Write Now!
This blog started as a 'Lenten Writing Project', where we wrote each day in Lent. Now that Summer is here, let's keep up the discipline of writing with a weekly writing challenge! A prompt will be posted each week and anyone is welcome to join in and post their writing here or participate just by reading it.
Every writer has their own special light to add to this blog and all of your writing offerings are appreciated, whether poetry, prose, essay, thoughts, lists or comments and encouragement.
Three people.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother who lived her faith daily and joyfully.
Another grandmother I met while in Mexico who knew the true meaning of giving.
A friend I met online about 6 years ago who has dedicated himself to Bible study and who has both challenged and encouraged me in my own faith.
My mother: She never seem to worry about anything and always seemed to enjoy life for each precious moment. Her favorite Bible verse was: "In my Father's house there are many rooms, I go to prepare a place for you and if it wasn't so I would not have told you". She was the definition of true love. She was the type that would give her coat away if someone needed it. She gave me the gift of faith.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather: Always reading the Bible and trying to snatch me as I walked by to read a verse to me. He lived with us and cared for us until he was in his 90's. He gave me the gift of scripture.
My brother in-law Gerrit: was also inspirational. He read the bible during every family meal. He gave me the gift of discipline.
JackieD
Most Influenced my Faith
ReplyDeleteby Marlene
Pastor Jack Lundin at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in San Jose, California
The ground was prepared in Ascension Lutheran in Medford, Oregon and seeds planted by Pastor Bob Larson that were sprouting.
Pastor Jack added fortified growth formulas through challenges, acceptance and support of members with inspirations for new and expanded ministries, encouragement of creativity, humor, arts, health & healing, music, social justice, and more. Being part of the resulting faith community greatly enriched my knowledge, understanding and practice of being a disciple of Christ. The span of my branches reached higher and wider.
Another great influence was the devotion and dedication of the long-time volunteers I worked with at Foss Home & Village. Auxiliary members, from different Lutheran churches, lived their faith as they raised money to provide extras for residents and gave many hours of their time to bring smiles and comfort in various ways. As Women of the ELCA celebrate Bold Woman's Day each February, I always think of their boldness in ministries.
My mother always tucked us in at bedtime. No matter how tired Mother must have been some evenings after chores, she never failed to come to my bed and tuck the covers around me. Then she would fold my hands, close her eyes, and pray the Lord’s Prayer with me.
ReplyDeleteAfter the Amen, she would sing these two songs. I have since looked them up and discovered the first one is called “Evening Prayer”, written by Jim Reeves. Here are the words:
If I have wounded some poor soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive.
If I have uttered idle words in vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I offend some other through the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive.
Forgive these sins I have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see,
Guide me, love me and my keeper be,
Dear Lord, forgive...
The second one was written in 1924 by Harry Clarke, a Welsh song leader for Evangelist Billy Sunday. The words go like this:
Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
Come in today; come in to stay.
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
I can still hear my Mother’s voice singing these two evening songs.
My Quilt of Faith
ReplyDeleteA high school economics teacher
who also taught Sunday School and laughed loudly,
A pastor known for his preaching
who also spun donuts on the ice in the parking lot
in the station wagon with us kids,
A woman who worked in a hardware store
who taught us Jesus’ parables in church
A grandma who wrote to me in College
hoping I was studying the ‘figures’
and not the ‘figures’
A quiet father who couldn’t do what his extraverted kids did
but loved us anyway
A shy seminary professor
who prayed in humble ways that touched hearts
A catholic priest who wrote from his heart
and was silenced by his church
A young girl who smiled from her wheel chair
when her life seemed so tragic
A theologian who craved silence
but was a gifted speaker
A catholic oblate who taught me to move
and gave me a new prayer
A farmer, by heritage and life,
who became a pastor
and a man of grace
Hundreds of youth
who have responded to the gospel
These are some of the throng
who have influenced me
who have pushed me
and waited for me
and sung with me
and laughed with me
and cried with me
and been Jesus for me
and together
we have all been born again
and again
These are some of the saints
who color the blocks
in my quilt of faith.
A Tribute to the broken people who have nurtured my spiritual self
ReplyDeleteIn looking back at my faith journey so far, it is interesting to see how God can use all kinds of ‘broken’ people to make a faith. This gives me hope and things that I have done or said, but may not even remember are planting good seeds in others that I may never see the fruit of. But God will. So here is a thank you note to all the blessedly broken people that have influenced my faith:
Mom & Dad: I never had to guard myself in the questions I was invited to ask or the challenges I had with my faith. You embraced each one. Your relationship with the church was rocky at times – to put it mildly – but I always felt that the church was my family. Sometimes a dysfunctional one, but still the place where I belonged and I wanted to be a positive part of it.
Ex-Catholic Priest in my parent’s *outer* friend circle: I barely remember him: white beard, sort of slender, full of amazing ideas and things to say. Sort of like the Willy Wonka of Christianity. I idolized him at about age 9, but one day, Mom told me that he was an alcoholic and had many problems to sort out…possibly in response to why he would show up and disappear and make me sad that he left so suddenly…he taught me that broken people can be spiritual teachers too.
Lottie – an older lady in our church: She made the most wonderful gifts for my sister and I – hand painted porcelain, crocheted dolls, blankets, etc. She gave us so much and I still have much of it. Her home life, I recently learned, was not happy, but she tirelessly showered my sister and I with little handmade gifts and always loved to give and get the hugs from us. She taught me the immense value of the many women who reach out to younger generations and even people in other countries whom they may never see, with their crafts, which are made with love. I still remember and love Lottie
Kenny – a past choirmaster at another church long ago. He was very charismatic and had our choir very energized for a few years. He gave me – at 16 – my first ‘serious’ solo – Domine Deus from Vivaldi’s Gloria. He gave me the confidence to sing and I really adored him – later, we found out that he was abusive to his family. Horrible. Yet he was able to give a 16 year old girl the gift of confidence (in an appropriate way) to sing an old Latin oratory to a church and when they clapped, I can still remember the disoriented feel of him steering me out on the balcony to receive the thunderous applause.
Pastor Cindy Salo: Pastor at HSLC about 5 years ago. She was always the first to say that she wasn’t perfect and her sermons went to topics I didn’t know that sermons could go to – abuse, faith uncertainty, etc. She offered up her whole heart to us without spiritual makeup and I was impressed and touched by her gift.
Nadia Bolz-Weber, The Sarcastic Lutheran: A pastor, a great spiritual thinker, a recovering alchoholic and a ’real’ person. She is an amazing person and completely rocks my spiritual world with each sermon I get to read at www.thesarcasticlutheran.typepad.com .
There are many more that have influenced my faith – grandparents, friends, my current pastors, whom I adore and are so spiritually influential, but I wanted to name a few unexpected or self-proclaimed broken people that have nurtured the faith I have today. God uses imperfect people every day to speak to us, to heal us, to teach us lessons that we need to know and to love us. Thank God for each and every one of us broken saints.
I also follow Nadia - so inspiring!
DeleteMartha Hanson
ReplyDeleteThere is a long list of “Saints” who influenced my faith. I was blessed to be “born” into a church and raised there. My home church is, Central Lutheran, in Spokane, Washington. Some of my “Saints” are listed on one of the beautiful white ribbons our congregation used when designing a banner celebrating All Saints’ Day.
The one person who always comes quickly to mind is my seventh grade Sunday School teacher, Miss Martha Hanson. She and her older sister, Bertha, had served most of their lives as missionaries in far away places. I remember, as a very young girl, when Bertha and Martha would come home to Spokane, we would hear their wonderful stories of God’s love for His people all over the world.
She was an older lady, very petite, and maybe stood 4 feet 10 inches. She always wore hats to church, like so many women did, and carried a wonderfully, worn, leather Bible. Her bright blue eyes twinkled and she had a warm, ready smile.
I was thrilled to learn that Martha was my Sunday School teacher at the beginning of 7th grade and all things school. By this time she and her sister had retired and where home for good.
She sat at the end of a large, long rectangle, church table, with her chin reaching just above the top of the table. Her hands rested on each side of her wonderful, leather Bible. They were worn with time, her skin was thin and fair and lovely. The seventh graders sat crowded around the table; we were Baby Boomers, so there were many.
She taught the curriculum from our official Sunday School books. But, what my heart and soul will remember forever, is the look in her blue eyes when she gently thumped the open pages of her Bible and said, “I want you all to come to know and love Jesus as I do.” I was looking into the eyes of Jesus and I knew He was speaking to me. My desire then was to have a well-worn leather Bible, to know it well, and to speak with the eyes of Jesus.
I have a long way to go. My memories of Martha, and all those many “Saints” become more precious each year.
DyAnn Dennie
You and all others who had a "Martha Hanson" are so blessed. I hope today's kids are having someone like her as well. Thanks for such a beautiful story.
DeleteLenten Prompt #17 March 9 2012 Friday
ReplyDeleteMama Mommy Mother Mom
Dadda Daddy Father Dad
Ruthie Ruthen My First-Born Ruth
Baby Bird Anna Banana(pronounced ah-nah bah nah nah) Anna
Each one, in their own unique way, has:
ENCOURAGED me to keep going in life, and in the Faith,
especially when I was most vunerable;
SMILED at me: My parents smiled down at me when I was small;
then my babies smiled up at me when they were small;
CHALLENGED me to be a better person, of Faith and in general;
SHARED their true selves with me and allowed me to do the same with them. We did this through sharing conversations and questions about life and faith;
ACCEPTED me as I am;
Finally, I know they all PRAY for me.
Mom, Dad, Ruth, and Anna: I thank God daily for you; and ask God to send Holy Angels to guard you and your loved ones, and to always keep you safe. Not only are you my family but, and I thank God for this, you have influenced my faith in the most wonderful ways.
s.h.