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)   

                                *  *  *  * 

“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.

2023.02.05 Shining a Light on Bruised Grace, Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post

How often do you say, aloud or to yourself, Well, it depends. . . 

Pope Francis tends to stay away from formal changes in Catholic Church doctrine, but, according to op. ed. writer, E.J. Dionne, Jr., “Pope stood up for LGBTQ lives” Hartford Courant, 2/4/23. The pope regularly moves the conversation from judgment to mercy, and from condemnation to encounter. 

He does a pretty good job of it. He wrote a handwritten note to clarify his remarks on homosexuality as sin. He said he was speaking of the official Church moral teaching about sexual acts outside of marriage as sin, intrinsically disordered. In itself it's not a crime. The Pope then distinguished between crime and sin, noting that "It's always a sin to lack charity with one another." Now this caveat tops all the rest. It also insists on case-by-case processing. It depends. 

Just think of all the absolutized doctrines—moral laws. They are many of them about sex with the onus on women and their bodies: no pre-marital sex, no divorce, no remarriage, difficulty getting annulments, no birth control, no abortion, not to mention celibacy for all religious vocations—priests, monks, nuns. Personally, I do not think we worship a God whose nature is defined as “moral”—not to suggest that God is immoral, but to say that God is never trapped by moral rules made by human minds.    

It may be cagey to resort to the “golden rule” to silence all protests or lobbies, but consider the office he holds and the multitudes he represents. He does not abandon Catholic moral teaching about sex outside marriage (I and many could be doomed or damned for that one!) At the same time, Pope Francis insists on a case-by-case approach, as in “one must also consider the circumstances. which may decrease or eliminate fault.”  It depends. 

When criticized, Francis responds:”Criticism helps you to grow and improve things, providing protection against a dictatorship of distance…where the emperor is there and no one can tell him anything.”  

*  *  *  *

So here we are once again confronted with what can be called situational ethics. It depends. See Romans 14: “Do not pass judgment on your brother or sister.” Paul elaborates to say that nothing in itself is unclean, yet if someone thinks it’s unclean it is unclean to that person. For example, if you know that your neighbor believes that pork is “unclean” then, do not serve pork chops for dinner, even if you do not think them unclean. To prove what? Your own superior knowledge? Now, that IS sinful!  Paul calls for “mutual upbuilding.” We cannot absolutize specific laws as applicable to everyone. It depends. I guess that is how the Bill of Rights began.  This is also why God does NOT share judgment with us. Only God may judge. Thanks be to God. 

In the beginning God created "original mixed"—my own bottom line for all this squabbling. Institutions have a very hard time making general rules or dogmas because they represent and legislate for so many different and varied members, without considerations.  It depends. 

The Episcopal Church does quite well with trying not to absolutize or dogmatize its canons, and yet the good old C of E (Church of England) just voted against allowing their clergy to officiate at same sex marriages, even though of course no individuals are condemned or rejected. And of course clergy may bless anyone. Such sleight!

*  *  *  *

I recommend the late Brian Doyle’s (1956-2017) Eight Whopping Lies and Other Stories of Bruised Grace. It takes the galloping energy of a poet who cares deeply for his faith to speak of unjust institutional biases with radical honesty and with faith. Bruised grace AND bruised faith. 

Doyle, former editor-in-chief of Portland Magazine, journal of Portland University, Portland, Oregon, cited eight classic lies as examples:  1) This won’t hurt a bit. Said with the large novocain-filled needle hidden at his or her side.  2) It is a peacekeeping operation. The alternative word is WAR!  Human sacrifice is alive and well. 3) My campaign is all about family values. “No it isn’t. If that were the case, why are there fifteen million American children who don’t have enough to eat today?” 4) God is on our side.“No, he isn’t, or she isn’t, and how incredibly foolish to even assign human gender to something we all admit is so unimaginably epic that any shred of claim to knowledge let alone intimacy is lunatic, not to mention murderous.” 

May we move our conversations from judgment to mercy and condemnation to encounter.  AMEN.  

2023.01.22 Transcendence? Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post

For a long time, I’ve wondered about divine transcendence, or at least its defining dominance over the image of God. 

My wondering started when, as a toddler, I sat cross-legged under a large dining room table and shared all my intimate chatter with a God who, according to my favorite book, listened to all “weeny” sounds, including mine. Thus I learned that I mattered. I followed my listening God looking in all the traditional places—Sunday School, church, seminary, retreats, Bible study, getting ordained priest to be closer to the Christ. Everywhere I looked God was always portrayed as transcendent, far off, high, almighty. There was the idea of divine immanence—the God who existed and operated from within, of whom I’d heard, and about whom I write. It gets published, yes, and I do not hear or see much about this close-up God for whose presence I’ve so longed. Was there something wrong with me? Or was there something wrong with traditional teachings, imagery and language?  I had swallowed transcendence, yet never really digested it.  

I’m old enough now to make up a new word: transimmanence.  God should be both transcendent and immanent in public prayer. Is it time to bring the God I met under the table out from under in transimmanent language and song?

*  *  *  *

We recently watched a Netflix documentary, “Pope Francis, a Man of His Word”.  It is a well done movie about, let’s say, the travels of Pope France around the world. Details of his travels are  interspersed with some of his own words of wisdom. He knows and speaks many languages, but he speaks mostly in his own first language, Spanish. Subtitle captions are provided. As I watched mesmerized, I chuckled thinking, “Is the Pope Catholic?”—a phrase that describes something we think to be unquestionably obvious. After I watched this magnificent film, I found myself in awe at the catholicity of this man’s actions and message, and at the same time I thought: “This isn’t even that Catholic!”  What I meant was that this amazing leader, by direct word and action, knocked the stuffy, stiff, preachy, rule-bound rigor right out of the tradition-bound institutional Church’s backbone—in an intimate, kind, and wise way. He simply did this with his own presence. He was never not the Pope, that is, not trying to pretend he was not who he is, holding the high office he does. He was authentic, that’s all. I remembered Vatican II and Pope John, 23rd in 1970, saying something like: ”I want to throw open the windows of the church so that we can see out and the people can see in.” 

Perhaps Pope Francis dares to embody this transimmanence? 

I recall the early Church “Fathers” struggled to define orthodox Christianity. They had similar ideas about the nature of Christ. 

Wanting more, however, I shall continue to beleaguer my listening God with my battering ram mind, the same at 84 as it was at 4. 

Some people call this nagging. I call it faith.  

2022.09.11 Lost? Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post

God is tender, gentle and compassionate. So said Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, and such is my own experience. These ARE the qualities of almightiness, divinity, and supremacy—lest anyone should think otherwise, according to traditional human projections onto God. Nothing is lost in God’s compassionate heart. 

*  *  *  *

Ever been lost? Lost your way, your direction? Lost a precious possession? A cause you fought for and lost?  Your very soul?  Apparently, the biblical God loses stuff all the time: the cause of justice and mercy, the divine temper, all followers, the entire promised land, a lamb, a beloved son. 

That’s tough going. God rages with deep grief and tears. 

Stories that portray God as a loser, that show God having tender moments and painful feelings, like grief and longing, that dethrone God from perfect Love and Almightiness, are the very stories that “find” me whenever I feel lost in some way. 

I am of course remembering today the event of 2001 in New York city, my hometown. We call it  “NINE-ELEVEN”— a murderous event with many (3000 people) tragic losses that sent waves and shivers of grief and fear throughout our land and beyond. Yes, I can still see, in my mind’s eye, the flaming planes shearing off the top of the towers. Memorials are erected and many still weep. So does God. Why didn’t God prevent this loss? Because God didn’t do it, we did. God grieves and grief  helps us claim life anew. God lives in the grief and in the tears of ALL, and in the lingering fears, and in the many ways all living things, Nature and Human Nature alike, get lost. 

*  *  *  *

People worldwide weep, remember, and grieve collectively over the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Why? She was their steadfast monarch of 70 years, not ours. Not mine some say, and turn away. They were our enemies. Why should I care? Because God cares. Elizabeth was the world’s royal symbol of steadfast presence through a life full of loss and pain and family chaos—just like us all.

One of my top hits when I was a small child was a song I called “Dom Ring”:

My country, 'tis of thee,

Sweet land of liberty,

Of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Land of the pilgrims' pride,

From ev'ry mountainside

Let freeDOM RING!

The text of this verse was written by Samuel Francis Smith, 1831, student at Andover Newton Theological School in Andover Massachusetts, now located on the campus of Yale Divinity School from which I graduated in 1986.  

As a child I knew nothing of patriotism. These men were not my fathers. I didn’t know any pilgrims on mountainsides. I knew however that this song meant wonderful things. So I lustily sang. 

The tune is the same as the one England sings, now and always, on all occasions of life and death, for their country and their royalty: “God save our gracious queen ….”  All history required of them was to change the gender role from King to Queen. But the tune remains the same. 

God save our gracious QUEEN!

Long live our noble QUEEN!

God save the QUEEN!

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the QUEEN.         Let freeDOM RING.   

The hymn and the anthem were written at times of war between enemies, both fighting for freedom and power or whatever other foolishness we human connive at. Still, the music itself binds, carries. It never takes side. Nor does God who keeps on singing, grieving, weeping, losing and finding us all in us all. Sing on!

*  *  *  *

FINALE:  The Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, conducted by Canadian/Ukrainian, Keri-Lynn Wilson, and including some recent refugees, some of whom shed tears and spoke of how hard this emergent orchestra was at first, because, as a young women bassoonist said, “We had never played together before. It was a mess, but then we took off.”  One violinist said he was so bereft he had no idea what he could do, feeling the loss of his parents and others still trapped in Ukraine. Then he remembered he was a musician. He had a gift to give. And they played with tenderness, gentleness, and emotional depth.  Ms. Wilson.

I heard their concert last night from Lincoln Center in, again, my home town. The music took my breath away, kept me spellbound, drew many tears to my eyes and down my cheeks, and reassured me, once again, that nothing is lost in God’s compassionate almighty heart—NOTHING.      

Either/And/Both/Or? Lyn G. Brakeman, Spiritual Lemons, blog post, 2/27/22

We seem to have trouble in this “united” states of North America deciding whether to be pluribus or unum, but rarely both. It’s the same with religions and political parties. 

I am Either

shake my hand

I am And

All hands are banned

I am Both

Full of sloth

I am Or

Without an oar

Wishing more

Daring less

I confess

Oh, do stop playing silly games

We have no time for fuss or fame

We’re all the same

In this raggedy game

both tag or tag-along

and either will do.

*  *  *  *

At the end of my February 20, 2022, blog post, I posed this question: What if there is no either/or, but only both/and?  And what if there is neither but all? 

I wonder if connective and oppositional words are simply of no use in a world that continues to insist on conflict no matter what. We create wars, presumably for the sake of promoting our ideals, and for helping to liberate other radically uneven and unfree societies, and yet war accomplishes neither. War only sows all seeds for more war. In fact, power and might over against self or others for purposes of change toward a shared outcome, such as peace or communication, does NOT strengthen mutual growth, but retards it, breeding only resentment and humiliation. Ask any parent.

For example, Harvard instructor, and researcher, Jessica Stern, herself a victim of rape and the author of a memoir, Denial, interviewed terrorists in an effort to understand their violence. She uncovered consistent underlying feelings of humiliation—the emotional underpinning of terrorism. 

There is a community ritual practice in South Africa called Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a way of thinking about humanity. Young boys are trained in this practice, probably to ensure tribal survival. Ubuntu derives from the Zulu language and roughly means: “I am because we are.”  I became acquainted with this process and practice from church gatherings. I know it has to do with the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity.

Even enemies? Or terrorists and rapists? Neither? Both? 

While I was reacting with rage and disgust to the recent Russian invasion of the Ukraine, I thought of ubuntu. I also thought of Jesus, of whom I am quite fond. He not only  advocated for non-violence but also prayed for enemies. All of them? Some days I think Jesus was absolutely nuts! How could I pray for Russian president, Vladimir Putin? Prayer, I discovered, makes me uneasy more times than not. I finally settled on asking God to soften Putin’s heart toward his own humanity and to that of his people. Economic sanctions, after all, hurt innocent Russians as much as war hurts innocent Ukrainians. 

Now I needed comfort. Oh, send me something terrific, I begged. 

And God sent me the Pope. What, you expected a Transfiguration? 

On St. Matthias Day, February 24 of 2022, there was a conference called “Building Bridges: A Synodal Encounter Between Pope Francis and University Students.” Matthias, was the Judas replacement, duly elected by Jesus’s disciples after his death, because of course the work must go on, and they needed to have the correct number: 12 (tribes of Israel, apostles of Christ). The Bible is nothing if not organized disorganization. 

We have 12 grandchildren—irrelevant here but lovely.   

And so I watched the Pope and the young students assembled from all the Americas, including Mexico, and Canada. Was this my consolation from God, or was it one more distractor in my spiritual journey? But I like bridges better than tunnels so I tuned in. The meeting was sponsored by Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies in Chicago.

In this brief and fascinating two hours I learned nothing new and everything renewed. First, I had to look up synodality. A SYNOD is a meeting, an assembly of clergy and appointed or elected laity. Such meetings make decisions for everyone else. They are usually boring. But this one wasn’t. 

I felt comfort from God through Papa Francisco, as the young, bright, and brisk Roman Catholic students called him. This group of 20-somethings was diverse in gender and race, and eager for just what I myself longed for at 80-something: a little affection with clout. 

The “Papa” began his time with the students by telling them he would speak to them as a priest—not as bishop or pope. He acted friendly—yes, like a friend.

I heard many things. I listened to a few. I comprehended even fewer. I retained some:

-The Pope feels like a fish in water. A fish, he said, runs and exercises very fast. He wiggled his hand like a fish. “I feel like a fish”  And so he was— swimming with us all in the same waters, seeking and seeking, just as we all are.  

-On migrants: “A migrant is a person. I was alone and you welcomed me. First, eliminate the stigmatization. I am a migrant. So are you. It is very important that all of us know our deepest roots. The old ancestors gave us base for the tree, and now you are young, and you must grow the tree.”

-“We say violence for violence. There must be NO violence. Violence destroys. It never constructs.” At Easter, you offer the other side of your faith.” (Remembering the gospel saying about turning the other cheek, I took this to mean that one should never get one-sided and rigid about one’s religious faith. 

-Several students expressed concern about the distance they felt from their clergy. No one speaks to us from the pulpits about climate change and other things that we care about, they told Papa who responded: “The pastor must not manage, but be in front, in the middle, and behind the people.”

-One young woman made this plea: “Please don’t close any more churches. Transform them into our homes.” The Pope grinned and nodded. 

- Most of us have heard the metaphorical image of Christ knocking at the door of the church, or of our own hearts—trying to get in. “The Church must knock at the door from the inside. We have to go out, to change from the inside out.”

-Finally, a theological question, implied throughout but stated by one student: We are to replace violence with goodness. How?”

-Answer: “How is God?  Close, merciful, tender, and compassionate.” 

As he left, the Papa’s zucchetto shifted on his bald head. He resettled it. No bobby pins!

*  *  *  *

So I guess that God is neither AND all. Amen.  

2014.08.26 Equalinfaith on Women's National Equality Day

Today is National Women's Equality Day, worthy of an extra post. Women and men of all faiths are invited to mark this day by joining a day-long social media campaign to draw attention to the marginalization of women in our faith communities and highlight the need for gender justice in religion—a non-issue in heaven but not yet on earth.

You can post your support on Facebook or through Twitter, using the hashtag,  #equalinfaith. If social media isn't your thing, just let friends know, as I am, in whatever way you can. Check out the Women's Ordination Conference site for ideas or just offer your own, in image or words.

People think of liberation mostly in political terms and images and that is wonderful, but there is a politics to religion that few of us acknowledge. St. Paul nailed (bad metaphor, sorry) it when, in a moment of exuberance, he said that in Christ, there is no male and female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile. Another man of faith got it, too. (May we let Christ represent all religious teachers, just for today.)

I regret that the voice of religion is so absent from public discourse, or so it seems to me. When I heard journalist, Gail Collins, read from and speak about her fine book, When Everything Changed. The Amazing Journey of American Women from the Sixties to the Present, I asked this question with care and caution: "I don't know if this is a purposeful omission, but I notice that there is nothing in your book about what was happening with women in religion, and there was a lot." Collins, after a pause, answered with graciousness that her research was secular.  "I should have interviewed you for my book," she said. I thought so, too.

There isn't a country in the world where women are treated equally—not one. I'm proud to be a religious professional and a feminist. Why? I found myself included and honored by the Bible (you gotta discern and sift through the texts,) by my Episcopal church, by many contemporary theological writings, especially those of Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, by Mercy Sisters, by my children, and by my marriage partner and brother priest. I do not find myself well represented in the ongoing exclusively masculine language about the nature of God. But I know that I am honored because I am in I AM.
 

Equal In Faith is an interfaith movement, founded in 2013, by representatives of the Mormon, Roman Catholic and Missouri Synod Lutheran traditions. They believe that religious traditions can be transformed into more inclusive, equitable, and welcoming communities. Such transformation requires conversation. The founders proclaim: "We believe that religion can liberate rather than subjugate women."

I do believe that Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Luther, Sophia, and the current Pope would agree. For Godde's sake, let's talk, let's go, let's move—together-as-one-faith.