How religious is my spirituality ...

or how spiritual is my religious practice? Interesting questions raised by MomPriest at RevGalBlogPals in the Friday Five this week. She writes:

Yesterday I attended a led conference by Diana Butler Bass. She is presenting new ideas on the state of the church and why there is hope for Christianity. One of her premises is a Newsweek/Washington Post poll from 2005 that states that 55% of the people in this country describe themselves as religious AND spiritual.

Without going into detail about her understandings of religious and spiritual (you may want to attend one of her conferences, if you can) share with us five thoughts ideas or practices that you consider to be "religious." Then share with us five thoughts, ideas, or practices that you consider to be "spiritual."

For example one thought about religion might be that it is "salvation" Or an idea about religion might be that it it is an "institution" and a religious practice might be "going to church." An example of spiritual thought might be a phrase from a poem, a spiritual idea might be the inspiration for a piece of art and a spiritual practice might be meditation.

So, five thoughts, ideas, or practices that are religious....and then five thoughts, ideas or practices that are spiritual. OR are they the same thing to you?

I certainly think of these concepts as being intertwined if not exactly the same. Maybe the best statement of my thinking is that religion is an expression of spirituality. So for example I read the holy scriptures of the Christian tradition as a part of my spiritual development. So for me it's not so much compare and contrast as identifying the broader spiritual domain within which my religious practices fit. I have focused on practice - as I cannot begin to work out where the dividing line is for thoughts and ideas.

Religion	Spirituality
‘Going without’ in Lent	Exercising discipline
Liturgical practice	Articulating faith
Reading scripture	Entering into tradition
Receiving sacraments	Participating in community
Contributing to mission	Engaging in social justice

I must admit this was one week where I wanted to see what others had written before I ventured to put finger to keyboard myself. Glad I didn't though. Now I'll post and go see where this interesting task took other revgal readers.

Afterthought: Interesting that I haven't listed prayer anywhere. Just an observation. I think it is also part of participating in community.

Fantastic February Friday Five

From Jan this week. And posted before I go to bed on Friday as well which is a lovely bonus. For some reason I cannot cut and paste tonight so I'll try to capture the gist of her meme as I answer it below:
What do you think as you approach the month of February?
First peoples. Waitangi Day - as Jan mentions the day on which Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand signed a Treaty with the British Crown in 1840. Celebrated well here in Sydney last weekend at Merrylands. And this weekend marks two years since Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of this country for government policies and official action which tore families apart and left generations-lasting scars.
Valentines Day. Ten years ago on Sunday my Dad died suddenly (it was a Monday night) so this is a time of mixed feelings. I love the day though. Not the commercial aspect but the opportunity to do something fun. I bought a gift that all the family can enjoy at Oxfam a few weeks ago.
February also marks a US Federal Holiday to remember George Washington. Who is your favourite president?
Tempted to say Castro. But I think the spirit of the question refers to the USA. After our wonderful visit in December and January I feel there are too many to choose from. Night at the Museum 2' brings Lincoln to mind in gigantic proportions. We visited the Woodrow Wilson museum in Washington DC. And the JFK tomb at Arlington. But actually I go back to Lincoln. The difficult times he presided over. His agony at committing troops to war. His commitment to freedom. His battles with depression. And his home life. Quite a story.
Shrove Tuesday - how will you celebrate?
Pancakes pancakes pancakes. At home and at work. FUN! In our previous faith community this was a wonderful event for the whole suburb, with pancakes in the park (it is of course the hottest month of the year downunder) entertainment and an explanation of lent and easter from a Christian perspective.
Other ways to celebrate in February.
Lent Event. Swimming at the beach. Picnic dinner. Outdoor movies. And indoor movies too. On the 26th we will be holding our annual Blessing of the Hands ceremony for the first year medical students which is a marvellous celebration.

BONUS: Lent website or video
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMx5GL
and a brand new discovery on the Book of Face tonight - go to www.overcomingviolence.org and follow the link to the multimedia study for Lent.

Lent Event 2010

It's that time of year again when the focus starts to move from Epiphany to Lent. The 2010 promo for Lent Event is, in my view, excellent and worth sharing

Transportation meme

A very timely Friday Five from Songbird at RevGalBlogPals who writes:

By the time you're reading this, I'll be en route to a Great Big City to see my son in a play. I'll go by car and bus and train and no doubt cab and maybe even subway. Thus, our Friday Five.

1) What was the mode of transit for your last trip?
A total blow-out on our collective carbon footprint with several thousand airmiles across the Pacific and Continental United States. Supplemented with a mini-van from Phoenix to Grand Canyon, rental car St Louis Missouri-Baldwin City Kansas-Claremore Oklahoma, and bus from New York to Washington DC.
2) Have you ever traveled by train?
Yes yes yes every day (in a way I'm surprised this is even a question). And there have been some longer train journeys: When I left home for University it was train (and ferry) all the way from Hamilton to Dunedin. The train trip from Bombay (the contemporary name of the city) to Raxaul in India will never be forgotten. And I have just been remembering the trip last summer from Melbourne to Sydney which provided a glimpse of the vastness of this great continent.
3) Do you live in a place with public transit, and if so, do you use it?
Yes - see above. Buses and trains are a part of my everyday routine.
4) What's the most unusual vehicle in which you've ever traveled?
Now this is a hard one. Compared with the urban west the rickshaws in India are unusual but in their context they are the most common form of transport, in my adolescence there were hairraising rides in utes and motorcycles through farm paddock terrain but in those cases it was the route and not the vehicle that was unusual. Our family car growing up was 'one-of-a-kind' however: an Austin Cambridge somehow less common than the ubiquitous Morris Oxford, and in our case repainted a bight mustard-yellow colour instead of the turquoise blue of it's beginning. Our car was instantly recognisable!
5) What's the next trip you're planning to take?
Well the trip to work tomorrow - but in terms of big trip probably Easter in Broome and maybe a chance to see in person the sights of Bran Nue Dae which is one of the best movies I have seen in recent weeks

BONUS: What are the trip(s) you really want to make?
Three at least: Ghan (train again) from Adelaide to Darwin, perpendicular to that the Indian Pacific to Perth, and thirdly the Great Ocean Walk which looks so spectacular.

It's all about me

One of the things I was looking forward to with a month in the USA was being in the right time zone for the Friday Five posted on RevGalBlogPals each week. What I didn't factor in was the irregular access to the Internet as a traveller! And the one housebound Friday was Christmas Day when the RevGals were either superbusy or taking a well-deserved rest

So here I am on a very hot Saturday, responding to Jan's invitation to participate in an activity inspired by her current EFM task. She writes:

In EFM this week, our question was, "If you were a color, what would you be?" So that's where this Friday Five comes from, at least its jumping off place.

1. If you were a color, what would you be?
This is kind of different I think to my favourite colour. The immediate response is soft yellow. The colour of early sunset and late sunrise. A touch of warmth and rather luminous.
2. If you were a flower (or plant), what would you be?
A rose like the ones in our garden. Blooming somewhat unpredictably and enjoying freedom to grow as well as seasonal care
3. If you were an animal, what kind would you be?
Something surprising and contextual. Platypus or wombat, echidna or gecko.
4. If you were a shoe, what type would you be?
Josef Siebel with flowers (sensible and quirky)
5. If you were a typeface, which font would you be?

Century Schoolbook or Bookman Old Style

Praying Philemon

This morning a member of our congregation delivered a sermon he has been working on for months, on the book of Philemon. The theme was grace. Well expressed. It was such a privilege to support him as liturgist. Here are our prayers:

Call to worship:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

Brothers and sisters, may we be like Philemon, known for our love for all the saints and our faith towards the Lord Jesus.

May the sharing of our faith may become effective when we truly perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.

May we receive much joy and encouragement from the love of others

And the hearts of all the saints be refreshed

Praise and confession:

Godde of grace

When we feel useless

You proclaim us useful

When we wrong others

You enable us to set things right

When we are estranged from those who matter

You find friends who can bring us together

When we cannot make restitution

You pay the price

Even when we grieve you and fail to perceive your presence

You welcome us with open arms and call us beloved children

Your grace is unbounded

Filling the very depth of our being

Opening us to see your Spirit

Moving over the waters of our world

And enlivening our sensibilities to the values of your kingdom

We praise you

When we become preoccupied with our shortcomings

Fearful to face those we have wronged

Or when wrongs perpetrated against us or against others

Disproportionately occupy our thoughts and paralyse our hearts

Please keep us mindful of your grace

And strengthen us to pass on in full measure

The truth we hear week by week

Your sins are forgiven

Thanks be to God

Let us pray together the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples:

Our Father …

Let us bless each other as we say, in the words of Paul:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit

Offering:

Through this offering, O Godde, may we Through these gifts that we bring, may we be able to show hospitality to all you send our way, restoring relationships, living lightly on your precious planet, advocating for justice: learning to walk each day in your unforced rhythm of grace.

Prayer for others

Wednesday of this coming week is the 11^th day of the 11^th month, and at 11 a.m. in many countries around the world people will be remembering the end of the Great War. Last weekend in Wagga Wagga I spent time at the war memorial in centre of city and noticed that the inscription was 1914-1919 – realised how much longer the end of the war took to reach our countries down under.

Our prayer for others was adapted from Sally Coleman's Remembrance reflection; her blog Eternal Echoes is always an inspiration. With full acknowledgment I'll reproduce it below:

We come to remember,

our minds

filled with

images

fresh from our TV screens,

of young men and women,

fallen in battle

just yesterday…

.

We come to remember,

how could we forget

for amongst their number

we count friends, siblings

fathers, mothers

even children,

gone from us

.

We come to remember

those who fell many years ago,

whose pictures adorn

our family albums,

and whose faces are familiar,

and yet unknown.

.

We come

because ninety year old scars

aren't easily healed by time,

and seventy year old losses

are still keenly felt today

in towns and cities

across our land

and throughout the world.

.

We come

because poppy strewn fields

bear witness

to unspeakable horrors

that we must never forget.

.

We come,

because our desire is for peace,

and we recognise

that peace often comes

at great cost.

.

We come,

Because those who bear the brunt

Of brutality and violence

Are those you singled out

as showing the truth of your kingdom

children

servants

'the least of these'

.

We come to remember,

to pray, to reflect,

and to seek fresh hope…

that destructive conflicts will end,

and love will triumph,

.

we come to give thanks

that because of you

our hope is not vain…

.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Prince of Peace

Amen

What's new?

Over at RevGalBlogPals this week Songbird writes:
There's a new baby on my street, a double PK whose Mom and Dad are Methodist pastors and church planters. I'm hoping to go over and meet her today. I love new babies, the way they smell and their sweet little fingers and toes. Little K has me thinking about all the new things that please us with their shiny freshness.

Please share with us five things you like *especially* when they are new.

1. Well yes I do have to agree with Songbird about babies. Within the family I like the genealogical continuity as great-nephews and nieces arrive.
   
2. Cakes. Nothing like a cake fresh out of the oven in all its newness. Doesn't seem to last that long in our household before it's time for another new one.
3. Sheets. Not so much new, as newly laundered. Tonight I will snuggle into those fesh sheets and enjoy! The first shower with a newly laundered towel is also a smaill pleasure greatly enjoyed.
   
4. Scriptures. Again not so much new as newly discovered. I'm in a group collectively internalising the Gospel of Mark for a performance in Advent. I find that my four paragraphs come naturally to mind as I sit on the train in the mornings. Living with scriptures in this way unveils new ironies and perspectives I enjoy greatly.
5. Places. Always something interesting to learn about geography or history when in a locality for the first time. Flying in to Wagga Wagga last weekend I was struck, for example, by the tortuous course of the Murrumbidgee river. And once there our hotel was right on the riverbank so I got to walk along it and see markers from the 1974 flood, see replanting work undertaken as part of employment projects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people of all ages enjoying the recreational opportunities for swimming, kayaking and fishing.