Saturday Scripture Shhhhh

Shhhhhhh

Saturday mornings are quiet in my house.  

I love the quiet after 5 days of constant sound and conversations in the classroom and in my home.  

It's a need I have as an introvert to fuel up in the quiet.

So I find myself writing a list of many things to do on this Saturday - when I get the spiritual nudge to go sit with the word.  You see- quiet is important.  

I can hear and feel God's nudge better in the quiet.

Romans 6 is where I am with my Bible readings...  click here for the scripture

So my sister in law Meghan gave me a method for reading scripture.  It works for me:  

Auntie M (Meghan)

Read the piece of scripture

1. What word or phrase speaks to you?
2. How is this directly relating to your life right now?
3. How is God calling you to respond to what you've read?
4. What is your Heart especially grateful for today?
5. Lay your prayer request at your Father's feet.

More on this -click here

The piece that jumps out to me is:  

Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too might live in newness of life.

"I have been buried with him.  Baptism into death... " WOW.  That is deep.  

I have had moments where I have felt like I got nothing.  

Moments in life when I have been in the tomb.  Dead.  

I am not feeling that way today (thank God!) but, I know what that feels like.  I listened to an Abiding Together podcast on accompanying someone on a hard path click here to listen and it helps to discern how to be a compassionate presence and yet not carry their misery.  This is difficult for those of us with an extra dose of empathy. 

I have people that I love who are in the tomb.  I want to help them and yet, I don't want to spend too much time in the tomb- I like the sunshine, and perhaps I need the sunshine or the raindrops that are outside.  And yet, I believe that I must go there at times to help.  So I ask God for help.  Mary Magdalene went into the tomb and she is one of my favorites.  God, help me go into the tomb when you need me to.

The piece in this scripture that says that we have grown into union with Jesus speaks to me.  I am pondering "To die to our sinful nature which leads to death and be fused with Christ in the tomb".  This is an ongoing process.  I have slowly transformed over my mere 55 years here on this side of heaven and have left various sins in the tomb.  I have risen from the chains of some of my sins.  So, today I ponder about what needs to be left in the tomb at this time of my life?  Ew!  Who wants to choose to look at the ugly in their life?  Perhaps this is God calling me to respond so that I can keep growing in Christ.

There was a concept in my Philosophy class last spring that lingers.  As I walk with Jesus in my heart and ask the Holy Spirit to breathe in and out of me daily,  am I rising?  Am I allowing God's presence to take on more and more of me in my actions and way of being?  This is my personal resurrection as Jesus leads my way.

 I wrote a paper on "Aristotle, Plato, and Theology" and described God's desire to love us and to allow His creation (us) to become its best version is continually in motion.  The catch is that we have our own free will and a term limit of our life span.  Jesus shows us how to reach this actuation in a human time period.  Could it be that becoming the creation that we were created to become is simply by allowing the Holy Spirit into our very being and becoming more and more saturated with God?  

"Thy will be done" is a method Jesus gave His disciples that aligns themselves with God and living accordingly.  The link of connecting to the mystery of the Trinity is what makes becoming our best human potential possible.  And, we become enmeshed in the equation of 1+ 1+ 1 = 1 because we are fused with Christ.

6:5  5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. 

Each day we begin the process again- to recognize that we also have died to sin and are living for God with the help of the Trinity.  Death has no power over us.  Sin has no power over us when we are connected to Christ.

10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. 11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

I am especially grateful for the love of God our Father and that I have been given the awareness that each day, I have the very same Spirit helping me who helped Jesus as He lived and breathed.    Stop for a moment and really think about that.  (Quote from my dear friend Rosanne) after reading Henri Nowen)  This is incredible.

My prayer is that we can daily be reminded that we are not slaves to sin.  Let us know in our hearts that Death is nonsense as we live in Christ and Hope shines away all fear.

Thanks for joining me on a Saturday with Scripture.  

Pot Luck Spirituality

I have a go-to, inner circle friends who are those women I can get real with.  And, they call me out when needed.  We pray, cry, and mostly laugh together.  We are all alike in that we want to be good people, like to enjoy life along the way, and we have a desire to follow Christ- but beyond that, we are also quite different.
We meet at 8am on Saturday mornings usually- which I have never liked.  However, the alternative of not having these amazing women in my life prompts me out of bed, out of the house, and headed out by 7.40.  They seem to be early birds, and on Friday nights I like to stay up late with my family.  That would be my first difference.

I leave a house of sleep.  Even the dogs are snuggled up as I leave.  I love this snuggling world.  It is peaceful.  We give ourselves Saturday morning to relax after a week of tasks, teaching, studying, sports and practices, go go go, and work.  This peaceful space changes again by mid-morning- which in this house is 10:30-11am. All the hustle begins again and focuses on what is to be cleaned, bought, fixed, budgeted, or completed.

Sleeping Oscar

This past Saturday I really did not want to get up.  I was so tired!  Patrick had been traveling- he helps so much, and my work week was busy.  So, I was tired.
But, I headed out.  I am so glad I did because it was such a fruitful meeting with many pieces that are still nurturing me (and likely others).  This was the morning that we came up with a way to structure our meetings and named it "Pot Luck Spirituality":

• One person will be responsible for the Meat (the main focus of the meeting- like a podcast, book chapter, bible study...) 
• 2 people will bring the sides (small bits to bring to the meeting like video clips or quotes)
• 1 person brings dessert (music or music videos to begin with and end with through the meeting)

My girls and I with Bishop Barry and Father Barry- my brother.  The Barry bookends.

We will rotate every meeting so all have a piece of ownership.  

We began this particular meeting with Roseanne reading from 

Henri Nouwen's book  "A Spirituality of Living".  

That was our meat for this week.

We love it when Roe reads.  

She reads emphasizing some areas- or just stops and repeats something that we may have missed.  Imagine hearing this in a strong New York voice - 

"The spiritual life is a life that is guided by God's Spirit, the very same Spirit that guided the life of Jesus".   

She stops and says "Wait.  Did you hear that?  

The very same Spirit that guided the life of Jesus is guiding us?

Holy S*%T !

(Roe is a cussing saint)  

Think about that?  The first line of the book (this is still Roe talking) 

It is powerful!!!

The title of the chapter is Discipline and Discipleship, but Roseanne keeps saying discipline-ship (she is in pic below who is on the far left).  She reads this and we ignore it at first, but then she reads it again a few more times and we make light fun of her.  We are happy that someone with as much education as Roseanne messes up, too.  We continue to listen to her read while sitting on a porch with the sun streaming and dancing across the water.  It is so pretty. We have been blessed with the perfect spot for a prayer meeting which overlooks the Reservoir.

She keeps reading -now correctly, and she gets to this:  

The word discipleship and the word discipline is the same word.  

Somehow the Spirit came through her right from the start.  

So disciplineship is now our word, and our work. 

How do I follow Christ with a disciplined life?  Nouwen says that, 

"It requires real discipline to let God and not the world be the Lord of our mind".  

Roe keeps reading the chapter and we hear 3 things:

1. Jesus spent time in solitude
2. He spent time in the community
3. He went out and Preached and Healed people.

If we are to follow as disciples, we must copy Him.  We must have 

1. Time in solitude, 
2. Time in the community, and 
3. Time working for God.

The order is important.  We need to be quiet with God, just like Jesus was before he met with the community or did His work. 

We discuss how we all want to fill up our downtime- with community or work.  We may do this cluttering our minds with texting, media, technology, or constant business in our homes.  We just seem bored or feel lazy with nothing but silence with God.  The discipline to get silent is counter-cultural these days.  We decided our homework in the next week was to work on this.  The "How to have Disciplineship" would be front and center.

The last bit Nouwen wrote had us question How to do this? He says, 

"If we create space in which God can act and speak, something surprising will happen.  You and I are called to these disciplines if we want to be disciples".

Click here for a  Podcast on Stillness

Click here for Peaceful music to worship with

I wonder what the surprise will be as I learn to create a still, quiet space?

Going into the new school year

This is the Year...

So, school begins for me earlier this year than usual.  We start our teacher's work week this Monday.  I bet other teachers are thinking about the upcoming year, just like me.  So what is the main thing that I want this year as a teacher...

Well, I want to help form intentional disciples for Christ.  That is it.  

I want as many kids as possible to walk away from Middle School Religion with a desire to keep encountering Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father in everything. 

WHEW- what a goal.

Can this be done outside of the Religion room?

ABSOLUTELY- I think it has to.  

So I hope you all continue to share your faith in the classroom as I know you have.

Forming intentional disciples is a community project involving as many teachers, administration, parents, and students.

So how do we do this?

This blog is a brainstorm...  I have some ideas.  

But, I want to expand beyond my little brain and creativity.  

INTENTIONAL DISCIPLESHIP- is living your life intentionally for Christ.  Living as much as you can for Jesus, and accepting that He lived as much as He could for you.  Connecting all day - That is a personal relationship.  

I recently heard a song in a prayerful way- All of Me by John Legend   

What if that was your lovesong prayer of praise with Jesus?  

The words can go back and forth, like in dialogue - from or towards Jesus.  

Click the words to hear/pray with this song

He gives us all, we give Him all

All of Me Loves All of You

Love your curves and all your edges

all your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me I'll give my all to You

you're my end and my beginning

even when I lose, I m winning

cause I give you all of me

and you give me all of you

This sounds Protestant- they are great at evangelizing.

But it is also Catholic - it has always been a part of our church until recently.

 Click here and go to 19.50  stop around 28.30  this is the author of intentional disciples 

or watch Bishop Barron's explanation

Studies are showing that the largest age group to leave the church is from age 10-17 click for research info.

Working in a parochial school puts you in a role to help form our children, and this includes their understanding of God, whether you teach Religion or not.

Your role in evangelization is natural- they are coming to you. You don't need to start knocking on doors.

It begins with you, and your example demonstrates more than your words.  What are you currently doing to grow closer to Christ?

The beauty of the Trinity allows us to have many forms of God to connect to.

Father

Son

Spirit

So if you connect better with nature or the mystical you have the Spirit to go to;

If Jesus dying and rising is your go-to, you have a more human choice;

or perhaps God the Father, in the Grand or "intimate daddy "sense works for you.  

How beautiful that we have a community (communion) even in our deity?

For me, I have needed all of them differently in my life.

Questions to ponder:  

What is your relationship with God like, and how personal is it?  Is it visible to the kids who watch you daily that you are a disciple?  

What are some innovative and inspiring ways to help our teachers become intentional disciples?  

How can we become intentional as we follow Christ?  What can we do to deepen our relationship with God and our community?

How are you curious about God, or what do you do when someone comes to you with a curious question?

Can you answer in a small way?  Simply and directly?  What areas do you need to brush up on?

Please add a comment, thought, or question.

My sister found this...

I am the middle child of five kids.
The oldest is a priest, then we have a park ranger, I am one of two teachers, and I have no idea how to explain my sister that is 16 months younger.



She is just smart and does something with computers for AARP
and is a referee for soccer and puts crazy parents in there place in such a peaceful and teachable way.  She does this with such grace.

  She also is the one kid who always is there for our mom (well, mom built on to her house so what choice does she have?? lol)
She also added another apartment onto her house which makes her a landlord, too.  She is blessing a couple who are struggling to get through law school and they love her.  Of course, they love her.  Who doesn't?


So, this smart sister recently came to know her self "Some Jesus" through hardship.  Six years ago, Teri was not able to tell me where to find the gospels, but now... Holey Schmoley!!!  God has her in the palm of His hand and she is soaring.  She reminds me so much of my dad who came to know Jesus in his fifties, too.  He left us in the dust with his spirituality- but that is a long story for another time.

I invited her to help volunteer on a Diocesan Youth Conference a few years ago. There were about 1,000 teens and somehow she had a conversation with one of the speakers. Sr. Miriam who was just amazing.
So seriously, here is the scene;  I am listening to a praise band in a large auditorium in the far back with Teri.  I realize at some point she is not next to me.  Then I see her.  Teri, who had very little spirituality for most of her life is going to the deep end of the pool with a nun.  Loved it!

Years later Teri came across a podcast that this sister puts out.  She gets the credit for this resource and I am passing it on!
Podbean Abiding together   
If that doesn't work -   Try this out

Now - why should you look at Abiding Together?

Well, honestly- it is like hanging with your closest friends including your God- our best friend- you know, Jesus.
  Grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, or a beer, and sit back.

Oh wait- it is so much better if you invite a few friends over to hang with and discuss.  Communion- yes, community with a little hospitality and prayer-- oh Lordie, you are going to love this.







Last thought-
This summer a wonderful getaway came my way with my sweet Patrick, my sister Teri and her beautiful daughter Danielle.  My niece brought my youthful spirit back as you can see in the hippie chic pic,
my sister  brought on lots of meaningful conversation and sisterly love, and my Patrick keeps holding my kite string (grounding) and feeds me beautiful food (for my soul too). 

So I am ever grateful for beautiful summer surprises.

I would love to hear your thoughts, your one great moment this week, or something from the podcast that pops out to you.

Sick Friends

Depression hits so many people.  We hide it well.  I have a friend whose daughter is depressed.   I have family and friends who have struggled with depression.  It's hardest when the community is involved with some stupid mistake that you wished you never did.  I have friends who are living with that. Jobs, identity, marriages, friends all shift and are possibly lost.  Isolation seems like a good idea.

I feel a whisper from the Holy Spirit to create a guided meditation for such people.  People who are sitting in the dirt and can't seem to get up.  People who are stuck and feel like giving up.  Despair and isolation seem to be holding onto each empty hand.  So how to release these two demons?  

Are you a Sister in Christ to someone?

Community, and in one particular case, a community of women I will call Sisters in Christ (SIC) must help.  Yes, she needs her "SIC--FRIENDS...  SIC friends need to hold those hands and lead her back.  Perhaps they need to carry her like the friends in Luke 5?

The Healing of a Paralytic.

 17 [e]One day as Jesus was teaching, 

Pharisees[f] and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was with him for healing. 18 And some men brought on a stretcher a man who was paralyzed; they were trying to bring him in and set [him] in his presence. 19 But not finding a way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on the stretcher through the tiles[g] into the middle in front of Jesus. 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “As for you, your sins are forgiven.”

Our SIC friends need to come together in prayer and lift this sister up out of her darkness.  Old Testament beliefs were that infirmity was the result of sin- one's own or one's ancestors.  (scripture)  

 However, Jesus says later in Luke 13 that we all need to repent.  We are all sinners.  So with this in mind- we bring our soul sick sister to Jesus with the faith that God heals still to this day.  We carry her and lift her (rather than lower her through the roof).  We lend our spiritual strength for her and Jesus will grant healing as he always does with great faith.  We all repent alongside her and ask for the Holy Spirit to blow new life, and breath into all of us.

Guided meditation to bring her to Jesus' healing...  (still working on this...it may not work.  Send a request to share the google audio for this at jeanne.slifka@gmail.com - it works best to just listen and follow along with your eyes closed)

Perhaps this might help as you pray with your sick friend:  

You may click on an audio or read aloud in prayer.  Guided medication/meditation

Close your eyes and take a deep breath.  Relax.  Allow your body to be in a comfortable position- sitting with your hands in your lap or lay down.

Feel the breath come in and fill your lungs.  

Now slowly release it slowly.

As you breathe in, imagine the air coming in is warm, light, it is the very breath of God.  As you breathe out, let go of anything weighing you down.  Watch your breath as it cleanses you and fills you with the Holy Spirit.  

(deep breaths)

Now I want you to focus on your lungs.  

Take a deep breath in with me...   your entire chest is warm, full of light, and you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Imagine it stays warm and light and peaceful.

As you breathe in it spreads a bit- feel that warmth, peace, and love.  Feel it spread up to your neck and down to your belly so that your whole trunk is filled with a warm sense of peace.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence goes down your shoulders, slowly past your elbows, and to your fingertips.  Let it go down, to your wrists...  to your fingers.  You feel weightless and relaxed.  Let gravity take hold.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence goes down past your hips, legs and to your feet.  Allow your feet to sink down Allow yourself to lie heavy.  You are feeling incredibly at peace and aware that you are in the presence of God.

Take another deep breath

imagine this presence of peace goes up your neck, past your ears, and chin, above your nose and eyes, up to your forehead to the top of your head and beyond.  Just breathe.  You are bathing in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Allow yourself to be still.

Now, see yourself in a room.  Imagine you are in a simple space and you are resting in a small bed.  You are dreaming that you have been called to help a very sick person.  This person needs to be in the presence of Christ.  You have somehow recognized that you are supposed to help carry this person.   You wake up and walk outside where you see other Sisters in Christ gathering.  You walk to the house of the person who is sick.  You are quiet.  You all simply know what you are to do.

Go into the house and see that you are lifting (name of person)  onto a cot and you carry her out.  It is not difficult at all.  If you feel that you are the sick person, allow yourself to be carried.  See yourself in that cot. The people carrying this cot are strong and seem to know just what to do.  You are outside and you pass a scene- a group of people surrounding Jesus.  You see fancy robes and very knowing people who are questioning Jesus.  You see people scowling in the crowd.  You see sorrowful faces.  You see a woman about to be stoned for some sin. You see judgment.  You are standing there just listening.   John 8

Jesus says "Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her".  One by one, people begin to leave.  First the elders.  He was writing something in the sand- in the dirt.  As they began to see it, they walked away.  Until it is just Jesus, the woman, and you.  You see this moment and you realize that we are all valued and can heal.

You hear Jesus say to this woman in the dirt... HAS NO ONE CONDEMNED YOU?  SHE REPLIES, NO ONE SIRE.  THEN JESUS SAYS, NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU.  GO AND FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE.

Look at the woman in the dirt.  She does not know what to do.  Forgiven?  Really? Me?  But what about my shame?  And really does God not judge me when so many others do?  What about my own judgment? How do I let that go?

Jesus bends down and writes something in the dirt.  

She looks down at it.  Then He walks over to where you are.  You bring the cot to the ground, closer to Jesus.  Jesus looks at the 2 women and says to all of you, Do YOU WANT HEALING?  YOU ALL CAN RECEIVE A HEALING.  See yourself say yes, and accept it. Ask the Holy Spirit to take over.   We all need help to get out of the dirt and RISE.  Let your sisters in Christ lift you and then let Jesus take you even higher.  

Let God be in charge. Let Him allow His creation to become what it is meant to be.  What He desires it to be.  As Jesus puts His hands on You, allow the Holy Spirit to enter every bit of you.

Sit in this space and just be.

As you are ready, come back to the present space.  Hold onto the healing and God's Spirit within you.  Take them with you as you walk away from this dirt.  You are clean and at peace.  You are healed.

 Let the Holy Spirit direct where you walk.

Final thoughts to ponder ...

Garth Brooks has a popular song- "I've got friends in low places"  and the oasis is the local bar- community.  

• Where is your oasis?  How's it working for you?  
• When you are in the dirt- do you isolate?  Do you go into the dirt? or perhaps into the desert?  The desert might be that space where you rejuvenate.  The dirt is not that space.  
• What are you doing for those who are in the dirt?  Can you touch those in the dirt?  Today's lepers just might be those in isolation that make us uncomfortable.
• Can you carry that person so that he/she can see Jesus?  Can you be a bit uncomfortable as you carry that person closer to Jesus?  Can you lower them into the space- or raise them up to that space.  Can you let it go when you are in the presence of Christ and believe?  

Friends in High Places sermon

Look out for that Goose!!!

What does this mean??  Really, Goose is loose?  It sounded so strange the first time I heard it.

But now...  well I am a bit hungry for Goose.  Not like in a Charles Dickens Christmas story kind of way.  This goose is much more satisfying and lasts longer.

Kim Kardashian got it completely wrong when she defined the goose is loose as "drunk or crazy, a drunk friend -
#the gooseisloose   February 3, 2018

I find it interesting that Kim K. connected this phrase to drinking, just like the people at Pentecost thought the disciples were drunk -
  Acts 2:13 says:
"13  but others said, scoffing, they have had too much new wine. "

Take a look at the true meaning in this    video

I would love to hear your thoughts on this...  To get you started with thoughts and ideas... here are some of the study guide questions.  Choose one (or all 5) and make a comment.  

1. How does the reality of God being Love change your view of God, love, and yourself? 

2. All “love” is not the same. Consider for a few minutes the meaning that today’s culture attaches to “love.” Compare this to the Love of God.

3. It is the Love of God that gives beauty and meaning to the human person. How do we experience this and share it? 

4. What can you do to help others discover the Love of God and the dignity of the human person?

5.  How do you see the Holy Spirit?  

FR. DAVE PIVONKA has created this series and I am hoping to open your minds and hearts with his wisdom.

for more info: https://thewildgooseisloose.com/who-we-are