drowning in exasperation, or is it something else?
I'm mindful this Easter of my baptismal water blessing. I'm aware many years later of my commitment to that calling and what it means to me today. At times I do feel like I am treading busily, attempting to stay on top of work and life. At times I do feel like I am drowning, facing down fear and hurt. Yet, there are those moments in life like playing joyfully in a stream. There are times we burst with laughter, exude excitement, marvel in life's gifts. I'm not sure we are good receptors of God's lavishes, looking only forward and back behind for the next battle, the impending challenge. Is it getting harder or easier in this world to appreciate God's goodness?
Many say we must psyche ourselves up for Lent, strip bare before the cross and shed sinful layers. I'm for this process. I'm also for exulting the risen Lord, psyching myself up to continue to receive God's blessings and gifts, being able to side with hope and goodness over fear and despair, admitting that laughter and friendship, radiance and family, life and neighbors are all nuggets of the divine scattered and sown throughout the world. If anything, Easter reminds us that the "drowning waters" are nothing compared to fountains of human goodness that stems from God's abundance love. Light rises through darkness, good triumphs over evil, life conquers death, and ultimately God's love overcomes worldly power and hate.
Play joyfully in a steam or lake this Easter. Acknowledge how good God is to you (and don't feel guilty about it!) and strive to make your baptismal call real - the primordial vocation of all Christians. Alleluia!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Calm Before the Storm
We know from the Bible that on Good Friday the clouds darkened and Jesus's worldly life came to an end. Jesus was murdered and crucified for our sins - but perhaps more importantly out of love, unconditional and radical love for humanity. This is what/why we celebrate next week in Holy Week - Jesus's mission and ministry - his death.
As Palm Sunday approaches and Jesus's walk to his death in Jerusalem becomes more immanent, let us remember that this week is the calm before the storm. Are we ready (really ready!) to welcome and receive what Jesus's dying and resurrection means? Don't let Holy Week sneak up on you. Don't let Easter become just about getting ham and decorating eggs.
Jesus will be led away, tried, convicted, humiliated and insulted, and hung on a cross next week. It's a whirlwind week of action and remembrance, liturgy and song, prayer and fasting, community and unity.
In the doing Holy Week, how are we to be?
As the clouds begin to darken and the transforming event nears, what spiritually is at stake for me? For us?
This week - the calm before the storm. Take stock.
As Palm Sunday approaches and Jesus's walk to his death in Jerusalem becomes more immanent, let us remember that this week is the calm before the storm. Are we ready (really ready!) to welcome and receive what Jesus's dying and resurrection means? Don't let Holy Week sneak up on you. Don't let Easter become just about getting ham and decorating eggs.
Jesus will be led away, tried, convicted, humiliated and insulted, and hung on a cross next week. It's a whirlwind week of action and remembrance, liturgy and song, prayer and fasting, community and unity.
In the doing Holy Week, how are we to be?
As the clouds begin to darken and the transforming event nears, what spiritually is at stake for me? For us?
This week - the calm before the storm. Take stock.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thankfully Blessed
I must thank my parents for visiting this weekend! What a wonderful opportunity to spend time with them and frolic around Chicago. I am thankful because...1) I have great parents.
2) My parents came to me this time - I got to host!
3) We got to eat stuffed spinach pizza on a Friday during Lent.
4) The new chapel at Loyola is amazing, and we got an impromptu concert by the organist.
5) Sipping coffee at the Metropolis Coffee shop never gets old, its even better when you have great company.
6) All you can eat fish & chips at a Scottish pub called Duke of Perth is worth the wait.
7) Duplicity the movie is good, not great, get it when it comes out on DVD. My Dad commented how it was like James Bond in genre.
8) Come rain or shine (and in this case snow in late March!) Chicago can still be fun.
9) Rock it out to Jersey Boys the musical, you won't regret the investment.
10) Appreciate Sunday morning mass and brunch, its the best way to end a week and begin a new one.
Snow aside, does it get any better than this? I am thankful, extremely blessed.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sham what!? Wow!
I'm sitting here in my lounger waiting for a Thursday night rendition of American Idol. I wonder who's getting voted off this week? I can't cry - not this time! As the results are shared I sit firm, grasp the chair, my heart pounding and my breathing heavy. After all these weeks, a new friend is voted off and sent packing. It's starting. I can't cry - not this time.
The results don't come in until the end of the hour, so while performers parade on and off the stage I've decided to continue blogging. Don't hate, I know it's been awhile.
I'm also sitting here looking around the apartment and marveling at the cleanliness. My parents are in town this weekend so I've taken the opportunity to do some spring cleaning this week. I'm not talking about some small scale dusting and picking up - I moved the couch and chair, wiped down the walls, and dusted every nook and cranny. When some of my friends heard I did this with a bucket of water, some dawn, and a rag they quickly made fun of my process. Water? Dawn? It works in the dishwasher, can't it wipe clean some cobwebs and dust balls? Apparently I flunked cleaning 101 somewhere, apparently there is a cleaning culture and rule book by which I didn't abide. They talked as if the cleaning cops were going to screech to a halt outside and revoke my cleaning license. No more cleaning credentials - there is a right way to dust they insist. Who knew? I ask - who cares?
As I sit and glance over the room things are glistening and popping, clean and tidy. The next time I get the motivation to clean they suggest pledge and shamwows (it really is one word!). Sham what!? Wow! They are for real - sham wows exist (excuse me, shamwows), it's the new "in" cleaning tool. Check that - the next time I get the motivation to clean I'll go for a walk and let my friends clean away - sham wows (excuse me, shamwows), or whatever the "in" "device" is then, sweep and wipe until there heart's content. Shammer (this is the verb form of the noun sham wow - I mean shomwow - not to be confused with the plural shamwows) it up gals! Wow me!
Results are here. Breathe in. Breathe out. No crying. Not tonight.
The results don't come in until the end of the hour, so while performers parade on and off the stage I've decided to continue blogging. Don't hate, I know it's been awhile.
I'm also sitting here looking around the apartment and marveling at the cleanliness. My parents are in town this weekend so I've taken the opportunity to do some spring cleaning this week. I'm not talking about some small scale dusting and picking up - I moved the couch and chair, wiped down the walls, and dusted every nook and cranny. When some of my friends heard I did this with a bucket of water, some dawn, and a rag they quickly made fun of my process. Water? Dawn? It works in the dishwasher, can't it wipe clean some cobwebs and dust balls? Apparently I flunked cleaning 101 somewhere, apparently there is a cleaning culture and rule book by which I didn't abide. They talked as if the cleaning cops were going to screech to a halt outside and revoke my cleaning license. No more cleaning credentials - there is a right way to dust they insist. Who knew? I ask - who cares?
As I sit and glance over the room things are glistening and popping, clean and tidy. The next time I get the motivation to clean they suggest pledge and shamwows (it really is one word!). Sham what!? Wow! They are for real - sham wows exist (excuse me, shamwows), it's the new "in" cleaning tool. Check that - the next time I get the motivation to clean I'll go for a walk and let my friends clean away - sham wows (excuse me, shamwows), or whatever the "in" "device" is then, sweep and wipe until there heart's content. Shammer (this is the verb form of the noun sham wow - I mean shomwow - not to be confused with the plural shamwows) it up gals! Wow me!
Results are here. Breathe in. Breathe out. No crying. Not tonight.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Shook the Shamrock
Being in Chicago for St. Patrick's Day is special. The dying of the river happened early yesterday morning, followed by a parade downtown followed by green beer and Irish cuisine galore. I missed the dying of the river and the parade, but I made sure to partake in afternoon festivities. For someone who is about 40% Irish, I had to make sure I got at least that amount of cheerio good times in amongst the Green clad rushing from bar-to-bar. And we did.
I'm not usually the "bar-to-bar" type. St. Patty's day is different. Whether you are Irish or not, you join in the festivities of celebrating the Mighty Green. I don't doubt many join in just for the fun of it all, but there is another element at work too - the awareness of and recognition around a certain culture, a certain population of people proud of who they are and where they came/come from. If only all nationalities celebrated the rituals and traditions (and not just drinking!) of their respective social location - I think pride in this sense is a good thing - serving as a sense of community, highlighting the positive, noticing their interdependence, common background, and unique bond.
And so we did. I met a couple friends downtown, had a few drinks with them as they finished their lunch. We traced on via Taxi to another bar to engage the Irishness there, and went on to yet another bar to be special and take part in the specials. While at this bar we made out with green flashing necklaces and of course the standard green beads - and no, nothing immoral was done for such festive garb. Finally, we ended the afternoon (evening?) at our final bar, partaking in the last of the green beers of the day, toasting an afternoon well attended. If you know anything about the over-consumption of beverages - and of course Irish people as well - you know by this point in the evening a meal was much in demand. With the monte cristo scarfed down, I headed north towards home, full of beverages and food, full of Irish cheer and proud of my heritage.
I'm not usually the "bar-to-bar" type. St. Patty's day is different. Whether you are Irish or not, you join in the festivities of celebrating the Mighty Green. I don't doubt many join in just for the fun of it all, but there is another element at work too - the awareness of and recognition around a certain culture, a certain population of people proud of who they are and where they came/come from. If only all nationalities celebrated the rituals and traditions (and not just drinking!) of their respective social location - I think pride in this sense is a good thing - serving as a sense of community, highlighting the positive, noticing their interdependence, common background, and unique bond.
And so we did. I met a couple friends downtown, had a few drinks with them as they finished their lunch. We traced on via Taxi to another bar to engage the Irishness there, and went on to yet another bar to be special and take part in the specials. While at this bar we made out with green flashing necklaces and of course the standard green beads - and no, nothing immoral was done for such festive garb. Finally, we ended the afternoon (evening?) at our final bar, partaking in the last of the green beers of the day, toasting an afternoon well attended. If you know anything about the over-consumption of beverages - and of course Irish people as well - you know by this point in the evening a meal was much in demand. With the monte cristo scarfed down, I headed north towards home, full of beverages and food, full of Irish cheer and proud of my heritage.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Needing to Exhale!
I got home last night from a busy day. I woke up early yesterday and got started - morning emails and phone calls, faculty/staff meeting from 1230-300, enrollment meeting from 300-400, and class from 415-645pm. I walked in the door and exhaled, grateful to be home!
I reflected last night on my past couple weeks. As I exhaled from a long day, I knew it also came as a relief to be done with a couple crazy weeks. My trip to LA, a busy week at work stuffing packets and mailing them, hosting a friend of mine in town, and with every other"free moment" working on a lengthy midterm for my Church & Mission class. I got in touch with my desire to emotionally and spiritually take a break, sit in silence, and turn my attention back toward the simple and small of life. With my introverted warning bells ringing loudly, I carved out some time to be - be silent, be grateful, be appreciative, be hospitable, be loving and love-able.
I've missed being the past couple weeks. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the adventures that came with traveling to LA, or the fun had when my friend was in town. I loved it all! Yet, I think we all get to a point where we need to empty out, be with ourselves and present to our tiredness, hectic life, and the myriad of other emotions and insights garnered from the fast and furious life. It's a good time to be exhaling - the Lenten journey will sharpen as the death and resurrection of Christ nears and as the renewal and re-growth begins to cultivate itself with spring. Breathe in. Exhale!
I reflected last night on my past couple weeks. As I exhaled from a long day, I knew it also came as a relief to be done with a couple crazy weeks. My trip to LA, a busy week at work stuffing packets and mailing them, hosting a friend of mine in town, and with every other"free moment" working on a lengthy midterm for my Church & Mission class. I got in touch with my desire to emotionally and spiritually take a break, sit in silence, and turn my attention back toward the simple and small of life. With my introverted warning bells ringing loudly, I carved out some time to be - be silent, be grateful, be appreciative, be hospitable, be loving and love-able.
I've missed being the past couple weeks. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the adventures that came with traveling to LA, or the fun had when my friend was in town. I loved it all! Yet, I think we all get to a point where we need to empty out, be with ourselves and present to our tiredness, hectic life, and the myriad of other emotions and insights garnered from the fast and furious life. It's a good time to be exhaling - the Lenten journey will sharpen as the death and resurrection of Christ nears and as the renewal and re-growth begins to cultivate itself with spring. Breathe in. Exhale!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Lenten Reflection
Loyola University Chicago put together a Lenten reflection booklet authored by university faculty and staff. I wrote today's entry and have posted it here for your perusing.
Today's readings critique something that comes somewhat naturally and quite easily to us as humans - the urge to judge others. If we are honest with God and each other, we are all guilty.
The skills of critique, judgment, evaluation, etc. are not bad in itself. It is perhaps a gift well used in analyses done in work settings, education venues, through critical thinking aimed at improvement and betterment. Yet, these readings seem to serve as a reminder to temper such impulses when it comes to the relational as God implores us to love (and maybe only that!) by being with the broken and hurting, the marginalized on the periphery, the outcast and unfit.
If we take anything away from this collection of readings, I might suggest reflecting on our (humanity's) retrieval of a basic characteristic of Jesus, one wrote about and witnessed over and over in scripture; mainly, that the commandment to love one another is primary and central to what we are about as Christians, providing vision and substance to the reign of God. This is especially vital when flooded with urges to become judge and jury, to place our social location and intellect above others. God knows differently, as do the evangelists writing for us today; their experience of God and Jesus spoke to them a different way, one grounded in mercy, compassion, good will and love. This is what Daniel is referring to when he states, "we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws" (Dan 9:5).
Where have we individually, and collectively as a society, departed from God’s love? During this holy season, what would a ‘path of retrieval’ to God’s Grace and love look like?
Our writers today encourage retrieval of Christ's, and the early Yahwistic community's, vision of love for all and action on behalf of all. As Lent unfolds for us this year, may we be able to center ourselves in the authentic and original transforming Christ.
- Ryan Hoffmann
Enrollment Advisor, Institute of Pastoral Studies
Today's readings critique something that comes somewhat naturally and quite easily to us as humans - the urge to judge others. If we are honest with God and each other, we are all guilty.
The skills of critique, judgment, evaluation, etc. are not bad in itself. It is perhaps a gift well used in analyses done in work settings, education venues, through critical thinking aimed at improvement and betterment. Yet, these readings seem to serve as a reminder to temper such impulses when it comes to the relational as God implores us to love (and maybe only that!) by being with the broken and hurting, the marginalized on the periphery, the outcast and unfit.
If we take anything away from this collection of readings, I might suggest reflecting on our (humanity's) retrieval of a basic characteristic of Jesus, one wrote about and witnessed over and over in scripture; mainly, that the commandment to love one another is primary and central to what we are about as Christians, providing vision and substance to the reign of God. This is especially vital when flooded with urges to become judge and jury, to place our social location and intellect above others. God knows differently, as do the evangelists writing for us today; their experience of God and Jesus spoke to them a different way, one grounded in mercy, compassion, good will and love. This is what Daniel is referring to when he states, "we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws" (Dan 9:5).
Where have we individually, and collectively as a society, departed from God’s love? During this holy season, what would a ‘path of retrieval’ to God’s Grace and love look like?
Our writers today encourage retrieval of Christ's, and the early Yahwistic community's, vision of love for all and action on behalf of all. As Lent unfolds for us this year, may we be able to center ourselves in the authentic and original transforming Christ.
- Ryan Hoffmann
Enrollment Advisor, Institute of Pastoral Studies
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