Rev. Valerie's Reveille

“Why is this happening?” I’d been ordained a deacon for three months and still had three months more to go before I would be ordained a priest. I was bursting at the seams from seminary with terms like “systematic theology” and “historical-critical hermeneutics”.  But I was in charge of a small congregation with real needs and concerns, like trying to understand why Hurricane Katrina was barreling down on the Gulf Coast. Ministry got real. I had heard that some people were purporting that the storm was God’s response to America’s immorality, as a way to cleanse us from our sinful ways.  I was shocked by such claims masking as theology, but I was naïve.  However, I did know that we humans are quick to look to something or someone to blame when things don’t go according to our plan, and God is an easy target, because God could change it if God wanted to, right? I chose to preach on the blessing and curse of rain, depending on one’s perspective.  When we are in...

I am chagrined to admit, as much of a geek as I am about space, I was unprepared for the solar eclipse that happened on Monday.  I had heard about it, but I didn’t get any special glasses or make plans to be in the path of totality (100% coverage of the sun).  However, I did watch some of the events online that had people reporting from places within the path, and it was more exciting than I expected.  I was on a site called Slooh, and like most on-going news events, the commentary can get a bit stale and repetitive after half an hour. I was actually taken aback when the host asked one of the scientists what his “spiritual” sense of this event was. He didn’t have a great answer – something about the cosmic awesomeness about it.  But the host asked the same question of another guest, who happened to be Dr. Kate Russo, a psychologist, who has written a book about people who have experienced the totality of a solar eclipse and how the experience changed their lives...

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’  Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;  you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’  Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”;  and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’  When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ After that no one dared ...