Category: Kim’s Blog

“Umntu, Ngamntu, Ngabantu.” This is an African phrase which means, “A person is not a person without other people.” This concept is at the heart of our faith tradition. In our creation stories, it was not sufficient to have one person created, there had to be two, and more. We are meant to be in relationship. We are intended to be in community. Our species is not designed to live in isolation cut off from others. We are not solitary beings. Humans are complete and fulfilled in relationship with others. We find our highest good in solidarity. In sharing life’s journey, the joys and triumphs as well as the struggles and pain, we find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. In caring for each other and being together, we find our highest good.

On Saturday, 8 people from Lakewood Church participated in the culminating rally of the “Now Is the Time Tour” of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Lakeland, FL. We marched with signs adding our voices to chants for justice bringing the plight of the modern day farmworker to light. The afternoon ended with participants gathered around a stage in a park hearing speeches, testimonies, and skits about farmworker conditions and issues.

Again and again and again there was mention of the commitment to dignity for ALL people. There was repeated reference to the humanity of ALL people. There were expressions of the need for respect for ALL people. We were there to give our support to the farmworkers and the need for justice in the workplace for all workers. And we did that. But the afternoon was not just about giving. There was a beautiful sense of being in solidarity. A sense of “Umntu, Ngamntu, Ngabantu.” It is not just that the farmworkers need allies to accomplish their goals. It is more than that. It is that we need each other to create a world where all are treated fairly and with dignity and respect. There is the embodiment of the spirit of mutuality.

In being part of the march and rally, in listening to all the expressions of celebration and support, I felt that if I am ever in trouble, I can count on these people to stand with me. If I ever feel that I am in a situation where I am being abused and my humanity degraded and demeaned, I can count on the Coalition to be my allies, to stand in solidarity with me, to fight for dignity and justice for me. The movement is not just about what we can do for the farmworkers, but what we can do for and with each other to create a more just society. There is the recognition that “a person is not a person without other people.” We need each other. I give thanks for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers advocating for the full humanity of all people.

Prayer: We pray for the farmworkers, for all workers, and for all people, including ourselves. Everyone deserves to live with dignity. Everyone deserves respect. Everyone deserves to be treated as a human being, sacred and beloved. When we do less than this, we demean not only those who are victims, but we demean all of humanity. We undermine the well-being of all. May we see the world with the eyes of God. May we know that when one person or one group is diminished, the whole human family is diminished. May we see that we are only complete and whole when we see all people as our sisters and brothers and seek the highest good of all. This is the way Jesus looked at the world. We pray to have his eyes. Amen.

When referring to after midnight until noon, is the correct designation a.m. or AM or A.M.? Believe it or not, this discussion is going on among a few folks at church relative to church publicity and information. I know that I was taught in school a.m. and p.m. We were told that the letters were abbreviations and that is why periods were used. The words being abbreviated were not proper nouns and so were not to be capitalized. I realize that these things change over time and my indoctrination is a good 40 years behind the times. Two people at church who are retired educators favor capitalization; one preferring the use of periods (A.M.) and one preferring no periods (AM). I will gladly defer to them as far as church usage is concerned.

This happens to be one of those little things that has piqued my interest. I decided to see what the internet has to say on the matter. I went to the first grammar site recommended to see what was suggested regarding ante meridiem and post meridiem. In looking for that particular information on the website about grammar, there were examples of other usage issues. I glanced at those. In several examples, “Ms.” was used. Ms.? Mrs. is an abbreviation for missus or mistress depending how far back you go. Mr. is an abbreviation for mister. What is Ms. an abbreviation for? Again, we were taught in school back in the 1960’s and 1970’s that the title Ms was not an abbreviation so there should be no period after it. Since I don’t trust what that site says about Ms, I don’t put much store in what is says about a.m. and p.m. So, what’s the final authority? Who are we going to listen to and follow? At the moment, until I am convinced otherwise, in matters of grammar I’m sticking with Miss Rose who taught 7th grade English at Eastern Junior High.

Issues of authority and accuracy come into play in many ways when it comes to religion and faith. There are many different viewpoints in the Bible itself about a variety of things. Then there are the many issues surrounding translation and language and culture that influence the texts in the Bible. There are different teachings from the church on various matters of faith. There are a multiplicity of practices when it comes to worship, the sacraments, and faith practices. There is much diversity and variety within Christianity itself before we even get to the differences between religions. So how do we decide? What is authoritative? What sources to do we trust?

This is a complicated issue, but one thing to keep in mind is where does it lead? Accepting a certain viewpoint or tenet or belief leads to certain conclusions. Look at where something leads. Does is lead to love? Justice? Each and every person equally valued? Does it point to a God defined as love? Is there room for mystery? Does an idea or concept incorporate head and heart? Intellect and spirituality? Is there room for openness and growth and new understandings?

Each of us is responsible for our spiritual journey – the faith we embrace, how we practice our faith, and how we grow in faith – and the consequences of our choices. For me at this point on my journey, Christianity is about becoming a more loving person and increasing my desire to make a greater contribution to the common good. If an aspect, practice, or belief of Christianity is leading in that direction then I am likely to give it importance and authority.

Lent is a good time to think about what is important to us in our faith journey. How do we decide? What do we trust? What authority (or authorities) inform our faith and our beliefs? How are we growing in our spiritual life?

Prayer: There are many beliefs and spiritual paths. Finding our way can be complicated or even confusing. May we trust Jesus as our guide leading us to the heart of love at the center of creation and at the center of our own lives. May we let that love cast out our fears as we seek to live for others. Amen.

3.14159. That’s as far as I can go reciting the digits of ∏. With computers, ∏ has been calculated to 10 trillion digits. It has been memorized up to 67,000 digits. WOW!

Today is International ∏ Day. It began in 1988 as a celebration of ∏ planned by Larry Shaw of the Exploratorium in San Francisco; March 14, 3/14 suggesting 3.14, the beginning of ∏. Next year International ∏ Day will be on 3/14/15 representing even more of ∏. International ∏ Day was so designated by the US House of Representatives on 3/12/09.

What can we say about ∏? It is the ratio between the circumference and the diameter of a circle. It is one of the most widely known constants in math and science. It is an irrational number, never ending and never resolving into a repeating pattern. I have also been told that ∏ is a transcendent number, but the concepts I need to understand that definition are too deeply buried to be accessed!

While ∏ is ubiquitous and constant, it is also irrational and transcendent, never resolving. So it is unending, like the circle it describes. The concept of ∏ describes an aspect of the physical universe in an orderly, precise, and universal way, but it also implies mystery.

I think the concept of ∏ helps give us insight into our understanding of God. We may think of God as the source of an orderly universe which is also infinite and beyond calculation. The unending nature of ∏ and a circle remind us of the unendingness of God and divine love. ∏ is key to understanding and solving many concepts in math and science. Similarly faith in God also aids our understanding of life and creation and ourselves. And, I must say, I love that ∏ is a transcendent number, even if I don’t fully understand what that means. I can’t say that I fully understand transcendence or God in the spiritual realm, either!

∏ appears perfect and unending. Like God.

International ∏ Day is often celebrated with the eating of pie. So, happy ∏ day. Enjoy a slice of your favorite pie. Unless you have given up sweets or desserts for Lent!

Prayer: In this Lenten season as we reflect more deeply, may we appreciate the magnificence and mystery of creation; a complete whole formed of orderly and seemingly chaotic elements held in perfect dynamic balance. Our lives can seem to be a mixture of chaos and order as well. Sometimes we see the perfect form and other times there seems to be unending mystery and perplexity. May we seek a balance of certainty and mystery in our faith. May we accept the unknown and trust the known as a dynamic whole working for the good of all. Amen.

“. . .mobile home parks, ‘senior living’ complexes, golf courses and strip malls.” What is this a description of? Apparently this is how a recent article in the Economist describes Pinellas County. So, how would you describe Pinellas County?

Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida. It has world class beaches. It is the home of the Dali Museum and the Bay Rays. A fantastic progressive Christian church, Lakewood United Church of Christ, is in Pinellas County. These are some additional ways to describe Pinellas County. These are things I think of when I think of Pinellas. What do you think of?

I will say, that when asked to describe Pinellas County, mobile home parks, senior living communities, golf courses, and strip malls would not come to my mind. Were any of those on your list of features of Pinellas County? But, there are mobile home parks in Pinellas. Probably a lot of them compared with other places, especially “up north” where more insulated, substantial dwellings are needed given the climate conditions. There are senior living complexes in Pinellas. My mom lives in one. Quite a few of our church members live in such communities. Yes, there are probably more here than in some other comparable US locations. Golf courses? I don’t play golf, but when I think about it, my daily rounds do take me past golf courses on a regular basis. The community around the church, Lakewood Estates, incorporates a golf course. I regularly pass the municipal course on 18th Ave. S. and our son’s girlfriend lives in a golf course community. And strip malls? They are everywhere even though we may prefer to call them shopping centers. So, we really can’t accuse the Economist of being inaccurate. There are mobile home parks, senior living complexes, golf courses, and strip malls in Pinellas County. But that is probably not how we who live here would describe our home territory.

This Lenten season, we are encouraged to look at ourselves and our lives with intentional scrutiny and honesty. So, how might an “outsider”, someone who does not know you (a clerk in a store, for instance) describe you? What traits and characteristics might be mentioned? What about someone who knows you better, perhaps from a work or volunteer setting, say about you? What adjectives might be used by a colleague to describe you? What about a family member? How might a family member describe you? What might be notable as your salient features, your distinguishing characteristics? You may also want to consider how you would describe yourself. What things would you say to describe yourself? Would you mention likes or dislikes? Character traits? Physical characteristics? Relationships? Roles? It is interesting to think about what overlap, if any, there would be between our description of ourselves and what others say about us.

We may also think about who we are from the God’s eye view. What might God say about us? How might God describe us? How different is that from how we think of ourselves?

There may be many divergences in how we can be described, but, as with the Economist view of Pinellas County, there may be truth in all of the descriptions. Humans are quite multifaceted and different people may see us in different capacities and so may see different views of who we are. Thinking about all of these perspectives may help us to see ourselves more clearly, more honestly, and may be an invitation for us to grow in new ways.

Prayer: People are complex and it is hard to know another well let alone to know ourselves fully. In this Lenten season, may we engage in honest reflection about who we are so that we may more fully become who God intends for us to be. Amen.

Big sin? Little sin? When we commit a “big” sin, we know it. When we commit murder, adultery, theft, or something else “big”, we know we have done something wrong. Leaving out the legal side of things, when we commit a “big” sin we have a religious procedure to follow in the aftermath. We know we have done wrong. We know we have to make things right. We confess our sin before God. We repent. We ask for forgiveness from God and those we have wronged. If we can, we make restitution in some way. We try to reconcile our relationship with God, with ourselves, and with the other person or people involved.

The religious process of atonement can lead to the restoring of the relationships that have been damaged or betrayed. We work to rebuilding trust. And in this process there is forgiveness, freedom, and new life.

But what about the “small” sins? The little things day in and day out that betray our highest good and the common good? What about these seemingly negligible habits and weaknesses that are hardly earth-shattering? First, these are harder to identify than “big” sins. That means they are harder to confront and redeem. Yet the combined weight of small sins, even a small sin repeated over and over, can be debilitating like a slow progressive disease. Perhaps so slow and subtle, that we don’t even notice what is going on. Yet these small sins can hold us captive. We can become prisoners to these seemingly small behaviors and choices that are slowly killing us, or at least deadening our spirits.

If we are serious about growing spiritually this Lenten season, this is a time to intentionally examine our lives looking for the “small” sins – those habits, assumptions, and actions that are undermining our best selves and the good of the wider community and world. And then, to atone, to repent, to change direction, and do what we can to make restoration to ourselves, God, and others.

Prayer: We are grateful for the opportunity that Lent provides to seek spiritual growth and freedom. May we have the courage to be honest with ourselves and others and truly seek reconciliation for our sins – large and small. As Jesus forgave ALL sin, so may we. Amen.