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During this year's Holy Week services I offered reflections on Walter Wangerin's story Ragman. The ragman goes about town yelling "new rags for old." When he takes a handkerchief from a woman who is sobbing tears and gives her a new one, the woman's tears come with it and they become his tears. He takes an old jacket from a man with one arm and gives him his jacket with his arm in it.
Reflecting on how the ragman always gives something in exchange for something else, I suggested that giving and receiving is fundamental to our humanity. If we give and never receive, or receive and never give, our humanity is greatly diminished. This fundamental part of being human--exchanging with others--informs our relationships with God and Jesus Christ as well. God's grace may be free, and Jesus may give himself freely, but God and Jesus desire that we respond to them by giving something back to the relationship. As we gathered around the communion table on Maundy Thursday our question for reflection was this: What do you receive when you eat the bread and drink from the cup, and what do you give Jesus in return? What does Jesus give you when he offers you his life, and what do you offer Jesus in return? On Good Friday we continued our reflection. I suggested that if exchanging with others is fundamental to our humanity, then it's fundamental to our spirituality as well. Indeed our spiritual tradition, and our authoritative writings, our greatest sages, teachers, and leaders all talk about exchange relationships with other people. In a nutshell they teach that God desires fairness and equity in our exchanges. Our tradition calls this ethic of fairness and equity righteousness and justice. A righteous person is one who seeks fairness and equity in all of his or her exchanges with other people. Our lives are connected to other people's lives on many different levels through all kinds of exchange relationships, be they verbal or monetary, social or economic, personal or impersonal. A righteous person seeks fairness and equity in every exchange. When a number of people are righteous in their relationships with one another justice becomes visible on earth. Our tradition also has a lot to say about unrighteousness and injustice. An unrighteous person is one who seeks to receive more than he or she gives in an exchange. Fairness and equity are not their goals. Rather they seek to get ahead by accumulating more for themselves than they give away to others. There's also a tendency for those who have more to assert themselves over those who have less. When those who have more perpetuate their dominance over those who have less our tradition calls this injustice. Our scripture and our greatest teachers have repeatedly exposed and condemned injustice. In terms of righteousness, I believe Jesus upped the ante by providing an even more radical definition, one that calls us to give more than we receive in our exchanges with others. Don't simply seek equity, go the extra mile and give something of more value than what you receive. The ragman demonstrates this more radical righteousness by exchanging his health for other people's sickness. In a place where unfairness and inequity are all too common, and where fairness and equity are liberal dreams, giving away more than you receive sounds downright crazy. It's irrational. Logic dictates that you'll end up with nothing in the end. But on a deeper level there is a certain logic to it: if everyone does it, nobody can ever end up with nothing. If everybody adopts this radical attitude then everybody will get his or her basic needs met. Justice--one of the most visible signs of God's Kingdom--will be discernable everywhere. It's a nice vision. But Jesus made it clear that those who practice this radical righteousness should not expect everyone else in the world to practice it with them. In fact, quite the opposite. Those who practice Christ's radical way will at times feel like they're the only ones in the world practicing it. Some people will take advantage of them, ridicule them for their irrational beliefs and crazy lifestyle, or feel threatened by them because radical righteousness exposes deceit and violence. Some people will kill those who practice Christ's way because Christ's way threatens their way. Jesus made this pretty clear. We remembered what happened to him on Good Friday. But the story of the ragman doesn't end with the ragman's death. Nor does Jesus Christ's story. Both are restored to a mysteriously powerful life that exceeds their previous lives. There are even deeper lessons to be learned. Here's a lesson I learned this year. I should seek to give more than I receive in my exchanges with other people. In other words, I should seek to outdo others in generosity and be more concerned with what I give than what I receive. I shouldn't be afraid of losing everything because I'll receive something of even greater value than everything I give away. This lesson is so simple yet so hard. It's a mystery that continues to defy logic for me, a mystery I must somehow learn to trust. May God help me trust this mystery. May God help me be more generous and give more of myself. May God help me discover what is of greater value than everything I give away. Tom Chairs of our Boards Trustees: John Moore & Pam Tucker OUR NEW CHRISTIAN ADULT EDUCATION SERIES That's right! Elaine Pagel's book Beyond Belief will be the centerpiece of our study of early Christianity, and the variety of theological and spiritual orientations present in the earliest years of the church. Pagel's book focuses on the Gospel According to Thomas and the theological disputes that occurred between Thomas' Christian community and John's Christian community. We'll likely draw from other works as well as we explore the rise of orthodoxy and the suppression of heretical texts and ideas. We'll ask ourselves whether we can discover anything of spiritual and theological value today that the early church rejected in the heat of passionate arguments over doctrine. If you're interested, please come to an introductory meeting after worship on May 23. We'll decide together how to proceed. For some background information to peak your interest on this topic, check out the sample sermon called "Disputing Thomas" on our web page. 2 Louise Froelich JAZZ WORSHIP Reflecting on the relationship between his music and his spirituality, John Coltrane once remarked, "There is never any end. There are always new sounds to imagine, new feelings to get at. And always there is the need to keep purifying these feelings and sounds so that we can really see what we've discovered in its pure state. So that we can see more and more clearly what we are." On May 23, we're going to be hearing some new sounds and getting at some new feelings during our worship service. We're going to venture out into some new territory and worship with jazz. Our pianist, Aaron Carter-Cohen, will be accompanied by a jazz saxophonist, a jazz guitarist, and a wonderful singer named Melanie Wilkinson. Please be sure to join us, and come prepared for something different. I FLUNKED THE TEST I want to share something that happened outside of church that turned out to be a religious experience. Right in the midst of the Lenten Season -- Palm Sunday to be exact -- someone tried to rip off a 3 inch branch of our of our largest, ornamental peach trees on San Antonio Street. He or she couldn't quite complete the job. It was left still attached, but exposing a 12" gash of the inner core. He or she was successful in tearing off the limb of a second, adjacent peach tree. It was clear to me this was no accident, and I felt myself overflowing with anger. At the worst, the culprit may have been inconvenienced by the limb hanging too low. But that was not sufficient provocation to do what was done. Now what has this malicious act have to do with my religious sentiments at this important Easter season? Everything. Except for the enormity of the crime perpetrated against Jesus as compared to his misdemeanor, note the parallel. In both cases, disproportionately severe punishment was meted out. But the real point was not what happened, but the reaction to what happened. Upon reflection, I realized that my reaction to injustice was one of rage. Jesus' reaction was one of forgiveness. As much as I would prefer to deny it, there's not getting around it. By my response, I flunked Christianity 101. Personals Fran and Rambie Briggs took spring break literally! Rambie broke his right arm on Saturday, April 3rd while visiting in Biloxi, MS. Fran and Rambie are co-owners with David and Carlin Stephens of a vintage 1960s pilot house trawler which needs a lot of work. Rambie was sanding the boat which is in dry dock in a boatyard. The rails were off, so a loss of balance resulted in a fall from about 12 feet. Folks got to him right away. While a broken right arm is serious, it could have been much worse. Surgery on the subsequent Monday went well and Rambie says that he got excellent care. They were very well-cared for by the Stephenses and other Biloxi friends. They came home on on the 13th of April and are still hoping to meet the Russells in Baltimore April 26th for visits to PA and NC. They didn't know retirement would be so exciting. Rambie's goal now is to make as much progress as Florence Castle has. They are now a matched set--She broke her left arm at the shoulder and he broke his right. Congratulations to Ava Deisler. She has been accepted into the McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy. She will be able to expand her musical and artistic horizons to a much greater extent at this stellar magnet program. Congratulations are also in order to Eric Deisler who represented the Bryker Woods third grade at the city-wide music memory contest. Pam Tucker, her mom, and a friend of Pam's went to Paris for a week over Easter. They had a great time seeing the sights, but Pam doesn't think she will be leaving Savanna again for that length of time any time soon! Savanna did great, but Pam missed her terribly! She stayed with a very dear friend and one of Pam's "coaches" for the birth, Glada Munt the athletic director at Southwestern University, and a dear friend for about 20 years. Savanna knows her well and was very comfortable at her house. Pam reports that Glada did look a little worn out when she got back! Savanna has many "NO" moments at her age. Meanwhile back in Paris, they saw all the usual sights: Notre Dame (on Easter), the Louvre (a small bit of it), Versailles, the Eiffel Tower (climbed up part of the way), the Champs Elysées, the Arch of Triumph, the Obelisk, etc., and took a boat tour on the Seine. They stayed in a small hotel close to the Arch. They were surprised that the ordinary food was expensive, but the wine in the stores was very cheap. The forecast for Paris before they left was for rain every day and temps around 45F, but they were very fortunate that they only got one shower for about 10 minutes and it got up to probably 55F by the end of the trip. It was not tourist season, but since it was Easter, there were lots of French people out seeing the sights. The people were very nice and they got along fine with only a few words in French. Pam observed that Europeans generally seemed to be more tolerant of other people than we are in the US. She noticed that they did not honk their car horns out of anger as we do here. They honk to warn you they are coming through. She doubts they have the road rage problem that we do here. Pam really enjoyed spending time with her mom. Pam's dad died a year ago and that is the first trip her mom has taken in many years since she was taking care of him for a long time. Mary and Mathis Balckstock have been to an Elderhostel in the Four Corners area to study the Navajo culture. Matt and Mary have observed that they always meet smart people and learn a lot. We will expect a full report next month! The Deacons are asking for anything and everything for a needy family with a new baby. There will be an extra basket at the back of the church for any items you can provide. If you have any questions, call Graylin Grissett. George Carruthers and Marilyn Gaddis spent an interesting spring break on a tour of Copper Canyon and the Big Bend area with the Texas State University Friends of Fine Arts & Communication. The deluxe bus, with two Mexican bus drivers and a Mexican tour guide, picked them up at TxState early Friday morning, March 12th. When they reached Monterrey in the evening, it was raining, so were not able to see the mountains or the famous Horsetail Falls. Journeying on to Saltillo, they visited a serape factory and a glass works. On their way into Durango, they stopped at the "westerns" movie site often used by John Wayne and others. After an overnight in Durango, they crossed over two mountain ranges and through the desert to reach the coastal town of Mazatlan. Then they went on to Los Mochis and the spectacular Copper Canyon train ride. The bus went on to meet them the next day in Divisadero. Before their bus arrived, they watched the Tarahumaras dance, race, and weave their beautiful baskets. ! As they approached Chihuahua, they stopped for ice cream at a Mennonite "pizza" shop - an outlet for their dairy products. In the morning, they toured the city and visited Pancho Villa's Museum. There were no lines as they crossed the border at Presidio for their journey along the scenic El Camino del Sol. However, they were too late to visit the home of Judge Roy Bean and the nearby "Jersey Lily" saloon. They stayed overnight near Lajitis and the next morning visited the Warnock Environmental Center - a "must visit" if you're in the area. When they reached the vista point in Big Bend Park, the clouds closed down on us - nothing to see! They stayed overnight in Del Rio and the next morning, "tasted" at the oldest winery in Texas. On their way back to San Marcos, they stopped in Uvalde to view the restored opera house and the antiques and art work. They arrived back in San Marcos on March 22nd after some 2300 miles of viewing beautiful ornate cathedrals, lovely city plazas, stunning mountain and desert terrain, and interesting colonial period buildings. Marilyn reports that it was a super trip led by an outstanding guide and two very skillful bus drivers. Rizer Everett has been busy taking lady friends to enjoy Austin area restaurants and sights. He particularly enjoyed a visit to the newly restored Elizabet Ney Museum, which he remembers as being quite neglected in the 1920s. He and another friend enjoyed the Winedale Spring Festival and its display of craft works like caning chairs and broom making. He reports that he passed his treadmill stress test with no problems and the doctor has asked him to make an appointment for April, 2005! With that good report in mind, Rizer has traded in his 1997 Avalon and bought a 2003 4 door beige Camry sedan. That car will provide good transportation to more Austin area sights and to more LAMP classes and lectures like the ones on past occupants of the Texas governor's mansion and the art of the Aztecs that Rizer attended last month. Lynne Lemley had the surprise birthday party of her life on April 10! She had been begging her friend Lisa Price, known for surprises, not to do anything drastic for her birthday, but now she is really glad that she did not get her wish. Turning 45 has its real benefits when you are surprised not only with a party and great food, but also with a flamenco band and dancer (who performed and taught folks how to dance). At the party was a long-lost friend from Colombia, whom Lynne had not see in 15 years. The most special part of the party, however, was when Lynne opened her present. It was a guidebook to Spain and Portugal which Lynne, a Spanish teacher for more than 20 years, thought was really nice--for when, years from now she would take her long dreamed of trip to Spain. She was happily thumbing through the book when out fell an itinerary and 2 plane tickets--to Spain!! She and Lisa will leave on May 21 and return June 6. George will be holding down the fort with Jeffrey and Katie until she returns. Lynne and Lisa will be seeing all of the sights--Madrid, Barcelona, Pamplona, Bilbao, etc. Fabulous! Usually the 70th birthday celebration would be the one of special note, but this year Bee Polomé Weiss celebrated her 71st birthday in fine style. Her four kids surprised her with a gala party, complete with steel drums and a Caribbean flavor, on the Saturday before Easter. Last year Bee was struggling with her lung cancer diagnosis and treatment and a party just was not feasible. This year Carole Marie and her 3 boys came home from Norway and Marilyn came in from California to join Evan and Lana and the extended family and friends for the party. Bee, who is currently undergoing further chemotherapy after a recurrence of her cancer, was feeling well enough to play along with the band! Outreach Alert Hala Mahmoud, our 4-year old sponsored child from Jerusalem, has sent us two drawings, along with wonderful letters from her teacher. These are posted, along with our first letter to her, on a bulletin board in the fellowship hall. Our Sunday School children have taken a great interest in her, and are learning much about Jerusalem and the Palestinian people from the letters. Donations to help with the sponsorship (the cost is $25/month) are always welcome. Life in the Sewer If you have ever seen the Monty Python movie "Life of Brian," you will remember the scene where, at a meeting of the People's Front of Judea (not to be confused with the Judean People's Front), the question was asked, "What have the Romans ever done for us?" "Well, they built the roads." "Of course. But, other than the roads, what have they done for us?" "Well, they built the aqueducts." "OK, other than the roads and the aqueducts, what have the Romans ever done for us?" "Sanitation." "OK, sanitation. But besides sanitation, the roads and the aqueducts, what have the Romans ever done for us?" "Well, they built the sewers." Count on Monty Python to deliver something completely different. Long after the Romans built the sewers in Judea, the City of Austin built a set in Austin. And thus began the long saga of keeping them working. For several months now the church has been working with the Romans--ooops--the City of Austin to get our sanitary drain lines working. We have two drain lines on the east side of the building that serve the Appel Room bathrooms, Lifeworks washing machines, the AC condensate sump, and the kitchen sink and dishwasher. Those lines have not been working. The City was unable to clear the lines and suggested they may have been cut off from the main line in 1988 when a "slip line" was inserted in the main line. We then hired a surveying company to explore this issue. The survey company "confirmed" that our line had been cut off, not by the slip line, but by the installation of an optic fiber TV line. We presented this information to the City and, after considerable bureaucratic delay, got them to commence digging up the two lines on Good Friday. While stymied by an impassable concrete slab, the City sent a TV camera down one of the plugged holes. The City reported that an obstruction was encountered and removed. The TV camera was then able to go all the way to the main sewer line (Wouldn't the Romans have loved to have cameras for that job!). Call me Thomas--the doubting one! Having watched at least 3 attempts to clear the line, a dye test where the dye never reached the line, and an electronic sound survey, all of which "confirmed" that the sewer line is dysfunctional, I have my doubts about the resurrection of the line. The City has agreed to re-run the TV camera with me present at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20. Even if this principal sewer issue has resolved itself, several other drainage issues remain to be resolved. These include the line from the sink in the Appel kitchen, a blockage in the sump discharge at the base of the stairs in the Towery wing, and a mysterious odor in the 3rd floor bathroom used by Lifeworks. Your trustees continue to battle the sewer problems of the church. I hope to be able to report in next month's Visitor that they have all been resolved. If that is the case, to paraphrase Monty Python, it will then be time for something completely different! MANY THANKS To: Sharon Brown and Liz Nash for lovingly folding, stuffing, folding, labeling and tabbing the April VISITOR.
Share Your Recipes, Share Your Lives As a fundraiser to aid AAIM's ESL and Hands on Housing Programs, we are planning an international/intercultural cookbook.
THE AUSTIN FORUM A generation ago, the impetus of the church was towards healing and joining. Rifts as old as the Civil War were resolved. The spirit was ecumenical. Currently, however, we see violent fractures, mainly over moral issues, that threaten significant realignments in American Christianity. How can we describe what is happening?
The Micah 6 Food Pantry Bereavement Group SouthernCare, a hospice located in North Austin, hosts bereavement groups and seminary facilitated by The Rev. Liz Spencer. The group meets the 2nd Thursday of each month from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at the SouthernCare office, located in the Lake Creek Festival Shopping Center on Highway 183 North (just south of the intersection of 183 and 620) right next door to Payless Shoe. Deadline for June VISITOR -- May 17 |
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