5/19/2024 PENTECOST. Lyn G. Brakeman. Spiritual Lemons, blog post.

Once I preached a sermon at Pentecost in which I declared that this day when we celebrate the MINISTRY of the Holy Spirit, NOT the arrival of that unitive spirit of God! She has been here from the beginning of all Creation. 

After the Sunday worship ended with a dismissal, a woman came to me and said: “But Pentecost is the BIRTHday of the CHURCH!” I chose to disagree but not argue. 

How in the world could we Christians restrict/confine the spiritual activity of the ONE GOD /CREATOR to one day, one people, one time, one religion, one church, one doctrine, one spirit called holy?  

HUMBUG.  

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I am extremely pleased that the Diocese of Massachusetts elected a woman for our diocesan bishop, a first. Her speech was short, sweet and tender. We so need such a voice, such a clear softness without sloppiness.  “I will love you,” she said. 

And Connecticut already elected its first (as far as we know) openly gay diocesan bishop.

Pretty soon the HS Herself will penetrate the Roman Catholic patriarchy too!  The present pope is on it—slowly and surely, trying not to become a dead martyr like Lincoln or Kennedy, et. al. 

As to Pentecost, the Holy Spirit Herself must not, can not, should not, will not be disregarded for Her inclusive non-gendered politics. This Holy Spirit did not arrive on one day, in one doctrine, inhabiting one gender, one religion, dressed in one color, for god’s sake! Jesus was a Jewish man on earth.  The Risen Christ has no gender, no one religion. Plus, we’ve always been smart enough to pray with and to all the Mamas!    

Ya think the Spirit of Pentecost has ONE gender?!   Or ONE religion?   Or ONE doctrine?  Or ONE people?  ONE history or ONE story? Good lawd ‘amighty.  

Get a grip peoples. 

2024.05.12 Mothers' Day, Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post

I pray this prayer from John 17, one of Jesus's farewell discourses to his friends and disciples, as I lay myself down to sleep each night:   Dear God, bless my children, Bev, Jill, Rob, John, and stepchildren, Matthew Mark and Honor, and grandchildren all—Gillian, Isabella, Ali, Luke, Lucia,Thomas, Harrison, Will, Eliza, Brianjohnson, Phoebe, Dylan.

I consecrate  myself to Thee for their sake, that they too may be consecrated in Thy Word—Thy Word is Truth. AMEN.   (John 17 paraphrase)   

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“The world needs to look to mothers and women to find peace, to break out of the spirals of violence and hatred, and to regain a human gaze and a seeing heart.”  Pope Francis

And various godmothers, friends, known and unknown, of any gender, including animals, along the way.  AMEN.

2024.05.05 Well, Well, Welcome Back. Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post

The above April 15, 2024 New Yorker Magazine cover, "Undercover" by Peter de Seve, an American artist born in NYC in 1958 and a graduate of Parsons, School of Design, feels joyful  My caption is: “Hi, we’re back!”

I used to think that bird-watching was a kind of useless but harmless activity. Now I think it may be saving my life, at this time in my life.

I first celebrated birds when I was bedridden in a rehab center after my legs gave out from under me, thanks to a spinal fracture complicated by osteoporosis. I spent many hours lying on my back, interrupted only only by wonderful staff, running in and out with various meds and my three meals, most of which I ate with my hands because it was how I could reach the food while flat on my back—and save myself from the humiliation of having to be spoon-fed. 

The birds simply re-appeared one day and signaled: “Hi we’re back.”

My favorite chirping champion here is the little yellow one, just to the upper right of center. She is singing her heart out—showing off and feeling inordinately proud of herself.  

To me these birds are more victorious than the battlers of Cinco de Mayo. Birds capture hearts by being quite naturally who they are. 

Do we really have to fight just to be—just to be¿