w00t w00t booyah

Just got reminded that this Sunday, our little religious social club is voting to become an Open & Affirming congregation.

We would be the first, the VERY first - and only one of its kind - in a 100 mile radius.

Services are at 9:30 AM. Meeting is at 10:30. You're welcome to attend.

It should pass. It has to pass. It MUST pass. Move forward, or die.

(What does 'ONA' mean?)

It's big. Really big.

Cross everything folks.

Lt. Dan Choi had been mentioned in the sermon a few weeks ago, with regard to keeping faith with your own truths and integrity - even when it isn't possible to admit it publicly without losing everything else you hold dear. Knowing you must be honest and true with yourself, knowing this is what must be, intended to be - as you were created to be. And that being proof of God's acceptance of what you are in all its fullness, and living with it, in the face of public condemnation.

Missed a week due to birthday madness, but this week?

She covered the parables of the weeds, Matthew 13:24-29:

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

I'm bolding that one passage because it was the pertinent entry. There are verses that follow this one to explain it (the only one I see that has such notation) because why the heck would anyone speak to not rooting out unwanted elements in their midst? I mean. Who's that gullible?

The explanation deals with the aftermath, of course and explains the roles in terms of this vs. that, kingdom of heaven, end of the age, yadda ya.

But this parable, by itself, speaks to the here and now - and what is expected when you see weeds growing in your carefully tended food plot.

You're to leave them alone. If you try to remove them, you risk removing the reason for the entire exercise - something you prize very dearly.

You're not to remove the weeds. You are to allow them to exist, side by side, with your grain. When the time comes, the weed issue will be dealt with - but not by you.

The corollary was made that every time someone attempted to 'remove the weeds' it had met with tragedy. Every time someone had tried to decide who was the weed and who was the grain. In or out. Right or wrong. Crusades to drive the infidel from Jerusalem. Inquisitions. Internments. Holocausts. Genocides. Pick something - the examples are there.

We won't know who the weeds are. And even if we do, removing them destroys what we were trying to grow in the first place. Leave them be. There is a plan for them too, if that makes you feel better.

But no matter who you are, or where you are - we are all on the journey together. There is a place and a reason, even if you aren't exactly sure of it yet.

It just highlights one other thing I've always tied to - I don't get to judge. I could pull the weeds, but I've already been warned not to and for what reason. And God's cool with it - matter of fact, that's what I've expressly been told to do.

And one person's weeds are another person's wildflowers. Truth be told, I didn't do the planting or chose the seeds either. I'd know the weeds from the grain? I would?

So if I refuse to discriminate -

You understand.

There's so much nasty crap floating around passing itself off as 'the word of GAWD' - I thought you might like a little nice nice that supports your reluctance to go along with it.

(And I'm SO in the right place.)

Lt. Dan Choi had been mentioned in the sermon a few weeks ago, with regard to keeping faith with your own truths and integrity - even when it isn't possible to admit it publicly without losing everything else you hold dear. Knowing you must be honest and true with yourself, knowing this is what must be, intended to be - as you were created to be. And that being proof of God's acceptance of what you are in all its fullness, and living with it, in the face of public condemnation.

Missed a week due to birthday madness, but this week?

She covered the parables of the weeds, Matthew 13:24-29:

24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.

27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

I'm bolding that one passage because it was the pertinent entry. There are verses that follow this one to explain it (the only one I see that has such notation) because why the heck would anyone speak to not rooting out unwanted elements in their midst? I mean. Who's that gullible?

The explanation deals with the aftermath, of course and explains the roles in terms of this vs. that, kingdom of heaven, end of the age, yadda ya.

But this parable, by itself, speaks to the here and now - and what is expected when you see weeds growing in your carefully tended food plot.

You're to leave them alone. If you try to remove them, you risk removing the reason for the entire exercise - something you prize very dearly.

You're not to remove the weeds. You are to allow them to exist, side by side, with your grain. When the time comes, the weed issue will be dealt with - but not by you.

The corollary was made that every time someone attempted to 'remove the weeds' it had met with tragedy. Every time someone had tried to decide who was the weed and who was the grain. In or out. Right or wrong. Crusades to drive the infidel from Jerusalem. Inquisitions. Internments. Holocausts. Genocides. Pick something - the examples are there.

We won't know who the weeds are. And even if we do, removing them destroys what we were trying to grow in the first place. Leave them be. There is a plan for them too, if that makes you feel better.

But no matter who you are, or where you are - we are all on the journey together. There is a place and a reason, even if you aren't exactly sure of it yet.

It just highlights one other thing I've always tied to - I don't get to judge. I could pull the weeds, but I've already been warned not to and for what reason. And God's cool with it - matter of fact, that's what I've expressly been told to do.

And one person's weeds are another person's wildflowers. Truth be told, I didn't do the planting or chose the seeds either. I'd know the weeds from the grain? I would?

So if I refuse to discriminate -

You understand.

There's so much nasty crap floating around passing itself off as 'the word of GAWD' - I thought you might like a little nice nice that supports your reluctance to go along with it.

(And I'm SO in the right place.)

( If only the story could move on from there to focus on the life experiences that all families look to create. But most families do not face criminal prosecution. Yet, Diana may one day soon be charged as a felon for illegally immigrating to this country 13 years ago. And her adoptive parents also could be criminally charged for aiding and abetting an illegal immigrant. Legislation currently being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives actually contains these provisions. Diana cannot believe this is happening in a country she has come to love.  )

I've said I really like Cardinal Mahoney, right?