Some Things You Should Know

1. I have a B.A in Global Studies from Cedar Crest College

2. I studied Religious Studies not Theology at Cedar Crest College

3. Gender- Cis

4.Sexuality - Pan

5. I live on a steady diet of candy, coffee, and ice cream

6. I'm starting my first semester of seminary in a few weeks

7. Yes, some of my music has parental warnings

8. I'm currently taking  Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Computation at UC Berkeley 

9. I am looking at PhD programs in the UK for my research on the cultural memory of magic in pop culture

10. I want a pet dragon. 

11. Hogwarts is my home. 

12. I know that hobbit holes are home. 

13. I'm a brown coat. You can't take the sky from me. I am a leaf on the wind watch how I soar. 

14. Cumbercookie of the Cumberbatch. 

15. Sam and Dean taught me everything I know about demons, vampires etc. 

16. I am loyal to Delenn.

17. The capital can kiss my mocking jay ass. 

18. Rumbelle because "Love is hope. It fuels our dreams."

19. I want season 3 of Sherlock yesterday. 

20. Did someone say Downton Abbey?

21. Feminist. 

22. UCC with some Tibetan Buddhism, Swaminarayan, Islamic tendencies

23. Recovering Fundamentalist

24. I believe in pie making, communion serving monkeys. 

25. I believe in the last of the dragon lords. 

26. 9 is my Doctor. 

27. When my iTunes is on shuffle you can go from Thomas Tallis to Kesha. 

You should know this because I am sick and tired of everyone putting me in a box. I don’t want to be in the box. The box sucks. I am so much more than the box. Also, if you try to put in the box or tell me that I need to be in the box, I will start quoting monologues from the Vagina Monologues at you

Thoughts on the "Word"

My summer of discernment has also lead me to this...


http://www.therainbowhub.com/thoughts-on-the-word/

Some Thoughts On My Future Ministry

This morning I managed to get out of bed the first time my alarm went off!! Yay 8AM! The result of this miracle was that I had two extra hours this morning. So while I drank coffee and ate apple jacks I pondered my future ministry. I wanted to spend my summer discerning and that I am happy to say that that is what I have done.
I posted a list of ten things about my future ministry to tumblr this morning they were:
1. I don't do mornings. So I'm thinking Sunday afternoon. Like have a huge late lunch (2ish) at church then worship.
2.And why does it have to be Sunday morning?
3. "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey you are welcome here."
4.Open Communion Table because yes.
5. Eco-friendly- i.e we will not print enough bulletins for the entire east coast
6. Food pantry and soup kitchen because yes.
7.  Day and night shelters for the homeless 24/7 and 365
8. After school programs for the youth of the community.
9. ESL classes
10. GED classes

I added more to the list while in church today. The Gospel reading this morning was Luke 12:13-21 the parable about building barns and storing treasures. The sermon was packed with holy gracefilled social justice. This past Tuesday the church sponsored a meal for the homeless at a local Roman Catholic Church (yay!) and the pastor was talking about Kingdom and said, "They [the outcasts] are just like us. They are us...We are all trying to find home."

After an amazing worship experience this morning I am adding the following to the list:
11. Free condoms because yes.
12. Free feminine products because yes.
13. A health clinic because yes.
14. Open and Affirming
15. Just Peace
16. Resources and support for battered men, women, and children.
17. Ecumenical because why not.
18. Inter-faith dialogue.
19. Savings account. What savings account?
20. A safe space.
21. Holy Gracefilled Social Justice Gospel
22. A light in the darkness.
23. A piece of heaven in hell.
24. A place where the kingdom is created, sustained, and celebrated.


I'm sure this will grow again for the simple fact that there is always work do be done for the Kingdom and well I am a dreamer.

Go in peace. Live peace. Be peace.

Why I Say Yes To Worship That Feels Like Family

This week has been theologically challenging. After reading a slew of articles and blog posts I found myself wrestling with some big questions. I had managed to find some answers and the wounds to my soul are currently healing. 

            Then this morning I read “Why Worship Shouldn’t Feel Like Family[i].” And surprise, surprise I found myself wrestling again. The article made my skin crawl.

            For me the image of church as a family is a huge part of my faith. As a product of a flawed and broken foster system I have always struggled with what it means to be family. Family was not a good word for me growing up. Family was my “f word.” It was a church that helped me redefine family, by doing some of the very things the article said not to do.  

            I will be honest that I don’t really have any thoughts on the first point that the article makes. I don’t really care how people pray as long as their prayers aren’t damaging to another person.

            Now, for the passing of the peace. I love the passing of the peace. I love it. Growing up I hated it. Now, I love it. It is my favorite part of worship. My first week at the church that helped me to redefine family, we passed the peace. And I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t really know anyone and I had had some bad experiences with the passing of the peace. I was waiting for someone to come up to me and judge me. But that never happened. The passing of the peace came to mean something to me. The passing of the peace, for me is not about excluding the outsider from the family. For me the passing of the peace is about welcoming someone into the family of God. It is about welcoming the outcast. It is about meeting a person in their brokenness. Never underestimate the power of welcoming someone to church.

            Now, for announcements. Seriously, you couldn’t find something else to criticize? Announcements let people know what your community is doing. I love when I go to a church and they have a long list of announcements that relate to work they are doing in the world. Announcements show visitors that you care about the world outside of the walls of the sanctuary.

            Number four pissed me off. Who cares what the soloist sounds like? So what if the person who reads the scripture is soft spoken? I’m pretty sure God doesn’t give a damn. God cares about people being welcome. God wants everyone to feel at home. I sing in church and I’m not very good at it. But here’s the crazy thing it all sounds wonderful to God. If our actions in worship come out of our love for our divine creator then who is to say that they are not good enough? To say that someone cannot sing or read scripture in church is anti-kingdom.

            And as far as I am concerned with number five use context clues. They are fabulous! And if someone has a question about where something is located just answer the question. I had no idea what a narthex was the first time I encountered the word, but I figured it out by asking. I also found number five to be belittling. People learn more about the god a religion worships by watching the people. I don’t understand the words to the hymns when I am at a Hindu temple, but I do know that the people there are welcoming. I know that they are active in the community outside of the walls of the temple. I know that they rock at hospitality.

            So, I guess what I am trying to say is church should feel like a family; a welcoming, nurturing family. A family that is over joyed when someone new shows up on their doorstep. A family that vacations to the worst parts of the city with blankets, food, hope, grace, and love. A family that is not afraid to welcome the homeless person to their table. A family that gets it.  A family that helps a foster child redefine family. A family where the only rule is “build kingdom”.

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[i]Flowers, John and Karen Vannoy. “Why Worship Shouldn’t Feel Like Family.” Ministry Matters, 29 July 2013.  http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/4093/why-worship-shouldnt-feel-like-family#.UffLMkJpU3Y.facebook