Ahh, the memories. Hey old CTAG youth? Remember the "no full frontal hugging" rule?
Because I grew up in a non-liturgical tradition, creeds (well, at least formal ones) were not really a part of my early education. Although I might argue that singing Alive, Alive, Alive forevermore can turn into something of a rosary, that's probably as close as we got. :o)
Anyway, I came across this today, and love it. It's called The Maasai Creed. The info below is from Wikipedia. Favorite line: "the hyenas did not touch him." Sometimes we need to remember that God guarding us for the hyenas is a very, very good thing.
"The Maasai Creed is a creed composed in 1960 by the Maasai people of East Africa in collaboration with missionaries from the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The creed attempts to express the essentials of the Christian faith within the Maasai culture. Jaroslav Pelikan, one of the greatest modern scholars of creeds and their history, considers the Maasai Creed to be an excellent example of the bringing together of universal faith and local experience (http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/pelikan/index.shtml)"
Anyway, I came across this today, and love it. It's called The Maasai Creed. The info below is from Wikipedia. Favorite line: "the hyenas did not touch him." Sometimes we need to remember that God guarding us for the hyenas is a very, very good thing.
"The Maasai Creed is a creed composed in 1960 by the Maasai people of East Africa in collaboration with missionaries from the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. The creed attempts to express the essentials of the Christian faith within the Maasai culture. Jaroslav Pelikan, one of the greatest modern scholars of creeds and their history, considers the Maasai Creed to be an excellent example of the bringing together of universal faith and local experience (http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/pelikan/index.shtml)"
We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it. He created Man and wanted Man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the Earth. We have known this High God in darkness, and now we know Him in the light. God promised in the book of His word, the Bible, that He would save the world and all the nations and tribes.
We believe that God made good His promise by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born poor in a little village, who left His home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in the grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, He rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through Him. All who have faith in Him must be sorry for their sins, be baptised in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the Good News to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for Him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.
I wrote this while sitting in the hospital prior to our god-son's birth. Kayvion arrived 11 weeks early, but less than two months later was able to go home, safe and healthy.
_____
For years I wouldn't have been able to sit in this room. To spend the night would have been too painful, but to sit awake an even worse punishment. To work away to the rhythm of a heartbeat, disguised only slightly by the protective fluid between it and the monitor... a special version of water torture for a barren woman.
But over the last two days I've spent many hours sitting here, listening for a heart rhythm that's speed is comfort, for slowing down is what caused mother and child to be here. And I sit. And I chat. And I work and am thankful for a hospital with wifi.
And I'm not bothered by a rhythm that has become my white noise. It's actually a comforting sound. That little rhythm is the sound of my god-son, who doesn't need to arrive until December.
And this tells me I am stronger than I thought.
And that my God is a better healer than I sometimes remember.
_____
For years I wouldn't have been able to sit in this room. To spend the night would have been too painful, but to sit awake an even worse punishment. To work away to the rhythm of a heartbeat, disguised only slightly by the protective fluid between it and the monitor... a special version of water torture for a barren woman.
But over the last two days I've spent many hours sitting here, listening for a heart rhythm that's speed is comfort, for slowing down is what caused mother and child to be here. And I sit. And I chat. And I work and am thankful for a hospital with wifi.
And I'm not bothered by a rhythm that has become my white noise. It's actually a comforting sound. That little rhythm is the sound of my god-son, who doesn't need to arrive until December.
And this tells me I am stronger than I thought.
And that my God is a better healer than I sometimes remember.
Take a deep breath.
Take several deep breaths.
Change position. Maybe take a walk. Maybe rest.
Perhaps a warm bath to help the body relax.
More deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths.
Women with traditional pregnancies aren't the only ones who experience the pains of false labor. Those of us who have "paper pregnancies" can also need the same advice when time is getting close but it isn't really the time yet.
Our paperwork for fost-adoption certification in California is being finalized as I type. And yesterday, I received a phone call from our social worker. The voicemail I picked up later (I'm going to be re-thinking that technology-free meeting during this "labor" period of our process), it didn't start with the "You're certified!" I expected.
Instead, it was "There are three children..."
*insert heart rate increase here*
And then she began to describe them a bit, their current situation, that they are adoptive free (aka - their .26 hearing to terminate parental rights has already taken place), and that she has info pages to forward to me if we'd like.
For months - well, honestly, YEARS, we've been waiting for this phone call. And here it is, before I thought it would arrive. But at the same time, what we have to pray through, discern through, is whether or not it's really labor - if these are really our kids about to arrive. Because there's also a good chance it's just false labor, and this too, shall pass.
That may sound cold and inconsiderate - it's not. We need to hear from God on what is best for these three adorable kids, and whether our home and family is going to be that. We know what we feel God has already placed in our hearts, so if these cuties don't line up with His direction - we have to make those decisions.
Keep breathing, Kathy.
Just keep breathing.
Because it's definitely not a time to push.
Take several deep breaths.
Change position. Maybe take a walk. Maybe rest.
Perhaps a warm bath to help the body relax.
More deep breaths. Slow, deep breaths.
Women with traditional pregnancies aren't the only ones who experience the pains of false labor. Those of us who have "paper pregnancies" can also need the same advice when time is getting close but it isn't really the time yet.
Our paperwork for fost-adoption certification in California is being finalized as I type. And yesterday, I received a phone call from our social worker. The voicemail I picked up later (I'm going to be re-thinking that technology-free meeting during this "labor" period of our process), it didn't start with the "You're certified!" I expected.
Instead, it was "There are three children..."
*insert heart rate increase here*
And then she began to describe them a bit, their current situation, that they are adoptive free (aka - their .26 hearing to terminate parental rights has already taken place), and that she has info pages to forward to me if we'd like.
For months - well, honestly, YEARS, we've been waiting for this phone call. And here it is, before I thought it would arrive. But at the same time, what we have to pray through, discern through, is whether or not it's really labor - if these are really our kids about to arrive. Because there's also a good chance it's just false labor, and this too, shall pass.
That may sound cold and inconsiderate - it's not. We need to hear from God on what is best for these three adorable kids, and whether our home and family is going to be that. We know what we feel God has already placed in our hearts, so if these cuties don't line up with His direction - we have to make those decisions.
Keep breathing, Kathy.
Just keep breathing.
Because it's definitely not a time to push.
This is not a political statement, or a bash session. Or at least, I'm not bashing who you might think.
In September of 1998, Bill Clinton made that famous statement: "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." {I remember this whole era well because it was my senior year of high school, I was highly attuned to the poltical and government world being an Extemporaneous Domestic Affairs Speaker (nerd speak for the fact that I competed in public speaking competitions and talked about government and social issues in America) and later that Fall I was sitting in the House of Representatives gallery as below me history was made when they voted to impeach the President, something that had only happened once before.}
But back to my point.
This is not a presidential inquiry. There is no parsing of words here.
There are things in my life that just plain "is."
And they are wrong.
And they shouldn't exist.
Because we often pray, "Father, search me, know me, reveal any sins that I need to take care of," just to cover up the fact that we really do know about the sins we are avoiding taking care of. Those that are blatant in our own hearts.
Our church is entering a time where the Holy Spirit is moving on a grand scale, working, and not just corporately, but individually. So as we come in humility and repentance, asking God to let us be a part of all that He has for us... let's not purger ourselves by denying what is obvious, even if it's only obvious to God & the deepest, most honest recesses of our own hearts.
"So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." - James 1:21 (as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in The Message)
In September of 1998, Bill Clinton made that famous statement: "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is." {I remember this whole era well because it was my senior year of high school, I was highly attuned to the poltical and government world being an Extemporaneous Domestic Affairs Speaker (nerd speak for the fact that I competed in public speaking competitions and talked about government and social issues in America) and later that Fall I was sitting in the House of Representatives gallery as below me history was made when they voted to impeach the President, something that had only happened once before.}
But back to my point.
This is not a presidential inquiry. There is no parsing of words here.
There are things in my life that just plain "is."
And they are wrong.
And they shouldn't exist.
Because we often pray, "Father, search me, know me, reveal any sins that I need to take care of," just to cover up the fact that we really do know about the sins we are avoiding taking care of. Those that are blatant in our own hearts.
Our church is entering a time where the Holy Spirit is moving on a grand scale, working, and not just corporately, but individually. So as we come in humility and repentance, asking God to let us be a part of all that He has for us... let's not purger ourselves by denying what is obvious, even if it's only obvious to God & the deepest, most honest recesses of our own hearts.
"So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life." - James 1:21 (as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in The Message)
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