freedom school

 

It’s one thing to celebrate accomplishment.  It’s another (glorious) thing to celebrate hard-won accomplishment.  Tonite — attending “Freedom School Graduation” at CFBC – I watched and celebrated with about a hundred students (elementary-high school) basking in such glorious accomplishment.

I don’t know many stories from the lives of these specific students (though I teach Sunday school to a few of them once a month so have a couple stashed away!), but statistics from the urban core where they live are enough to prompt my imagination and (then) my appreciation for what this summer school program means to them. Tonite’s graduation included performances in song & dance … recitation of original poetry & drama.  It was good.  It was messy.  It was genuinely funny.  Utterly endearing.

Watching the grand finale from the back of a full house, I saw 100+ beautiful, shining students singing and swaying to the tune of hope.  I cried.

Gets me every time: the story of redemption — success — smack in the midst of life’s ugliness.  And I am compelled to live deeper or more … or somehow more truly.  Here’s to beating the odds … (and so, shaping my world).

then sometimes, we just like to sit down together for a piece of chocolate cake

harelip prayers

 

I’ve cried my eyes out the past couple of days.  (My second mamma — Connie — left us to be with Jesus earlier this week.)  I had to dig out a couple of my favorite passages (some of which include the Scriptural Psalms).  One of which–found in David James Duncan’s The Brothers K–is a psalm of sorts in its own right.  (Okay, small p … but still.)  Because harelip prayers seem to be about all I can muster these days … (and because I love this story), here’s an excerpt:

“You know, Kade.  This whole thing, this shed business, it really is ridiculous.”  Then he smiled–and sadly, almost shyly added.  “But Vera says her stupid prayers no matter what.  Right?”

This remark washed over me in slow, silent waves: the shedding of the cigarettes, the tortured four-mile runs, the scavenged lumber and laborious building project–it was some kind of elaborate apology, some sort of self-imposed penance for having hit me.  It was a gesture, a wonderful gesture.  But a gesture nonetheless.  “Look, Kade,” he said, reaching down and squeezing my sagging shoulders.  “My situation, baseball-wise, is hopeless.”

My throat began to close.  I looked away to hide the welling in my eyes.

“The thing is,” he said, “I don’t want you getting worked up over nothing when I start spending time out here.  I built this shed because throwing baseballs keeps my head on straight.  I did not build it to inaugurate some sort of fairytale comeback.  Do you understand that?”

I stared at the little piece of diamond we’d just made.

“No matter how well I may eventually seem to be throwing, and no matter what your all-knowing brother Everett may say, all I’m ever gonna do out here is toss the pitcher’s equivalent of harelip prayers.  Okay?”

My tongue felt thick and dry now–not a hint of yak butter anywhere.

“Don’t think of it as baseball, Kade.  Call it my hobby, or some weird kind of worship maybe.  Call it psalmball, or shedball, or thumbball if you like.  But remember it’s not baseball.  It’s not a comeback.  You’ve got to promise me that.”

A lump of sandstone lay in my throat.  I couldn’t speak.  But he waited.  He waited till our eyes met, then bent my will like an arm wrestler bends a wrist: I had to nod to keep from breaking.  “Okay,” he said, handing me his hammer. “Let’s pound in that plate.”

We did so.  But I took no pleasure in it now.

–David James Duncan, The Brothers K

another reason to love kansas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving through the Flint Hills today, I was reminded of how beautiful the plains can be.  I’ve spent about 15 hours on the road in the last two days; it’s been awesome to watch the wheat harvest underway.  (And such road time has allowed for a ton of thinking and praying.)  Happy today for my home-State …

peace of christ to me

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the name,
The strong name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

–Excerpt from St. Patrick’s Breastplate

the blueberries were just a start

(Eat your heart out Martha Stewart.)  I haven’t had a weekend this domestic in a long while.

In addition to trying my hand at a brand new recipe (i.e. Double-Berry Butter Cake with Vanilla Rum Custard or [the second option] Lemon Whip), I finally made a start at commemorating last summer’s beach trip (via photo-album).

I’ve only completed a fourth of the book, but I’m loving the album already!  Here are a few of my favorite pics:

most of the world is poor

(Thanks to that E-free church conference) … I’ve spent the better part of the last two days learning about holistic redemption in non-American contexts.  It’s been encouraging to hear stories about God’s intervention–directly and/or through His children–to show compassion and care for many in desperate need. 

I am struck–anew–today by the stark economic contrast between “my world” and the way most of humanity lives.  Such awareness forced me to do a little digging today and even more reflection (hopefully more still to come!) on what’s behind all this (disparity).

Maybe you, too, will find this website on Global Issues (or its accompanying article on Poverty Facts and Stats  a useful tool.

i’m in st. louis for an e-free conference

For the next couple of days, I’ll be attending the E-Free Church leadership conference.  Tonite, I accessed my hotel room (via key-card), only to find I’d walked into a space already occupied by someone else.  It was definitely a strange sensation to “walk in” on someone else when I expected to be settling into my new home.  (I confess, I banished quickly the thought that this was a premonition of things to come, as I seek to “settle into” my denominational “home” these next few days.)

I expect there will be some churches and church leaders who plan and approach life much differently than I, but I’m really hoping to invite those different perspectives to sharpen and shape my own.

congrats to mr. & mrs. foster

Two classier individuals there could not be.  (And to think they went and married one another?!  Uh-oh!)  No, seriously, my heart has been celebrating all nite long … gladdened that God has called these two to image His love and life to our watching world.

Honored to be a witness (and so thankful Kurt took that phone call … even during 24).

i laughed my fool-head off

A friend of mine invited me to Starlight’s The Drowsy Chaperone tonite. I don’t remember the last time I manufactured so many rounds of legitimate, gut-busting, giggles. (I could not stop myself!) I knew nothing of this Tony-award-winning-show going in; I positively loved it. If you can spring even $10 for the cheap seats (that’s where we sat), it’ll be worth every penny!

Here’s a teaser: