WONDER

Here is a picture of some of the youth I went with to the Zoo.

I love to see this look of Wonder in people's eyes!

click image to enlarge!

In light of recent flooding...here is the lectionary scripture from this past Sunday

"The Lord is king, He is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, He is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord!

Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, for evermore."  -Psalm 93 (NRSV)

The Winter Olympics

I think the Olympics are on way the world still has wonder. Not only the opening and closing ceremonies, which in themselves are amazing places to see creation! But even the events themselves, the athletes who achieve incredible things, the skills they have worked on their whole life.

Even, and this is especially true in the Winter Olympics, the location and set ups of the events are things to wonder at. So beautiful! So majestic! So WONDERful!

Go USA! Way to Go God!!

Special thanks to http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for the pics!

Lent and the loss of Wonder...

For the season of lent this year, I am going to attempt to journal every day. I tried this last year at it really helped remind me the need to take time to just BE. The goal of taking on or fasting from something during lent is to grow in love of God and grow in love of others. I will be posting some of these journal entries here.
Here is yesterday’s journal entry:

I was leaving a friend’s house tonight, and I looked up at the sky and the stars were breath taking and I heard something move in the yard. As I looked for a squirrel, but found eight deer!!

It was so cool! So I called my friends on the phone, and told them and they were not impressed. They were like "We've seen the deer before."
REALLY?!?!?!
How can you get to a point where you are no longer in awe and wonder?
I feel like a lot of times we no longer sit in awe of creation. It makes me sad. I think we need to capture wonder back. Maybe I will journal about this during lent? My search for wonder...

HAITI DONATIONS and RESPONSE

Here is one of the great organizations helping in Haiti right now.

It is UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief. Because UMCOR is connected with the United Methodist Church, all of its administrative costs are covered so literally 100% donated goes to relief!

Here is a link to their site, you can donate money or make kits of supplies to send to them. All the info is here -->;UMCOR

Haiti, and the Christian Community Responses

In light of everything going on with Haiti, there have been many different reactions form the Christian community.  There have been millions praying and sending money and help to Haiti.  I have to say that I am very proud of almost all of them, but here is a video from one I am not.
Link to Pat Robinson Video

In response to this and several other comments like this, here is a letter from Bishop Joe Pennel, a United Methodist Bishop:

"FROM THE BACK PEW
While driving to Church yesterday I heard a preacher say that what happened in Haiti was the will of God. I do not agree. I believe that the devastation and loss of life made God cry.
I believe that God has created a world where different pushes and pulls are at work. We live in a world with great differences in natural phenomena, and these differences can "bump" into each other or "mesh together". When this occurs the unpredictable is sure to happen. The creation is not programmed so that one aspect of nature never touches or influences another. On the contrary, these dissimilarities have a mysterious way of challenging and influencing one another. When such interactions happen, change and turbulence and even mass destruction are possible. We cannot stop the interactions of nature nor can we get out of the way of the outcomes.
The universe is not a puppet on a string and it is not programmed to run smoothly. There is a freedom in creation, just as there is a freedom in the human species.
This answer does not satisfy all of my questions but it is the best that I can do at this juncture of my theological journey. But for me--blaming God is not the answer.
It is worth pondering,

Joe E. Pennel Jr.
Worn Out Preacher."

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?....
WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO HAITI?