#Sorry World for the UMC | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blessedarethebinarybreakers · 1 year

Note

hello :)

First off I’d like to apologize because I only recently discovered your blog at a time of great need, and have been reblogging so many posts lol so sorry if that’s annoying.

I’m in my early twenties, it’s almost my birthday, and I was born into a family with two affirming Catholic parents and three affirming siblings of various beliefs. I’ve pretty much always been comfortable with the fact that I am not heterosexual, and tend to have some beliefs that are not reallllllly accepted by mainstream American Christianity. Because of this, your blog has been incredibly comforting, informative, and thought provoking, so I thank you for that.

I was wondering if you had any resources for how different denominations thought of nature and wild spaces. I know there’s a lot of garden imagery within the Bible, such as in the Song of Songs, but I was always taught in my religious teaching that wild spaces, such as mountains and forests, were like realms of the devil or something. One verse that was pretty common in my local church is something about filling the deserts and leveling mountains to make a path for God (sorry if I’m remembering that incorrectly). Because I’ve only been to Catholic Churches, I was wondering if other groups and denominations had different views on nature rather than untamed = bad and taming the environment = good.

Thank you and have a nice day

Hey there, anon! Not annoying at all to reblog posts, that's what they're here for ^-^

My Catholic self is so happy to hear that your Catholic family is affirming of who you are!

I'm sadder to hear that you were taught much less affirming things about the created world. You are so right to have noticed that the Bible is chock-full of praise for creation! The twisting of Christianity to say otherwise has a long history with an intentional agenda of justifying settler colonialism and environmental devastation.

___

I wish I had more time to look through specific denominations' points of view for you, but if I wait till I do have time I'll probably never get around to answering this, alas! I can provide this much, at least:

One term that some use when describing their support of environmental justice is "Creation Care" (or "earth care"), so that's a good key phrase to use when researching.

For example, here's the Episcopal Church's page on creation care; and the UMC's, and a Catholic site; and a PCUSA site; and the UCC's...

However, I'm not sure that views on the natural world always split neatly on denominational lines anyway. Moving beyond the denominational, I'll loosely describe some of the viewpoints in Christianity around Creation:

Thanks to Paul incorporating a lot of Greco-Roman ideology into his letters that made it into the Bible, and thanks to Christianity getting entangled in Roman Empire shit in like the 400s CE, some Christianity uplifts a strong dualism between the spiritual and the material. When you pit the spiritual and material against each other in this way, it tends to be bad news for the natural world.

The belief expressed throughout the rest of the Bible — so the Hebrew Bible + much of the Gospels — doesn't construct this binary between the spiritual and the physical. The created world is declared good by God in Genesis 1, and Creation is praised throughout the Psalms and other scripture. The place of human beings in the created world is explored in various parts of the Bible, with various conclusions being drawn — are we in charge? What's it mean to be in charge? Is the whole planet ours to do with as we please, or are are we meant to care for it?

A major example of Christians deciding that the planet is ours to do with as we will comes in the form of the settlers who colonized the Americas. Research manifest destiny for lots of info on the consequences of these views. The Americas, and this whole planet, are suffering greatly because of this way of interpreting the Bible. Thankfully, there are other ways.

The Catholic Church itself actually has a healthier way of understanding Creation in theory, even if the institution doesn't always make choices that practice what they preach. Here's a bit of what the Roman Catholic Catechism says about the natural world:

339 Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the "six days" it is said: "And God saw that it was good." "By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws." Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment.

340 God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.

341 The beauty of the universe: The order and harmony of the created world results from the diversity of beings and from the relationships which exist among them. Man discovers them progressively as the laws of nature. They call forth the admiration of scholars. The beauty of creation reflects the infinite beauty of the Creator and ought to inspire the respect and submission of man's intellect and will.

There's a lot more — check out the Catechism's section on "the visible world" (you have to scroll to it) on this webpage.

_____

Ultimately, in the search for interpretations of Christianity that uplift the goodness of Creation, and our role not as masters but as stewards of it, I highly recommend digging into the works of Indigenous Christians. As white Christianity colludes with empire and wreaks having on the land, Indigenous Christians speak up for the goodness of God's creation.

A fabulous starting point is Native: Identity, Belonging, and Rediscovering God by Kaitlin B. Curtice. It's a short memoir, very readable and powerful.

Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss is a little denser, but extremely informative. You can also find interviews and the like with Twiss online, if reading is less your thing.

My own Christian faith has also been deeply enriched by non-Christian Indigenous authors — especially Robin Wall Kimmerer, whose book Braiding Sweetgrass changed my life. I was so inspired by her description of human beings not as the masters of creation but as the "little siblings of Creation" that I wrote this poem about it.

Many Black and Latine theologians have also been integral to me in shaping my understanding of Creation and humanity's place in it. Another memoir I highly recommend is This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley, which talks about a variety of things, including a bit on the natural world. Take this passage, for example.

Finally, there are some gorgeous writings on Creation from Medieval Christians like Francis of Assisi and Hildegard von Bingen.

One last couple of book recs for a look at the holiness of creation: Barbara Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World and Sister Macrina Wiederkehr's A Tree Full of Angels.

___

I hope this helps somewhat! If you haven't already, you might enjoy wandering through my #Creation tag too.

#creation #sorry this is messier and not well cited like most of my posts #but it should provide a good starting point for further exploration!

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kanjukucompany · 2 years

Text

【A3! Translation】 Sky Gallery (10/11)

previous chapter / next chapter

it's time for the play! this took forever to translate. some images scene change images missing due to tumblr's photo limit

(translation under the cut)

(glitch text ignore)

character reference:

Kazunari: Aoumi

Tenma: Shirato

Misumi: Shinonome

Muku: Moegi

Kumon: Sakurada

Yuki: Yamabuki

Chapter 10

Izumi: It didn't take long until opening day.

Tenma: This time around, it seemed like a lot of timed passed before play rehearsals actually started.

Kazunari: True, it's been fulfilling, but also a lot of hard work~.

Muku: Kazu-kun has been working on a lot of other projects too, huh.

Yuki: The play's been running side by side with work.

Tenma: But if you can pull this off, doesn't that mean you're ready to juggle all kinds of things as an UMC?

Kazunari: That's right~! So I've gotta see this to the end!

Yuki: Kazunari, your scarf's crooked. (fixes it)

Kazunari: Oh, thanks!

Kazunari: These costumes Yukki made for us are super cute, I'm getting hyped!

Muku: Come to think of it, the costumes this time around pretty modern and kind of fresh, don't you think? They don't even feel like costumes.

Misumi: So stylish~.

Kumon: I wanna go out like this in daily life!

Yuki: Absolutely not. They'll get dirty.

Kumon: Boo~.

Manager: We're about to begin!

Kazunari: Well then, let's huddle around.

Tenma: Take it away, leader.

Kazunari: Mm~, well, our usual Summer Troupe chant is nice, but this timeーー.

Kazunari: "We're not bound to someone else's idea of value, so let's deliver something that'll leave a lasting impression on each and every person who sees it!"

Kumon: Yeahー!

Izumi: (The stage this time is set at Sky Gallery, which is rumored to bring good luck to the college-aged painters who exhibit there.)

Izumi: (Aspiring painters gather here, believing in the jinx that, if they hold a solo-exhibition here as newcomers, their work will sell and they'll be blessed with good fortune...)

Aoumi: "Great work, Sakurada-kun. The exhibition was a huge success."

Aoumi: "It's quite amazing that even though it's only your second exhibition, nearly all of your works sold. Your fan base is steadily growingーー."

Sakurada: "Oh, I..."

Aoumi: "Sakurada-kun?"

Sakurada: "Just like I thought, I can't sell them..."

Aoumi: "Eh....?"

Sakurada: "All of my works are like my precious children! To think that I... I would do such a horrible thing as selling them is..."

Sakurada: "Everyone is going to be so saddddd..... I'm sorry! It's all my fault! But I can't agree to selling them!"

Sakurada: "Even if I have to live on water and bean sprouts again, we'll always be together...!"

Customer: "H-Huh? Um, isn't this for sale?"

Sakurada: "I'm sorry! Nothing's for sale! Please go home! I'll protect you, babies!"

Shirato: "H-Hang on now..."

Aoumi: "Sakurada-kun, please calm down!"

Sakurada: "Aoumi-san, if it were you, could you do such a terrible thingーsell your own children!?"

Aoumi: "W-Why wouldn't I...?"

Sakurada: "You'd want to take care of them yourself, right!?"

Aoumi: "U-Um, well, I guess so..."

Shirato: "Aoumi-san! Don't let him coax you!"

Aoumi: "Ah, sorry, sorry."

Sakurada: "I'm sorry, Aoumi-san. I know you've done a lot for me with this exhibition... But still, I...."

Aoumi: "Sakurada-kun, I understand your overflowing love for your artwork. In fact, I think that's their charm."

Aoumi: "But one day, your children are going to leave the nest."

Aoumi: "I believe that all of the artwork displayed here are filled with Sakurada-kun's love. They have the power to spread their wings and journey into the world."

Aoumi: "Don't you want to see your children leave the nest, find their own place in the world, and empower others?"

Sakurada: "Oh... I see... You're right. This is their chance to be independent.... Oh, I'm such an idiot!"

Sakurada: "I'm a failure as a parent! I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Aoumi: "I-It's okay. Please settle down."

Customer: "Um... So, can I buy it after all?"

Shirato: "Of course, sir. I'll take care of it for you."

Customer: "A-Alright."

Aoumi: "We look forward to seeing you again."

Shirato: ".....I was wondering if he'd do this again."

Aoumi: "Yeah, Sakurada-kun did this at his last solo-exhibition too, huh..."

Shirato: "So troublesome..."

Shinonome: "Heyyyー."

Aoumi: "Oh, Shinonome-kun, welcome. Your reputation proceeds you these days."

Shinonome: "Heh, thanks to youuuー."

Aoumi: "I'm glad I could help. Shirato-kun, could you fix us some tea, please?"

Shirato: "Yes."

Shinonome: "Shirato?"

Shirato: "Ah..."

Shinonome: "Ahhhー!! It's Shiratoooー!! What're you doing hereeeー!?"

Shirato: "....Long time no see."

Aoumi: "You two know each other?"

Shinonome: "We were friends in high school~. We were in the same art clubbbー!"

Shirato: "I didn't know you were having a solo-exhibition here, Shinonome."

Shinonome: "I didn't know you worked here either, Shiratoooー! Didn't you get a job after high school?"

Shirato: "Ah, well, a lot happened."

Shinonome: "I see~. But I'm happy I get to work with Shirato againnnー."

Shirato: "Not really, I'm just an apprentice."

Aoumi: "Why don't you join in on our meeting, Shirato-kun? It's about time for you to learn about beginning projects."

Shirato: "Eh....."

Shinonome: "Yay~! Let's get to work!"

Tsuzuru: (I wrote the up-and-painter, Shinonome, after Ikaruga-san's image....)

Tsuzuru: (I knew it, he fits him perfectly. It's like he brightens up the stage itself.)

Izumi: (After meeting with Shinonome, another college student brings his work to the gallery...)

Aoumi: "I'm Aoumi, the owner of Sky Gallery. It's nice to meet you."

Shirato: "I'm Shirato."

Moegi: "N-N-N-N-N-Nice to meet you, I'm Moegi."

Aoumi: "Let's get right to it, then. May I see your portfolio?"

Moegi: "Y-Yes! Um, this is-AWAHHー!"

(thud)

Shirato: "You okay...?"

Moegi: "T-Thank you."

Aoumi: "Well then, I'll take a look."

Moegi: "U-Um.....What do you think?"

Aoumi: "I think these are really good! You have a wonderful attention to detail."

Aoumi: "These works are close to people's daily lives, I'm sure our customer's will enjoy them."

Moegi: "Really...! I love this painting, too! Oh, also, this one has a really good color balanceー."

Aoumi: "Yes, yes. I agree."

Moegi: "And this, this painting has a cloud motif..."

Moegi: "The gap between the exterior and interior appearance of the clouds expresses the inner and outer aspects of human beings..."

Aoumi: "Mhm. We'll definitely hold a solo-exhibition for you."

Moegi: "Oh..... Um.... I'm sorry.... I'm not doing that...."

Aoumi: "Huh?"

Moegi: "I'm very sorry! Excuse me!"

(moegi runs away)

Aoumi: "Ah, waitーー."

Juza: (Muku can play a role like that so naturally.... That'd be a hard one for me to play.)

Izumi: (Following Moegi's sudden exit, another art student arrives...)

Aoumi: "These are good. I think many customers will appreciate the fact that the head-on seriousness in which you tackle themes is very apparent."

Yamabuki: "Exactly! I think they're really good too!"

Yamabuki: "This painting tackles the theme using a multifaceted motif, it's incredibly deep!"

Yamabuki: "The more you look at it, the more you see, allowing you to approach the theme from many different angles!"

Aoumi: "Yes, yes. Let's hold a solo exhibition together."

Yamabuki: "Ah... Um...."

Aoumi: "What is it?"

Yamabuki: "That...... I can't do! Excuse me!"

(yamabuki runs away)

Aoumi: "Ehh....."

Shirato: "Is this some kind of fad."

Aoumi: "Like ding-dong-ditch....?"

Shirato: "I mean, how rude is that? You shouldn't even bother with them."

Aoumi: "Err... Maybe there's some circumstances we don't know about, and after all, it's always up to the artist to decide what happens with their work."

Shirato: "Well, that's true, but still."

Aoumi: "However, I feel that everyone, famous or not, has a desire to share their work with others. It's an expression of themselves."

Aoumi: "And more than anything, I feel their artwork is asking to be seen.... We'll check again, and if that doesn't work, I'll give up."

Sakurada: "Hello....."

Aoumi: "Oh, Sakurada-kun, about the other dayーー.

Sakurada: "I'm so sorry!!! I apologize for all the trouble I caused, again..... "

Sakurada: "I told myself I would be happy to send my children away this time, but I was still regretful, so I just couldn't accept itーー."

Aoumi: "That's all right. That's a part of your work."

Sakurada: "Aoumi-san......!"

Aoumi: "Well, settle down, but keep up the good work."

Sakurada: "Of course! Now, if you'll excuse me."

Sakurada: "Huh? This portfolio..."

Aoumi: "Ah, yes. A university art student had brought it to me because he wanted to hold a solo-exhibition."

Sakurada: "He’s my junior."

Aoumi: "Really? His name is Yamabuki-san—"

Sakurada: "This is Moegi’s."

Aoumi: "Huh? Moegi-san?"

Sakurada: "Yeah, and if he holds a solo exhibition, I’ll definitely come and see it. Well, I’ll be off!"

Aoumi: "Oh, yes…"

(sakurada leaves)

Shirato: "So… Yamabuki-san actually brought in Moegi-san’s, huh."

Aoumi: "Then, whose work did Moegi-san bring…?"

Shirato: "….It’s not the work of the same person."

Aoumi: "Certainly, the artstyles are way too different. The way they approach the theme too, is also different…."

Shirato: "In any case, you shouldn’t trust someone who lies to you and brings in another artist’s portfolio."

Aoumi: "Hmm…."

Aoumi: "I’m just going to drop off some flyers, have a quick meeting, and then we can head back."

Shirato: "Wow…. So this is what an art school looks like, huh…."

Aoumi: "Huh? Those two, aren’t they——"

Moegi: "Why’d you do that? If it was Yamabuki’s work, it would’ve been recognized the second you showed them your paintings."

Yamabuki: "No way, that’s impossible. That’s why I brought your artwork, Moegi."

Moegi: "It’s not impossible! Because, actually, Aoumi-san wants to hold a solo-exhibition…"

Yamabuki: "Huh? What do you mean?"

Moegi: "….I’m sorry. I also presented your portfolio to Aoumi-san."

Aoumi: "Ahh…. So that’s the case."

Shirato: "Aren’t they two of a kind."

Moegi: "Aoumi-san!?"

Yamabuki: "Ah, I’m sorry, I——"

Moegi: "I’m sorry!"

Aoumi: "So, um, could you two explain the situation again?"

Aoumi: "So in other words, neither of you were confident in your own artwork, so you brought the other’s portfolio out of instinct… is that right?"

Moegi: "I figured if it was Yamabuki’s, you’d definitely accept it. I wanted to see his solo exhibition…"

Moegi: "But he isn’t confident in himself, and insisted that he wouldn’t do it…"

Moegi: "I wasn’t aware he approached Aoumi-san with the same plan."

Yamabuki: "That’s my line. You always said it was impossible for you to ever hold a solo exhibition, even though I’ve told you over and over again you’d be fine."

Shirato: "There’s no limit to their similarities…"

Aoumi: "Their artstyles are a different story, though."

Moegi: "Well, now that that’s cleared up, I’m going to decline my solo exhibition offer."

Aoumi: "Eh!?"

Yamabuki: "Same here, Aoumi-san’s recognition is enough for me. Nobody would come if I held a solo exhibition, anyway…."

Yamabuki: "And even if they did, I’m sure they’d look at Aoumi-san like he’s made a mistake, then run out of there as fast as they could."

Moegi: "Mine would be endlessly torn apart on social media, and even though I couldn’t bear to see, I wouldn’t be able to stop doomscrolling——."

Moegi: "The only way for it to stop would be for me to drop out of college."

Aoumi: "They’re also both extremely specific pessimists…!"

Shirato: "Well, we can’t force them to hold solo exhibitions."

Aoumi: "But, you both voluntarily came to Sky Gallery, right?"

Aoumi: "So don’t you have a desire to display your work there?"

Moegi: "That’s…"

Yamabuki: "Well…"

Aoumi: "But, your lack of confidence is getting in the way."

Moegi: "Yes."

Aoumi: "However, on the flip side, Moegi-san recognizes Yamabuki-san’s artwork, and vice-versa."

Moegi: "Yamabuki should definitely hold a solo exhibition!"

Yamabuki: "If it’s Moegi’s artwork, everyone will absolutely come to see it!"

Aoumi: "In that case, why doesn’t Moegi-san exhibit Yamabuki-san’s work, and Yamabuki-san exhibit Moegi-san’s?"

Moegi: "Eh….?"

Yamabuki: "That’s….?"

Aoumi: "Of course, this time, please credit the true artist."

Aoumi: "Since it’s the other’s artwork, which you are confident in, don’t you think that could work?"

Aoumi: "Then we can treat it like a two-person exhibition."

Moegi: "If Yamabuki's work is there too, people would come... and they'd be so entranced by his work, maybe they'd gloss right over mine...."

Yamabuki: "If Moegi's work is also there... everyone would go home half satisfied... we'd might even make it out with mixed reviews...."

Moegi: "Alright, I'll do it!"

Yamabuki: "Pleased to be working with you!"

Aoumi: "Let's do our best."

Taichi: (This time, Mu-chan and Yuki-chan play similar roles~.)

Taichi: (Their heights are about the same, and Yuki-chan's character complements Mu-chan's perfectly!)

Shirato: "Why do you go to such lengths for people who are such a pain in the ass?"

Aoumi: "I simply want more people to experience fine artwork."

Aoumi: "And I want artists to know the power of their work. Because that feeling, can only be truly understood when art is shared with others..."

Aoumi: "That's why I run this gallery, to experience that moment. Well, I got that line from my father, but the sentiment remains."

Shirato: "You inherited the gallery from your father, right?"

Aoumi: "Correct. Like Shirato-kun, I also worked as an assistant. It took a long time, but that's how I learned the job."

Shirato: "A gallery of your own, and in such a prime location too, I envy you."

Aoumi: "Yes, that's thanks to my father. It does add a lot of pressure to the job, though."

Shirato: "......"

Izumi: (After the successful end of Moegi and Yamabuki's two-person exhibition, preparations begin for Shinonome's solo exhibition....)

Aoumi: "Has Shinonome-kun contacted you?"

Shirato: "Nope, nothing."

Aoumi: "This is strange... It's already 30 minutes past our meeting time.... No matter how much I call him he doesn't answer...."

Shirato: "Well, he's always late."

Aoumi: "I'm worried that we can't get in touch with him."

Aoumi: "And if we don't decide on an invitation design soon, we won't have enough time to get them printed and distributed."

Aoumi: "Plus I still need his main painting, but I haven't heard an update on that either."

Shirato: "That reminds me... Back in high school, he suddenly missed school and didn't even return home. He was missing for a few days, the police had to end up getting involved."

Aoumi: "Ehh!? Oh, that would be a disaster... Let's hurry up and look for him."

Shirato: "For now, how about we head to his place?"

Aoumi: "Good idea."

Aoumi: "Shinonome-kun! Shinonome-kun, are you there!? There's no response...."

Shirato: "I just checked, and it doesn’t look like he's been to college either."

Aoumi: "Then, maybe his parents' house...?"

Shirato: "I don't know. His parents basically spend all of their time overseas."

Aoumi: "I see. Oh, where could he be.... Maybe if we give him a few days he'll return."

Shirato: "Speaking of, when I found him in high school, he was nearly freezing to death on a riverbed."

Aoumi: "That's definitely a pattern we don't want to repeat...! We need to keep looking for him, but it'll be dark soon..."

Shirato: "I'll take you to the different places he likes."

Aoumi: "Please do!"

Aoumi: "There he is...!"

Shinonome: "Ahh, you found meeeeー. I was just about to make my beddddー."

Shirato: "Quit building here. The cops are gonna arrest you again."

Shinonome: "You always find me, Shiratoooー. Why's thatttー?"

Shirato: "...Nothing special, I just know you. You're usually near your favorite scenery."

Shinonome: "That's rightttー. As expected of Shirato!"

Aoumi: "Your favorite scenery.... I see. It's quite rugged, I can see how Shinonome-kun chose this as a motif for his artwork."

Shirato: "Why'd you skip the meeting."

Shinonome: "Umm, because the weather's nice today?"

Shirato: "Shinonome..."

Shinonome: "Sorry, sorryyyー. The truth is, I couldn't make any progress on my main painting at alllllー."

Aoumi: "Ehh!? But, we need to finalize the invitations soon..."

Shinonome: "I'll bring the painting to you on opening day, so please just find a way to design them somehowwwー."

Aoumi: "I understand. Please focus on your piece, Shinonome-kun."

Shinonome: "Thank youuuー."

(aoumi and shirato walk away)

Shirato: "You sure you can trust him? That guy's got no concept of deadlines."

Aoumi: "Still, it's his exhibition. If he isn't satisfied with the art he created, it's not worth displaying."

Izumi: (The first day of the exhibition arrives...)

Aoumi: "Shirato-kun, any word from Shinonome-kun?"

Shirato: "Not yet."

Aoumi: "We're about to open. At this rate, the main wall will be..."

Shirato: "What do we do?"

Aoumi: "Customers are already lining up, we've got no choice to open. I'll explain the situation to our customers."

(aoumi walks away)

Aoumi: "Thank you for visiting. Before we open, I'd like to apologize to all of youーー."

Shirato: "Aoumi-san, it's here!"

Aoumi: "Eh?"

Shirato: "The painting, it's arrived."

Aoumi: "Really!?"

Aoumi: "Pardon me, everyone. Please wait a moment!"

Aoumi: "So this is Shinonome-kun's latest work... It's wonderful."

Aoumi: "It's got a slightly different atmosphere than usual, I'd like to hear if he's had any change of heart. Where is Shinonome-kun?"

Shirato: "He's not here, it arrived by courier."

Aoumi: "Is that so. Then, I suppose he'll stop by later."

Aoumi: "Now, it's time to begin closingーー."

Shinonome: "Sorryyy, I'm late."

Aoumi: "Shinonome-kun! Thank you for all of your hard work. Your latest piece is safe andーーWhat's that painting for?"

Shinonome: "I finally finished it, so I came bring it to youuuー. I made it in time for opening day, rightttー."

Aoumi: "Eh? But, then the painting that arrived this morningーー."

Shinonome: "Huhhhー? That? That's not mine."

Aoumi: "What....? Well, then, whose...?

Shirato: "I didn't verify the courier company. I'm so sorry...."

Aoumi: "It's not your fault, Shirato-kun. I explained the situation to the customer who bought it, and they understood."

Shirato: "I'm sorry but, I.... I'm quitting my part-time job here."

Aoumi: "Huh? Oh, no, Shirato-kun, you don't need to feel responsibleーー."

Shirato: "Excuse me."

(shirato runs away)

Aoumi: "Shirato-kun!"

(phone ringing)

Aoumi: "....He's not answering his phone, huh. I wonder if he was originally planning on quitting. He always so helpful and hardworking..."

Aoumi: "And a forgery, on top of everything. Honestly, I think it's perfection, and the artstyle is so similar... I wonder who painted it."

(knocking)

Shinonome: "Ahhー, Aoumin. Nice workkkー."

Aoumi: "Thank you for all of your hard work for the solo exhibition. It was another huge success."

Shinonome: "Thanks to youuuー."

Aoumi: "Shinonome-kun, about the forgery, has that ever happened before?"

Shinonome: "Ummmー. Don't think soooー. I'm not that famous, y'knowwwー."

Aoumi: "I see... Are they any students at your art school with a similar artstyle?"

Shinonome: "Not that I've seennnー. Come to think of it, where's Shirato? He didn't come with you todayyyー?"

Aoumi: "What? Didn't you hear? Shirato-kun quit."

Shinonome: "Ehhhー!? Really!? ......That sucksssー."

Shinonome: "That guy, he suddenly quit the art club during our third year of high school, tooooー. Even though he was a better artist than meeeー. He quit painting."

Aoumi: "Really?"

Shinonome: "Look, this was the art club's exhibit at the school festivalllー. So nostalgicccー."

Aoumi: "Wow, I see your artstyle was already establishing itself. By the way, what's this one?"

Shinonome: "Oh, that's Shirato's painting."

Aoumi: "Shirato-kun's..."

Shinonome: "I'm pretty sure I have moreeeー. Ah, this one, that one, this one over here..."

Aoumi: "The artstyle's a bit different, but the motif is similar to yours."

Shinonome: "Yeahhhー. When I'm sketching, I always turn to them for inspirationnnー."

Aoumi: "Then, could the artist of the forgery beーー."

Shirato: "I painted it. I'm sorry."

Aoumi: "I figured... But, why?"

Shirato: "I wanted Aoumi-san to acknowledge my art."

Shirato: "In high school, I joined the art club. I dreamed of going to art school and continuing painting."

Shirato: "But, I couldn't. I couldn't afford it, and my parents hated the idea..."

Shirato: "So, when Shinonome obviously went on to art school, I was envious of him. But, at the same time, I was angry."

Shirato: "Is everything determined by my own efforts, or something that's completely out of my control?"

Shirato: "Honestly, I didn't really trust Aoumi-san either, at first."

Shirato: "The person who made Sky Gallery so great, wasn't you, it was your father."

Shirato: "I thought even if I got a part time job here, I was going to quit as soon as I ever made something of myself."

Shirato: "But, when I saw how seriously you take your job, and the care you extend to each artist, I was so ashamed of myself..."

Shirato: "Even so, I wanted to see if my own painting would be accepted by you, Aoumi-san."

Shirato: "I thought that if you recognized it, I could let go of painting without regret."

Aoumi: "Shirato-kun, your artwork must be properly presented to the world, as your own. Lies will never touch anyone's hearts."

Aoumi: "Please show me your work, as the real Shirato-kun. I want you to learn the power of your artwork, too."

Shirato: "Aoumi-san.... Thank you."

Kazunari: Thanks, everyone!

Tenma: Thank you for coming.

Misumi: Thank you~!

#ITS DONE #ONE MORE CHAPTER #hit photo limit sorry #a3 #a3 game #a3 translation #my translations #tenma sumeragi #misumi ikaruga #muku sakisaka #yuki rurikawa #kazunari miyoshi #izumi tachibana #kumon hyodo #tsuzuru minagi #taichi nanao #juza hyodo

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freehawaii · 25 days

Text

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - MAY 2024

Empty Apologies… On January 17, 1993, coinciding with the solemn observance of the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the United Church of Christ (UCC) formally apologized for the role that its leaders played in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. The apology was publicly announced and presented by representatives of the national leadership of the UCC. That apology prompted the Hawaii delegation to the US Congress to convince their colleagues to pass a Joint Resolution of Congress that was signed into law as US Public Law 103-150 by US President William Jefferson Clinton on November 23, 1993. By this public law the US also apologized for its involvement in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. What has become of these high profile public apologies? The UMC Apology was followed a year later with pledges of millions in money and property as compensation from the UCC to the Hawaiian people for the wrongful act. The US Apology pledged to initiate reconciliation between the US and the native Hawaiians who suffered the consequences of the wrongful taking of their nation. In the 31 years since the issuance of these apologies, there has been no measurable or noticeable movement toward reconciliation. In fact conditions have grown worse. The US and the UCC have demonstrated by their inaction not only lack of follow-through but no intention of ever correcting the wrongs they admitted they committed. Years ago, a friend said to me, “The trouble with people today is they think… if we say it; we have done it!” This is so true. Apologies today mean nothing as people do not seem to think they need to do anything to repair a wrong or offense. No acts of repentance, no making things pono. Just say sorry, then move on. In April, a resolution was adopted by the General conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) apologizing for the role its pastors and churches of that denomination played in the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893 and after. Announcement of this recent apology by the UMC is pending. The resolution calls for “Acts of Repentance.” Will this prove to be sincere? Or will it go the way of the UCC’s “compensation” and the US’ “reconciliation”? Hopefully, this will not be another empty apology that makes no difference except to give self-serving offenders a platform to absolve themselves of their own guilt and move on. Insincere apologies are not only empty words. When issued with no effort to repair the wrong, they are insulting and more offensive to those to whom the apologies are addressed… and to all fair minded people in this world.

“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani ---------- Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. ------ For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53. ------ "And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media." PLEASE KŌKUA… Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort... To contribute, go to: • GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII • PayPal – use account email: [email protected] • Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: [email protected] All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO! Malama Pono,

Leon Siu

Hawaiian National

#Ke Aupuni #Leon Siu #Free Hawaii #Kingdom of Hawaii #Koani Foundation #Hawaiian Kingdom

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anotherbeingsworld · 3 years

Text

All of the stars - Chapter 2

Link to Chapter 1

Summary: A look onto Bryce and Casey’s life after Edenbrook’s downfall, the stars were their guide as they search upon their own definition of ‘home’.

Pairing: Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Casey Valentine)

Rating: G/Fluff

Characters: Bryce Lahela, Casey Valentine.

A/N: Hi, I am back with the new chapter of this mini-series(-ish) and, this is mostly bryce’s pov (the pov is based on the lyrics which is italicize) ! Also, I’m so sorry for the lack of updates since my mental health went very very down and, I just have a lots of breakdowns lately and its just so hard sometimes to write. I have many fics and all to write, but uni been such a rough patch plus myself not being okay. I am so sorry . I will try to update more soon, but no promises yet when. I hope everyone is doing okay, and I hope all of you like it. <3

MY MASTERLIST

B R Y C E

You're on the other side

As the skyline splits in two

I'm miles away from seeing you

‘Surgical Attending, Dr. Bryce Lahela.’ The shining plaque from his desk, makes his smile over the new title he earned after all this year. Hard work, determination and good looks was his mantra in his head, after he left his past behind. He indeed had good looks, as he remembers the day where he first walked into Edenbrook; all of the eyes are on him. Doctors, nurses, and even patients. The confidence in him shined through that day, earning a kiss from someone who is dear to him.

Someone, who is on the other side. A miles away from him.

They never were official, as they leave it on a comma waiting for either one of them to continue…but, there wasn’t an answer. Is it a pause, or a stop? A question both of them can’t answer.

‘Dr. Lahela, how are you enjoying your new office?’ Harper pulls him into a hug, as they become close even after the closing of Edenbrook, leading a new built friendship between them.

‘Dr. Emery, this is a huge office. I don’t know how I will manage.’ He lets out a small laugh as his eyes gaze onto the new room which is his.

‘I know you will, managing an office is similar as performing an appendectomy.’ She smiles at the reference.

‘Ah, the first of the first for me. Thank you for believing in me Dr. Emery.’ A nostalgic memory replays in his mind, his first year at Edenbrook. The first of a new chapter for him, and the first time he saw her.

Harper smiles as she glances over the glass, and saw the city below.

‘I didn’t come all the way here to congratulate you only, I will be apart of the surgical board for most of their special surgical cases. I am honored to see my intern is now the person in charged. I will see you in the OR soon.’ Harper said before making her leave, and pausing in the doorway offering another of her best wishes to Bryce.

…

‘No one told you life is gonna be this way…’ he mumbles, as he felt a new sense of determination in him that somehow feels like the first day of being an intern once more.

His eyes falls onto the news that was set onto his table, a familiar smile appears as her name is seen on the headlines.

‘Dr. Casey Valentine of Amsterdam’s UMC Hospital, head of the UMC diagnostics team had achieved a new success….’

His attention was cut off as he flipped the pages until, he landed on the attachment of her smiling along a few colleagues. Even being 4000 miles couldn’t make his heart stop beating as this homey feeling stuck by him. After Edenbrook closes, they did talk and she gave him a shock as the conversation of her leaving to the other side of the world leaving him speechless for a few moments before the line was cut off.

… there was only silence.

A sound brought him back to reality, as his pager is starts to beep. A new start, new chapter yet his heart always stayed in the past. Always have, and always will; a love that knows no distance.

I can see the stars

From America

I wonder, do you see them, too?

The stars played a vital part in their relationship, either stargazing, accidentally buying a huge telescope on E-bay with Elijah to watch a comet which ended up being a troll from the internet itself, slow nights after long shifts on top of the Edenbrook rooftop, helicopter rides from Rafael during the night as the city of Boston was a small specimen a thousand miles away from their eyes.

But, tonight the stars felt different. They always say, everything is written in the stars but what about them? He is somehow searching an answer, as he made his way upon the rooftop of Seattle Grace, somewhat a déjà vu moment from his past. After a long shift, it’s his break before rounds and; the calmness of the night brings him peace. Somewhat a need he wanted years ago, before he discovered surgery, residencies and life.

He was 17, living in an unhappy palace somewhat bring the sorrows in him. A stain of sadness can be seen as it was clear in his brown eyes, a sign for a new start. Fast forward, Stanford was his new home. The stars in the city looked the same than the ones in Hawaii. As, somehow it stays the same while the new chapter of his life begins, and the past has been left behind.

His life at Seattle Grace was not different as Edenbrook, everything felt the same. He stood outside of a bar, chucking on his beer; as he looked above. How the stars didn’t change wherever he went… he chuckled as he snap a photo of it. Somewhat, a reminder; the stars were there to guide him home, wherever it is.

He wonders silently, if she could see it too. The stars from his eyes, as it was filled with memories both old and new, his first day of residency and his first day as a surgical attending that has been playing in his mind side-by-side somewhat a comparison leaving a chuckle at how far he came, how everything has changed in through the years while the stars above stays the same.

Tags: @bitchloveskcbaseball , @storyofmychoices , @mvalentine , @princess-geek , @lahellacute , @this-person-is-busy , @annekebbphotography , @mrsbhandari , @dcbbw , @choicessa , ,@fantasyoverreality98 , @baltersome , @ofpixelsandscribbles , @thundergom @starrystarrytrouble, @kelseaaa , @choicesficwriterscreations , @lalizah , @drethanramslay , @aveeiro , @eleanorbloom , @openheartfanfics , @brycesgirl , @freckles-spangledvampire , @agentnolastname , @robintora (comment if you want to be tagged or removed 💜💜)

#playchoices #bryce x mc #bryce lahela #casey valentine #open heart #open heart second year #choices fic writers creations #anotherbeingsworldwrites #my writing #all the stars series

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kontextmaschine · 3 years

Note

calc bc is not really 'math', that starts at basic intro to proofs course like uni-level discrete math or real analysis. obviously 'verbal elite' is no less inherently socially legitimate than 'illiterate mounted warrior elite' once was but if we're talking about top-tier intelligence (ability to genuinely comprehend and have insight into complex systems, not just facilely string together just-so stories), a guy who can barely crack calc bc is not even in the top 10k in the pac nw, sorry

id also note we're really one or two generations past the high water mark of the 'verbal' elite, e.g. every new billionaire is a guy who was good at math, the garden path to ascending to upper-middle class status runs through STEM and you personally are just coasting off the accumulated wealth of the previous generation

Yeah I think a lot of why I had thought of myself as STEM-leaning in the first place was I was just good at doing calculations in my head and when I saw that's where math was going in college it just didn't interest me like history. Honestly if I even had to go back in that direction I'd go with a more immediately applicable field of engineering.

As for the rest— well, it's clearly about your broader issues and I'm just being used as a peg to hang it on, but I'll say this: in the 1980s there were exactly that kind of path-to-UMC careers in the telecom, medical, and chemical industries of southern New Jersey.

But New Jersey had relatively high state taxes to support, honestly, a lot of the wreckage of midcentury coastal industrial urbanism – Camden, Philly's Newark, was especially heinous – and I realize now that a lot of the adults I encountered at say, the country club in those years were in the process – extending the utilities, polishing the schools, laying out subdivisions, preventing a Mount Laurel-equivalent inclusive zoning precedent, creating a unified calendar of local enrichment activities for kids, using weird carve-outs in state law ("resort town" designation) to push our town as the cultural hub – of luring them and using them as raw material with which to build a new world in their names.

And these guys weren't mathematically illiterate – summer work in a law firm you come to realize that development financing structures are often very logically and mathematically (and legally!) complex – but what they were doing, upstream of all those grad-schooled workers, was basically reading trends, applying judgment to them as related to facts on the ground, and doing the verbal/relational work of convincing each other to act – like I said, clan of lawyers, the ability to construct a chain of reasoning to lead people to any given conclusion is not something to be underestimated – and that's the sense of the world I first internalized

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domme-by-starlight · 4 years

Text

University of Mind Control

Part 1.2

a continuation of x

Jenna stared. She’d been prepared for a lot of things, but she had to admit a roommate who looked like a literal succubus hadn’t been on the list.

Also, she was hot.

The possibly-a-succubus girl purred, “Hello, roommate.”

“Um,” Jenna responded eloquently, staring at the girl. Her irises were completely black, more like two voids than just dark eyes. Fuck. Fuck this is bad.

After a moment, the succubus stepped forward. “My name is Morgana Heartbinder. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“I’m - I’m Jenna.” She couldn’t stop staring. I need to break out of this, fast. Must be some kind of magic - it’s way too fast to be natural.

“Lovely to meet you, Jenna,” Morgana murmured, coming closer and reaching out a hand. Jenna watched, frozen, as it came closer, trying and failing to move away. Her breath was coming faster now, despite her best efforts not to panic.

Then Morgana’s hand touched her cheek, and burned. Jenna instinctively jerked away, startled, and tried to use the moment to gather some resistance.

“Shit,” Morgana said. “Are you okay?”

Jenna blinked. In an instant, the girl had transformed from an enthralling demon to a normal-looking, anxious girl. “Um, I’m okay, I was just startled.”

“Are you sure? I forgot how cold most mortals are, I didn’t think, I’m so sorry. Did I burn you at all? I’m sure there’s a healer on staff, we could go find them-”

“No, I’m okay,” Jenna replied hastily. Morgana looked on the verge of panic. “It was just hot, not hurting - at least not for the fraction of a second that you touched me, at least.” She tried to smile reassuringly. “I’m alright, I promise.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Morgana said with obvious relief, but then her face crumpled again. “But- but I’ve fucked it all up now! Father will be so angry, he trained me so long, if I can’t even take my roommate what hope do I have for anyone else? And I was so close, too! No offense,” she added quickly.

“Uh, none taken. I’m… sure it’ll be okay? Are we expected to take control of other students here?”

“Well, yeah,” the other girl said as if it were obvious. “It’s mostly temporary, but it gives you important practise. If you’re lucky, you might even get to keep them.”

“Mostly temporary? What does that mean? Uh, also, if it’s okay to ask, what… are you?”

Morgana was still wringing her hands, but she looked calmer, at least. “I’m, I think humans would call me a succubus? And every week one person gets to keep a thrall, based on good classwork and such. Didn’t you learn anything about UMC before you got here?”

“I tried, but it’s not the kind of thing you can just Google. Wait, do you have Google? Are - you’re not from Earth, right? I didn’t miss literal demons hanging around?”

Morgana laughed. “No, all the students are from different universes, I think. If you didn’t know anything about this place, why’d you come?”

“Well, my world doesn’t have any magic, as far as I know. And I just couldn’t turn down that kind of opportunity, honestly.” Jenna didn’t want to mention hypnosis, not yet. Morgana seemed genuine, but there was no harm in being careful. “What about you?”

She grimaced. “My father, mostly. He’s… well, he’s really powerful, and I’m not very good at being a succubus. I think he’s hoping that I’ll somehow become seductive and confident and a proper Heartbinder heir. Who knows, maybe he’s even right.”

“That’s awful,” Jenna said sincerely. “You seem like a lovely person, and I’m sure if you tried you could do really well! But I know what parental pressure can be like.” Jenna didn’t want to dwell on that topic, though. “I should unpack,” she said instead. “We don’t have long till classes start, right? Day after tomorrow?”

“Yeah. First assembly tonight, and tomorrow to explore and make friends. Or slaves. That’s probably why the assembly isn’t for several hours, too - it gives roommates time to figure out their, uh, arrangements.”

Jenna started unlocking her suitcases as they talked. “Will there really already be students under control by the end of the first day? I knew this institution might not exactly be ethical, but still.”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure many of the students are already accomplished mind controllers in their chosen field. It doesn’t last forever, but it’s still a pretty significant advantage to have a thrall this early on.”

“Mm.” Jenna looked up. “Are you planning on trying to control me again?”

Morgana looked torn. “If I don’t enslave my roommate my father will kill me. Sorry, I don’t want to, you seem really nice, I just…”

Welp. “Hm. Could I just pretend to be your slave? Or, like, you technically take control of me but you don’t do anything with it? I just think we could really be friends, and if you control me we’ll never get to find out the proper way.”

“That… might work? And honestly, I’m not very good. I caught you off guard and even then it didn’t work. I just get so nervous that I forget what to say and start shaking and it just never works.” Morgana signed heavily and turned away to start dealing with her own belongings.

Not good enough. Maybe she’s right, but she nearly had me. Jenna shivered. She really didn’t want to be enslaved, even if Morgana seemed nice.

She narrowed her eyes in thought. “What if we made some sort of agreement? You can practise on me as much as you like and I’ll help you try to improve, but you only control me during those practise sessions. And maybe vice versa, too? I’d far rather have an ally than spend all year fighting with my own roommate for control.”

She hesitated for a moment, then threw in, “There are plenty of other students, after all, and I’d be happy to help you capture other people if you want.” I can deal with her trying to hold me to that when we get there. Free will first, consequences later.

“I… you would do that? Honestly?”

“Promise.”

Morgana’s smile was so hopeful that it hurt Jenna’s heart a little. She wanted words with that girl’s father.

“That sounds wonderful,” Morgana said. “I would love to have someone here I can trust not to be constantly trying to enslave me. To have a… a friend.”

“Then we’re agreed,” Jenna declared, trying not to show her relief. “Friends it is.”

#mine #hypnokink stories #university of mind control #umc #hypnokink #hypnosis #news flash: inductions are hard #so I'm just gonna post this #releases from here on out are hereby at my whim #because writing is hard apparently #send me ideas and thoughts and things!#enjoy!

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wingedfabray · 6 years

Text

Text || Anderbray

Tagging: Blaine Anderson & Quinn Fabray When: January 1st, 2018 Where: Respective Dorm Rooms What: A text/communication crystal conversation between the two. Warnings: None.

BLAINE:

[1/1/2018 3:07 AM] [text] I finally got discharged from the main building. I'm heading back to my dorm. I hope you're already at yours. Or at home. Just be safw. [text] Sorry about my typos that might appear. My sxreenxs cracked. I think we all know I'm not the best at alteratjon mahjx. I'll tru to get kt fixed soon. Hopefulky when the chaos dies dow . [text] I'm sorry about what happened, Quinn.

QUINN:

[text] Perhaps a new phone, Blaine. Our magic isn't necessarily conducive to repairing cell phones. [text] I haven't been allowed home, yet. [text] Actually, I haven't heard from anyone. Soon, I'm sure, or I'll be finding a way there myself. [text] Are you okay?

BLAINE:

[text] Hah, that's right, isn't it. It was my fault, though, it was rude to be on the phone during an event... not allowed home? Are your parents and grandmother alright? Miss. Francine Fabray as well? Did they contact you at least? I'm alright compared to the others. I think my father must not need to check in on me since Cooper arrived to Liberty Island. Aether. I'm still in shock at what we overheard.

QUINN:

[text] It's hardly a crime to pull out your phone from time to time. [text] I believe if there was something seriously wrong, someone would have contacted me. I have to. They must be alright, just busy. [text] I can't either. Something very big is happening, Blaine.

BLAINE:

[text] Yes... [text] I'm glad to hear that. I wish your family all the strength to overcome this tragedy. I wish you all the strength, Quinn. [text] Do you remember when we got our memories of last Samhain (2016, to be exaxt) back? What did you do then?

QUINN:

[text] Went back to falling madly in love with a pillow, if memory serves correct.

BLAINE:

[text] After when the curse nroke; I should have added on.

QUINN:

[text] I talked to my father and grandmother. Daddy didn't have anything to say, he avoided the question. Harper, she directed me towards a book, but I'm not sure if it had to do with the events of Samhain, or something else I'm dealing with. [text] I don't think my father knows anything. Not really. [text] And thank you, Blaine. I wish you all the strength, as well. [text] Did you try to speak with your family?

BLAINE:

[text] I'm sorry that I didn't get to properly greet them. I normally would and... [text] I'm sorry if I ruined yours and Hunter's gala. However I firmly stand by my choice to invite Kurt. [text] Cooper is probably overtiming tonight. I haven't spoken with my dad. I will in the morning. Strangely enough, I'm hoping that I don't have to talk to grandmother... I'll ask Eleanora. [text] ...Funny thing is that my dad said he didn't know either. This was in February of last year. Hah, a year and... and this happens. It's worse than before.

QUINN:

[text] Why did you bring Kurt? Blaine, you had to know. [text] I hope that your family knows something, anything. It can't truly be that no one knows what these...things are. It's happened twice to us, and there's no telling how many times they've covered this up in the past. [text] I'll be asking my father again as soon as I can, granted he contacts me, and I'm able to visit home. If he refuses to answer again, I'll find another way. [text] Someone has to know...

BLAINE:

[text] I... I really had to make it up to him somehow. I don't know. I just wanted him there. He likes that sort of stuff, fancy dresses and rich parties. I thought... I thought if he was there that it would... change how I feel about all of this. [text] ...Quinn I'll text you back. [text] I'm sleepy. Yawnnn. [ComCrystal rings][ComCrystal] Sorry. I didn't know how safe our correspondence was. [ComCrystal] We need to find a way to talk to each other without worrying about spies... my dad knows I am working to pursue the truth because I, um, told him. He said he wouldn't be able to protect me. Hah. As if I need it... anyway. Do you think the cardines are actually the only ones behind the covering up or... as I am beginning to think, this is something happening within all the branches of the UMC?

QUINN:

[ComCrystal] Oh, hello, Blaine. Communication Crystals may be useful, I...hadn't thought of our text conversations being monitored. Hopefully a magical means will be safer. As for the Cardines, it's hard to believe they're acting alone. They seemed...confused. This is bigger than us, somehow. I want to pursue the truth as well. Regardless of what our elders have to say. We're not unaffected in this.

BLAINE:

[ComCrystal] Yes, the Chief and Cooper himself looked shaken. This was an impromptu thing. A thing that the government never thought could happen... I do hope we are safe here. As long as they don't know our frequency. But there's got to be a private way for us to talk and keep a record of our findings... I have no aspirations of following the Andersons. It's not about a name on the line, it's PEOPLE. Too many commons got hurt. Aetherhell, and on the news they're fooled into thinking it's the workings of a doomsday cult. It's not right to keep magic away from them when our world is the one spilling over!(edited)

[There's a pause in the conversation, the connection crackles in the silence.]

QUINN:

[ComCrystal] Many people died, yes, both Commons and not it seems. Regardless of whether or not knowing about magic would actually help Commons, or potentially harm us, whatever is happening needs to be solved, if not resolved. What if we told them, not knowing what was happening, and the solution was another witch hunt, Blaine? I–

I don't know. I only want to know what's happening, and how we can stop it – if ther's a way to stop it – before anyone else dies. My...my grandmother uses journals that can connect to other journals. As long as no one is allowed to read them, that might be a more secure method of communication. It would be nice to know I'm not doing all of this research alone.

BLAINE:

[ComCrystal] ...We can't just leave them behind when they are caught in the crossfire between us and... whatever the doors are, Quinn. Who knows? Maybe they can help us based on their technology? Magic doesn't have to be the end all...

Okay, same here. Journals? That sounds like it might work. It allows us to keep our notes in one place, our plans safe from prying eyes. What research have you done already?

QUINN:

[ComCrystal] Is it leaving them behind, if we're working to solve the issue? Blaine, we don't have the best history, and this isn't exactly a smooth situation...

But I can't argue that right now. It's not clear and cut. Nothing is. My research has been admittedly sparse, as I've been a bit caught up in other things of late. I plan to do more, from here forward. I'll start with figuring out the journals. I do have some books that I gathered from various libraries in Europe, mostly on Witch history, some LN history. I've looked at some rare books at Grim and War, but it's been busy with the holidays. I'll see if there's anything I can purchase there that might be of help. Lazarus may be able to help with the journals, as well.

#t: blaine #cc: blaine #happilyeveranders

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sebthealchemist-blog · 7 years

Text

Sometimes It Hurts Instead || Sequinn

WHO : Quinn Fabray & Sebastian Smythe WHERE: A beautiful cabin in Georgia, deep in the Appalachian mountains. WHEN: May 21-24, 2017 WHAT: Discussions of Quinn’s passions and the poor ways Sebastian has reacted to her choices. Mentions of Mason McCarthy. [2.7k words] WARNING: Mentions of pregnancy. Potentially harsh language.

Sebastian had slept well. He’d chalked removable sigils around the door frames of the cabin after Quinn had gone to sleep, each a mirror image of what Mason had made him to protect his suite and afterward, his loft. He’d activated them and, upon feeling safe, passed out soundly. Waking up the next morning, Sebastian dragged himself out of bed, brewing a fresh pot of coffee but also making arrangements for tea, depending on what Quinn would like. He’d insisted she take the largest room the previous night, because it had the most beautiful view. And perhaps a bit of breathtaking nature would soften the way they’d hardened against one another, friendship fossilizing slowly as if it were going extinct. He needed to put a stop to that now. He was, more than anything, desperate not to lose her. Not when they’d come so close to being true friends. He moved to the porch clad in nothing but his pajama pants, kicking his feet up on the railing and resting his coffee mug on the table beside him. A familiar book in hand, he settled into read. And to wait.

It was beautiful, in a way that reminded her of home. But the best parts of home; the calm breezes through evergreens, the smell of pine. The dirt that seemed to cling to sneakers, and the ever-present sound of birds. It was still cool, especially early in the morning. Moisture had gathered at the edges of Quinn’s windows, framing the mountain view beyond. Quinn sat cross-legged on the bed, clad in a plain white t-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms. It was just warm enough inside, the smell of smoke a gentle reminder that there was a fire going downstairs somewhere. It was peaceful. It was fresh, and clean, and so gloriously disconnected. There was no NYADaily running a story on her love life, or students staring wide-eyed as she passed. There was no Judy, or Francine, or Russell. There was only Sebastian. She’d heard him shuffling around downstairs, perking up at the smell of coffee. It was almost serene enough that she could forget they needed to talk. Almost. But Sebastian was still a drifting friend. He was still harsh texts, and doubt. She wasn’t ready to talk, but she got up anyway, bothering only with a fleece overcoat before padding down the stairs. It wasn’t until after she’d poured herself a cup of coffee that she noticed him out on the deck. She hesitated for a moment before stepping out, taking in his posture, trying to settle the uneasy feeling in her stomach. With a deep breath, she made her way out, lowering herself quietly into the seat next to him. “Morning.” She started softly, voice rough with sleep.

Sebastian was incredibly lost in a dystopian burning of books when Quinn emerged from the cabin, startling him a bit. He closed the book but left it in hips lap, smiling a bit at her. This Quinn was so different from the one he was used to seeing. He was reminded of a time when she was goofy, silly, and slumbering in his room. It was nice to see her away from everything she forced herself to be. “Hey,” he said softly, “Good morning. Sleep okay?”

Quinn hummed in lieu of an answer, giving a small nod. The bed was comfortable, mountains of pillows had piled up around her. It had been quiet in ways that New York couldn’t even dream to be. But she’d spent hours awake. “I slept fine.” She said, but didn’t expand. Once she was asleep, she was asleep, and that’s all that mattered. She pulled her gaze away from the mountains to regard Sebastian. He looked different, somehow, backdropped by hardwood and sky, a book open in his lap. “What are you reading?”

Sebastian tried to give her a bit of a smile. Holding the book up to show her the cover, he said, “Fahrenheit 451. It was floating around in my potions bag… the weirdest shit ends up in there.” He set it to the side, asking, “Have you read it?” It was quite the Commons classic, but like many Commons books, it had wormed its way into his heart. And perhaps it was easier to start the discussion with books: a subject they both held close.

Quinn eyed the book. She’d heard of it; although, it was kind of hard not to. It was one of those deemed ‘classic,’ and it had been on her list for ages. But Quinn liked to get lost, and she hadn’t quite found the nerve to tackle it. “I haven’t.” She offered, looking up. Her stomach flopped uncomfortable, and her hands tugged at the fabric of her pajama bottoms. Sebastian looked casual, something about the early morning light made him look so far from the boy she’d seen at Bloodline gatherings growing up. They’d changed, and yet Quinn still felt miles away from him. “We don’t…really want to talk about books, do we?”

Sebastian had read it a thousand time. Without a second thought, he handed the well-loved copy to her. “Give it a chance. You can return it whenever you’ve finished it.” He smiled a bit looking over to Quinn. She looked remarkably beautiful in the golden light of the sunrise, dancing across her cheeks and making her look nearly as angelic as her magic. Instantly, he sat up a straighter as he spoke, pulling his feet to the ground and clearing his throat. “Yeah. I guess that wasn’t the point of the trip.” He sighed softly, letting a silence stretch out between them before finally speaking at last. “What are your dreams?” He asked softly.

Quinn accepted the book, turning it over gently in her hands. The binding was worn in a way that told it had been read over and again. The pages turned easily and it felt soft, the same as so many of Quinn’s own books. “Thank you.” Her voice barely carried above a whisper, and it took her a moment to look back at him. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to talk. If they could have four silent but amiable days, maybe they could be the good-bye that she felt she needed. His question brought her back to the moment, however, and she swallowed thickly. Her gaze switched from him to the mountains. The golden light slowly stretching across the green treetops was much easier to look at. There were a million answers tossing around in her mind, warring for attention, tumbling over and over until she couldn’t make one out from another. Beyond that, she wasn’t sure which dreams were hers, and which ones belonged to someone else. “I want to…” Words caught in her chest, and she swallowed again, eyes never leaving the treetops. “Follow in my parents’ footsteps, and make something of myself within the UMC.”

Sebastian sighed, shaking his head. “No… I don’t—“ he raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t mean politically, Quinn. I mean… are there any special books you hope to own? Do you have hobbies that you want to pursue? Where do you want to travel?” He wanted, more than anything, to hear what was in her heart. Not the generated answer that her family expected her to give. What made Quinn happy? What did she do in her free time, besides reading and church things? He wanted to learn everything he could before it was too late for them.

Quinn’s eyes finally met Sebastian once more. She resisted the feeling of frustration that bubbled up, shoving it down before it could actually become a thing. She didn’t want to have casual conversations with Sebastian. She was mad at Sebastian. But Sebastian hadn’t brought her out into the middle of nowhere so that she could sit there and be mad at him. It was obvious that he’d wanted something genuine, something disconnected. There were no politics in the middle of nowhere. “I want to get lost in the Vatican Secret Archives, and visit my Godfather in Poland. I like obscure alternative bands who play in hole-in-the-wall venues, and books that are so detached from here that you can almost f–…get lost in them. What does any of this have to do with anything, Sebastian?”

A smile slowly crept back onto Sebastian’s face the more that Quinn explained. He couldn’t picture her listening to any kind of alternative music. For some reason, he pictured Beethoven and Tchaikovsky pouring into Quinn’s ears overtime she wore headphones. “Yeah?” He asked with a bit of a laugh, tilting his head. “Have you watched any Commons’ movies? I’ve learned that some of them are nearly as good at making forget about the world around me as books are.” He sat forward, leaning his elbows on his knees as he thought about her question. “I said some shitty stuff, Quinn. I’m sorry I said the things the way I said them. But I worry… and you’re going to tell me it’s none of my business and that I’m a jackass which is fine… I worry that you’re going to lose sight of all of those things if you resign yourself to a life with Hunter Clarington. He won’t take you to dingy bars for music shows, or allow you the faux pas of getting lost in the Vatican. He’s not going to want a life of adventure, Quinn. And I know you have adventure in your heart. It’s beautiful and so unique to you.” He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. “Someone like Mason, though? He would want to make you happy. He’d take you to far off places, all while supporting your political aspirations. He’d love you. You deserve someone who will truly love you."

Quinn’s jaw clenched, now familiar anger bubbling up in her chest. She pulled a breath in, releasing it slowly. “Aether, you just continue to miss the point entirely.” The tension in her chest refused to yield, and she felt tired. It didn’t matter how many times, how many ways she tried to explain herself. It didn’t matter, if it was what she wanted. She would still be throwing her life away. “I’m not mad about how you said anything; although, you have a tendency to say things in the worst ways. It’s that you seem to believe Hunter will ever have the power, the right, or the ability to allow me to do anything. If I want to get lost in the Vatican Secret Archives, I’m going to. And I don’t need Hunter to take me to a music show, I can go on my own.” She paused, breathless. When she continued, her voice was softer in a way that she didn’t usually allow with anyone beside Mason or Blaine. “It’s that you refuse to respect the things that are important to me, you only tear them down.” They only disappoint you.

Sebastian blinked a few times, shaking his head. “That’s not what I mean at all,” he said, pausing to sip his coffee, trying to quench the way his mouth had gone dry. “I don’t mean—“ he laughed drily, shaking his head again. “Quinn, I don’t think for a single moment that you’d listen if he tried to tell you what to do or how to do it. But he’s never going to do it with you. You could have more than doing things alone. You could have a partner. I just… I wish you could see that, I guess. And what if you tire eventually of doing things alone? And slowly, the things you love fade away, one by one?” The tone of Quinn’s voice caught him off guard, making him do a double take in her direction. “I’m not tearing anything down. I don’t know how much clearer I can make it that I want all of those things for you.” Sebastian wanted so much to lean over, to take her hand, to try to apologize for being an idiot, but words failed him. “I know there is more in you than vaguely racist comments and your parents’ opinions.” He didn’t want to have to say what he was about to; Sebastian wanted nothing more to fight with Quinn until she realized Hunter Clarington wasn’t right for her. But he couldn’t. “If… if you really want to be that person, I will do my absolute best to support you. But I’m never going to stop seeing the potential in you. I will always know and love the parts of you that you keep buried. And I won’t be able to make myself stop hoping that you let other people see those parts in you too.”

“Isn’t it?” Quinn bit icily, breath catching on a huff. The last time she’d checked, asking her if she’d already run off to get knocked up was essentially saying that’s all he believed her marriage would be good for. Her hands smoothed at her pajama pants, and she did her best to push past the thought. Sebastian was trying to accept her choices, even if it was obviously hard for him. Sebastian was trying to believe in her, but Quinn was caught on the ‘trying’ of it all. Mason’s support had always been quietly insistent in a way that made Quinn believe. It wasn’t about saying ‘this is wrong,’ but rather talking her through the doubts that she already had. Sebastian said he would try, but she could remember so many times when he just didn’t. His words buzzed through her mind on loop, about Hunter, about her political standings, about her friendship with Mason. For every good there was a bad, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to get past it. Sebastian was biting words over a text message, but pulling her away from the Ice Ball when she needed it the most; echoing the words that her father had said to her on multiple occasions, but quiet cabin trips because he cared enough to fight for their friendship. “This is beautiful, Sebastian.” She gestured vaguely around her, “And the fact that you’re trying, that you’re willing to try, it means a lot to me.” Her eyes found his, and for a moment she wanted to leave it there. “But…I believe this, between us, is bigger than a weekend getaway, and some kind words.”

Nearly instantly, he stiffened. “Ah. Right, of course.” His expression changed, softness leaving his eyes and his voice. He’d suddenly found his professional tone once more and became harshly aware of his comfortable clothing and lack of shirt. Had he not thought better of himself in front of Quinn Fabray? Why had he been naïve enough to think any of this trip was going to work? As if Quinn was going to magically open up to him and he’d sing some kind of miraculous cure for the canyon that had opened between them. He’d planned on talking about so many things over the stretch of days they were together. Blaine’s dream, Samhain, the election… but now, he quashed all of that deep within himself. If he buried it down far enough, away with the friendship with Quinn that had fell through his fingers like sand, he couldn’t have to feel any of it anymore. It means a lot to me. But not enough. Apologizing was never easy, and now he remembered why. Sometime apologies just weren’t sufficient. He wasn’t sufficient. “The house is big enough for the both of to enjoy the next few days. There’s food in the fridge for when you’re hungry. I’ll be running into town later to a small bookshop. You can join me if you wish. I’ll leave the items I purchase in the mutual living space if you choose not to go and you can peruse them at your leisure. I’m going to shower.” Sebastian picked up his coffee, now rapidly cooling, and headed up to his room. He’d tried. He’d put in more effort than he ever had with someone, and it had failed. This was, he remembered, the downside of building relationships and why he didn’t do it.

#sometimes it hurts instead #cw: pregnancy

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kconi2108-blog · 6 years

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December 9, 2017

On December 9th 2017 my life changed forever. In an effort to manage the turmoil during my bereavement, I've decided to blog my thoughts and feelings. I find myself obsessively thinking about random things and I think it will help to process this grief, sadness, anger and all the other emotions and thoughts I am dealing with. I apologize ahead of time if I ramble or repeat.

I posted that picture of Abby earlier that day. I wanted to show her off to everyone. She was becoming a very lovely girl and I was moved to share her beauty with the world.

Later that afternoon, Abby called me and told me she was going Nadias for one of the kids birthday. She asked if I had 10 bucks and if I wanted to hook up. I wasnt interested and declined.

Sunday December 10th I got up as usual for work and I sent Abby a text letting her know what my day looked like and wanted to know what her day looked like so we can hook up after work. I checked my phone after work and I hadn't heard back from her. As always I was concerned. I checked the tracker that Abby installed on my phone and it showed her location but it appeared that her phone was off. Odd but not unusual I figured her battery died. I did not check the location of the tracker and had I done that it may have revealed that the phone was at UMC Hospital.

After I got off work I went by and picked up Lucy she was going to come back to the tiny house with me until her mother came to pick her up after her shift around midnight. She and I had a pleasant evening and we went to bed around 8:30pm. Approximately 10:30 Sunday night I received a phone call from an unknown number obviously thinking it was Abigail I immediately answered. The woman on the other side of the phone said she was from Clark County coroner's office and she was calling regarding Abigail Fischl. She asked if I was related to Abigail. She proceeded to tell me that Abigail had been shot the night before and did not survive. She said they couldn't locate me to tell me in person. She said she was sorry and she gave me some information and hung up the phone. Obviously I am in shock and my three year old granddaughter is asleep in the bed next to me. My body wants to scream. I cannot scream I will frighten my granddaughter. She will not understand. I need help. That's all I could say over and over and over. I need help. I locked myself in the bathroom so I wouldn't wake Lucy. I reached out to Nikki but she was still at work. I called Tony he was on a job in Texas. I told him what had happened and he called Ronnie to come over. Shortly after Nikki showed up. When I had told her that her baby sister was dead she screamed like a wounded animal. We had no choice but to go tell Adam. That night the three of us sat quietly in disbelief and pure shock. Abby is dead. She had been shot. Now what?

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firstumcschenectady · 2 years

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“Bread of Life” based on Psalm 37:1-9, Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4

Sometimes I hear people say that they're angry with God, but are afraid to let themselves feel it, or express it. To those people, I often suggest Biblical reading. The Bible has no problem being angry with God nor expressing it. Habakkuh does a great job with this.

How long, O God!

How long shall I cry for help without getting help?

How long will I tell you of the violence I'm living without you intervening?

Why help me see what's wrong, without helping me change it?

Why is trouble all I see?

Why is destruction all around me?

Why is there never justice?

Why are your laws ignored?

Why is everything getting WORSE?

I'm listening God.

I'm standing here, watching and listening, to hear your response,

waiting for you to acknowledge my complaints.

Right? Excellent work Habakkuk.

And, way to speak the universal even though you were speaking to a specific context. It feels like Habakkuh holds today's paper in his hands as he writes!

Now, as much as I like the truth of his words, and as much as I appreciate him finding words when I can't always do it, the great part for me in this reading is that God DOES respond.

God says:

Write down my vision.

Write it so big someone running by will be able to read it.

I still have a vision for justice.

I'm still working for good.

My visions are not a lie.

If it seems too slow, be patient.

Justice is coming.

It will not always be true that injustice wins, or that those who do harm prosper.

Keep your eyes on my vision.

That's what we're doing here. We see, we acknowledge, we name the injustices of the world. We bemoan them. We advocate for change, and we are required to see what's wrong in order to change it. BUT we also have to see what could be in order to change it. And we don't stay with the injustice forever. We keep our focus on God's visions.

We keep our focus on the transformational power of love.

We keep our focus on God's dreams of a just world.

We keep our focus on hope of what is possible.

We don't believe the injustices of the world are the final answer. We believe God wins, and that love wins.

And that's the table we gather at together. The one of hope, the one of EVERYONE, the one that brings us together to work for God's vision. People in different countries, people in different denominations, people speaking different languages, people with different bodies in , people with different theological understandings of sacrament. United by vision. Being fed by the bread of life so we can be for the world a gift of love. Receiving the gifts of God's love so we can share it. Remembering hope, so we can live it. Expanding the table, because that's an imperative part of the vision itself.

We receive the bread of life.

We are the bread of life.

Thanks be to God. Amen

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

October 2, 2022

#world communion sunday #communion preaching #liturgy also preached #short sermon #habakkuk #how do you say that #thinking church #progressive Christianity #bread that is hard to break #FUMC Schenectady #First UMC Schenectady #Schenectady #Sorry about the UMC #Rev Sara E Baron #Vision in big letters #Justice is coming

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firstumcschenectady · 2 years

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“Grieving What We've Lost” based on Psalm 69: 1-3, 14-16 and Luke 4:17-21

I don't even know where to begin.

There are so many layers of lament.

For many years, I have regularly advocated for Reproductive Justice at the New York State Capital, with both Planned Parenthood and Clergy for Reproductive Choice. Often, one of the older women in the groups I was advocating with would wear a hanger – a hanger necklace, hanger earrings, or carry one with them.

Confession: I thought that was sort of tacky.

Especially before 2016, I didn't think Roe v. Wade could really fall, and the reminder that people die from illegal abortions felt like a narrative from another era.

So, once again, I feel the need to apologize to my elders for not heeding their wisdom. As I remember those moments with other advocates, I've been considering their ages, and noticing that they were of reproductive age before 1972. They KNEW the impact of those hangers. It wasn't just a part of history to them, and I think that's why they KNEW better than I that it could become a part of the present as well.

That's one part of it all.

I want to acknowledge that not just women can get pregnant. There are men and non-binary people who are also at risk. And for the sake of this sermon, I am going to say "women” and “mothers” sometimes. These words doesn't encompass men and non-binary people, but women are the broadest category of affected people, and I am going to acknowledge that by using the words “women” and “mothers.”

Another piece of it all is the is the awareness of how unequal the impact of this decision will be. Not just in terms of red states and blue states, although that's a big deal. But also in terms of socio-economic status – people of means have ALWAYS had access to safe, medically appropriate abortions, even if they had to fly to Europe to get them. As per usual, those who live in poverty will pay a higher price. AND, it is impossible to ignore that maternal mortality is abominably high in the United States, and most of the deaths are black women*1, followed by other brown women*, while WHITE women* have pretty reasonable maternal mortality rates. Which is to say, in stark terms, that an impact of this decision is that more black women* are going to die.

To make this even move problematic some of the unspoken and underlying motivation for abortion bans is white supremacy – whereby there is a desire to prevent white women* having white babies from ending those pregnancies, and a willingness to end all abortion access to keep white women* pregnant with white babies. So that motivation then ends up killing black and brown women.* There was Freudian slip this week when a congresswoman called the Supreme Court decision “a historic victory for white life.”2 It was odd to hear it stated directly instead of just being implied.

That's a part of it all.

Then there is the normal, obvious part of grief around this decision: the impact on those who are pregnant and don't want to be, and the incredible variation of how that came to be and what impact it will have on them. Earlier this month The Atlantic published an article entitled “The Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate” which reports on the research of Diana Green Foster looking the difference between what happens to women* who were or were not able to access an abortion.3 They study lasted for 5 years, and included 1000 people seeking to end pregnancies. They found that those who were denied an abortion:

were more likely to end up living in poverty. They had worse credit scores and, even years later, were more likely to not have enough money for the basics, such as food and gas. They were more likely to be unemployed. They were more likely to go through bankruptcy or eviction. “The two groups were economically the same when they sought an abortion,...one became poorer.”4

Also, those who were denied an abortion were more likely to be with a partner who abused them, more likely to be a single parent, had more trouble bonding with their child, felt more trapped, had more anxiety, had lower self esteem, and were less likely to even have aspirational life plans. They were sicker. Additionally, two of the pregnant people denied an abortion died from their pregnancies (none of the people who had abortions died.)

Since most people seeking an abortion already have kids, the research was also able to study the impact of not being able to access an abortion on the existing kids. That is, they were less likely to hit developmental milestones and more likely to live in poverty. This truth ALSO applied to children born after the abortion or lack of one.

And, of course, there were emotional impacts. “Afterward, nearly all said that termination had been the right decision. At five years, only 14 percent felt any sadness about having an abortion; two in three ended up having no or very few emotions about it at all. “Relief” was the most common feeling, and an abiding one.”5

This decision made by the Supreme Court condemns impoverished women* and families to harder lives, because – as we know – the ones who are pregnant are the ones who know what is best for them and their families. The data backs it up. They know when they can't adequately care for a child or another child.

So, that's another part of it.

And also, there are the pieces where some states are having FULL bans on abortions, without exceptions for the life of mother**6 nor for rape nor incest. Now, I have major concerns about the impact of having to convince someone you were raped or experienced incest in order to access healthcare, but nevertheless, the impact of being forced to carry that child to term is enormous. And, many people will die simply because of the lack of exception for the life of the mother**.

So, that's another part of it.

I'm hoping breaking this up actually helps a little. I mean, it is depressing, I know. But when all of it swirls together into one huge overwhelming grief, it feels even more out of control. Knowing there are layers helps me distinguish between them.

I am now at the personal layer, the place where grief is for me. Not just for me, but for me. The decision tells me that I do not have authority over my own body. I don't have a right to my own body. “Big brother” has the right to tell me what I can and cannot do with MY BODY.

When this decision came out, I became a second class citizen. SOME PEOPLE in this country have rights over their body. I am no longer one of them. SOME PEOPLE have bodily autonomy. I am no longer one of them. SOME PEOPLE have a right to life-saving healthcare. I am no longer one of them.

To go back to The Atlantic, “The legal and political debate about abortion in recent decades has tended to focus more on the rights and experience of embryos and fetuses than the people who gestate them.”7

My body, in this country, has more value as a womb for a future human than as an existing human.

The Supreme Court gaveth, and the Supreme Court tooketh away.

The history of women* as being property of men is still present, and still having impact. We are now, it seems, property of the state who can tell us what we can and cannot do with OUR BODIES.

That's another part.

And, a friend on FB this week put things into some context. She is a person of color. She said, “If they're willing to do this to white women, I shudder to think what they're willing to do to us.” I'm aware that some of the strength of my horror at having bodily autonomy taken from me comes from the fact that I thought it was mine to begin with. Which has a lot to do with my places of privilege in society.

That's another part.

And along with it, is the fact that I live in New York , which not only protects the right to abortion but isn't even one of the border states people will flock to when they lose privileges in their own state. (OK, fine, I hope. May my birth state of PA hold strong.)

What I've lost is more theoretical than for those who have actually lost the rights to their bodies in their states, and I have to hold that in tension too.

That's another part.

Those are many of the pieces of grief and tension I've been experiencing. These are my current lament, and I think the Bible shows us that lament is important.

But what do we do NOW?

Where is that good news God appointed Isaiah and Jesus to share? Where is the good news for the POOR? For the captives in their own bodies, the oppressed?

I may be stating the obvious, but it isn't here yet.

But, we don't stop there.

We also do what we've done today. We grieve, because there has been loss. AND, we deny the narrative. The state has said I don't have authority over my body, and many of the rest of you don't too.

That may be LEGALLY true, but it is morally and ethnically bankrupt. The state cannot take away the sanctity of bodily autonomy, the value of human rights. We deny the power of the state to bureaucratically take dominion over human bodies, and we do so in whatever means necessary. Because GOD is the one who said we are created in the image of God, and our lives are sacred, and the state can't take away what God has endowed.

There is a wonderful tradition of progressive Christian activism to support those in need of abortions, and the strength of that tradition will be a part of what guides us now. There are amazing new leaders emerging, and part of our work is to listen for great ideas and support them. There are groups led by those who know EXACTLY what to do to support the most vulnerable, and we support those groups.

In the meantime, I suggest we all take some inventories of the spiritual and physical resources we have available to us (communal and individual) so we know what we have to offer when support is asked of us.

God doesn't let oppression stand. We're working with God towards justice, and listening to the urgings of the Spirit and the wisdom of those impacted as we find our ways forward in this new (and old) struggle. Amen

1*women, girls, and people who can get pregnant.

2https://www.npr.org/2022/06/26/1107710215/roe-overturned-mary-miller-historic-victory-for-white-life

3Annie Lowry, “The Most Important Study in the Abortion Debate” published in The Atlantic on Jun2 11, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/06/abortion-turnaway-study-roe-supreme-court/661246/

4Lowry.

5Lowry.

6**Mother or parent.

7Lowry.

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

July 3, 2022

#Progressive Christianity #Thinking Church #trust women #prochoice #First UMC Schenectady #FUMC Schenectady #Schenectady #UMC #Sorry about the homophobic UMC world #Prochoice denomination #Intersectionality #Grief #Lament #An End to Reproductive Freedom #I am no longer one of them #rev sara e baron

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kanjukucompany · 2 years

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【A3! Translation】 Sky Gallery (6/11)

previous chapter / next chapter

kazunari..... :(

(translation under the cut)

(glitch text ignore)

Chapter 6

Izumi: ......

Tenma on TV: "Only one person had the chance to leave the room at 6 p.m..... The culpritーー is you!"

Kumon: Yes! I knew it!

Izumi: You've thought they were suspicious since the beginning.

Muku: Today's episode was interesting too.

Misumi: Tenma was so cool~!

Tenma: Hmph, obviously.

Kumon: Come to think of it, Kazu-san's interview was today.

Muku: I'm looking forward to it being broadcast.

(door opens)

Tsuzuru: I've got something.

Izumi: Oh, Tsuzuru-kun, good work.

Tsuzuru: I written up a draft about what the co-lead's character in Summer Troupe ninth play will be like. I think the character's image suits Tenma the best...

Izumi: Alright, how about it, Tenma-kun?

Tenma: No, like I said, it wouldn't work with my schedule--.

Yuki: .....

(door opens)

Kazunari: I'm back~.

Muku: Welcome back, Kazu-kun.

Kumon: How was your interview!?

Kazunari: Oh... It was fine.

Kazunari: .....

Izumi: ....Kazunari-kun, are you tired?

Kazunari: It's probably cause I've been answering so many interview questions. I'm gonna go bathe!

Izumi: .....

Misumi: Kazu's acting kinda strange~.

Muku: Normally, he wouldn't hesitate to tell us about everything that happened. I wonder what's going on.

Tsuzuru: I actually wanted to speak with Miyoshi-san about the play and get his opinion on the script so far... Guess it'll have to wait a bit.

Izumi: Right... If I find a good time, I'll make sure to ask him for you.

Izumi: Can you just proceed with what you have for now?

Tsuzuru: Understood.

Kazunari: ....

Kazunari: (I only got accepted because of insider connections... I didn't know there were rumors like that flying around SNS~...)

Kazunari: (I'd look them up.... But....)

Kumon: Kazu-san?

Kazunari: !?

Kumon: Are you okay? If you're tired, you should go to bed early.

Kumon: If need be, I can give you a massage! I learned how during my club activities~!

Kazunari: ....Aw, thanks, Kumopi! But I'm okay, I'll make sure to get some rest.

Kazunari: (...No, stop it. Don't worry about me.)

Kazunari: Ugh....

Kazunari: (What do I do? I haven't made any progress... and I don't have much time left...)

Kazunari: Ah...

Friend A: I saw you on TV!

Friend B: You really felt like a creator~.

Friend C: So cool!

Friend D: Look at you, Mr. Bigshot~!

Kazunari: (Oh, right, the broadcast was today...)

(flashback start)

Director: You know, when I was researching him for the interview, I saw rumors circulating around social media that he might’ve been accepted into the exhibition because of some…. insider connections.

(flashback end)

Kazunari: (I definitely shouldn't look.)

Kazunari: (I know that, yet...)

Comment: Kazunari-kun's amazing not only as an actor, but as an artist too!

Comment: Seeing Kazunari-kun on TV was really impressive!

Comment: His artwork was cool too!

Comment: The world may finally be noticing Kazunari-kun's talent, but I've known for a long time!

Comment: Kazunari-kun, I hope you continue putting your efforts into multiple areas~.

Comment: Miyoshi Kazunari's dad works for the ad agency that's sponsoring the event, his parents' influence is probably helped him win a spot.

Comment: Doesn't really seem like a coincidence, huh~.

Comment: And what the hell is an 'UMC'? That doesn't mean anything. It's laughable, honestly.

Kazunari: Oh....

Kazunari: (I knew I shouldn't have looked....)

Kazunari: Sigh...

Kazunari: (Don't look. Don't look at your phone...)

Comment: I wonder if he's happy about his nepotism-win?

Comment: Well, isn't that just part of his future career as a freelancer? Lol.

Comment: His parents are shameless~.

Kazunari: (Stop looking. I don't want to see anymore...)

Comment: All secure and comfy with those connections even after grad, I'm jealous~.

Comment: I feel sorry for the people who applied honestly.

Kazunari: (Even though I don't want to look... I can't keep my hands off my phone...)

Kazunari: --.

Kazunari: (I fell asleep without realizing...)

Kazunari: Sigh...

Kumon: Good morning~.

Kazunari: Morning.

Muku: You were really cool on TV yesterday, Kazu-kun.

Izumi: I made sure to record it.

Kazunari: Oh, yeah....

Izumi: Now then, I think it's about time for us and Tsuzuru-kun to get move forward with Summer Troupe's ninth play.

Izumi: He'd like to speak with us about the co-lead's role, and hear all about galleries and paintings...

Kazunari: ....Sorry, Director-chan. Could we do this another time?

Kazunari: I don't feel like thinking about painting right now.

Izumi: Huh? That's--.

Kazunari: Sorry.

Muku: Kazu-kun...

Tenma: ....He's artblocked?

Muku: Yeah. The art supplies he usually uses in the warehouse are still in our room, too...

Yuki: So he hasn't made any progress on his piece?

Kumon: Even though he was so excited about his solo-exhibition, what's wrong....

Misumi: Kazu's been acting off since he got back from the interview.

Muku: Director-san wants us to start thinking about the play and who's going to be the co-lead soon. I wonder if Kazu-kun will be okay with that.

Yuki: At this rate, Kazunari's lead role itself is in jeopardy.

Tenma: .....

Muku: I thought he was just tired from his busy art schedule, but he seemed more down than usual.

Muku: What could've happened....

Kumon: I hope we can help...

Tenma: ......

Yuki: What are you thinking about.

Tenma: Huh?

Yuki: I don't know what you've had on your mind lately--but don't you think that in times like these, it's both a friend and leader's role to lend a hand?

Tenma: --.

Yuki: It's not like you to just sit around and think about it.

Tenma: ....You're right.

Misumi: Let's cheer Kazu up, Tenma!

Tenma: Yeah. If we're going to this, we're going to do it right. I'll speak with Director about it.

Yuki: Finally getting back into the swing of things?

Kumon: Yay!

#a3 #a3 game #a3 translation #my translations #kazunari miyoshi #tenma sumeragi #yuki rurikawa #muku sakisaka #misumi ikaruga #kumon hyodo #tsuzuru minagi #izumi tachibana #sky gallery

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firstumcschenectady · 5 years

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“Wisdom, She Calls”based on Psalm 8 and Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

I've recently gotten feedback that many people around here like it when I preach from the heart, from authenticity, from … myself, and not JUST from context. This is a bit of a challenge because the authentic me is sort of a mystic, and I've never been entirely clear how comfortable that is for all of you. However, I'm really grateful for feedback, so I'm going to give it a try, and trust that you'll continue giving feedback if this is not what you were looking for at all.

Today is Trinity Sunday. Thus, our lectionary readings have given us space to consider the Spirit, who in Proverbs is the Spirit of God's Wisdom, the firstborn of creation. In its purest, most orthodox forms, Trinity says that God IS Three Persons that are also One, and the love between the 3 Persons is the foundational energy and motivation of the universe, from which creation arose, and from which God's love for all humanity begins. I've never been able to commit to an orthodox understanding of Trinity, although I did give it a good faith effort for a decade or so. I adore this idea of love as the foundation of the universe, but I've had to come to that conclusion in other ways. I don't hold a traditional view of Trinity, although I think those views can be strikingly beautiful.

Instead, I've been most formed by the thinking of Marjorie Suchocki, professor emerita of theology at Claremont School of Theology, and the author of the book “God, Christ, Church: A Practical Guide to Process Theology.” In it, she talks about the idea of Trinity as a symbol for the complexity and unity of God. She says, “God as trinity becomes a symbol to indicate the sense in which the unity of God embraces a complexity of a magnitude grater than which none other can exist.”1 In more simple words, she says that God is one and God is infinite. She doesn't actually think the specific 3 of Trinity is the point, but rather acknowledges that there is inherent value in thinking of God as being transcendent, immanent, and relational. That is God is beyond all that is, God is IN all that is, and God is in relationship to all that is – and those are three things, so we think of God in three ways.

Suchocki's idea that Trinity means many and yet one has resonated for me. God is, of course, one. We're monotheists!! And there is force of love undergirding and infiltrating all parts of Creation, unifying us all. At the same time, of course there are many facets to the Divine. God is beyond our words, our metaphors, our understanding. God is complicated. Any aspect of God we attempt to speak about or connect to is both a part of God AND not the entirety of God. God is love, unconditional all encompassing love!!! And, God is also one who wants justice – so that good lives and good relationships can be present for all people and not just for some. And that doesn't ALWAYS feel only like love. God is eternal, and yet God is also present. God is for us, and for each of us, and for all of us, all at once. In these ways, it makes sense to think of God as many, even though God is also one.

In some very similar ways, I think it makes sense to think of ourselves as many and as one! I mean each of us, each person, is both many and one. (Although, come to think of it, we are also one body of Christ – one and many.) We're now at the mystical point of this sermon ;) If mystical isn't going to fly for you, you may want to think of all of this as development of compassion, although I'll admit to you that those are not well differentiated for me.

Years ago, my spirituality professor told me about a prayer form called with an acroynm FLAG. In it you notice a strong emotion and anthropomorphize that strong emotion as a young child. Then you ask it: Fear - what are you afraid of? Longing - what do you long for? Ache - what is your ache/wound? Gift - what gift are you trying to offer that I'm not receiving?

This prayer has been a great gift to me over the years, but in recent years I've noticed that it relates to a whole bunch of other areas of thought who are also looking at “self” in different ways. Because this now comes from a lot of disciplines, to explain it I'm going to glob them all together like we do when we work with all 4 gospel narratives at once. We're going to call it “parts theory.” Because of how useful it has been in my own prayer life, as well as in conversations with people, it is one of the theories that I now use to make sense of human beings- myself and others.

Parts theory says that we are a conglomeration of parts. When this emerges out of “non-violent communication” work, the parts are associated with human needs. In “Focusing”, the parts are associated with physical sensations in various parts of our body. In sensorimotor psychology, parts relate to coping mechanisms necessary for survival, particularly in childhood. Going back to the prayer form I first met this idea in, the young children we imagine are often expressions of our self and our past. I think it may even be true that in the Center for Courage and Renewal Teaching, where we talk about the maps of our souls and the various terrain within, that we are actually approaching parts from another angle. Most places I'm looking for understanding of how humans work seem to be moving to parts theory.

Now, once we acknowledge that in our internal landscape there are various parts doing their own things, then we think about how they relate to each other and to our self as a whole. Parts theory suggests that dealing with ourselves is a lot like presiding over an unruly Church Council meeting (who, us?) or perhaps an Annual Conference committed to nonconformity (who, us?). Parts tend to have their own points of view, they remember the things that fit their narratives, they push the things that fit their narratives, they ignore things that don't fit their narratives, and when they want things they ask. And when they ask, and we ignore them, they get louder (and sometimes meaner) and this cycle can continue until we have a LOT OF INTERNAL screaming. Also, parts build connections with other parts, and parts are antagonistic to other parts.

If you think of parts as trying to meet needs, this can become clearer. So a part that is seeking out peace is likely to be well partnered with the parts that seek rest and beauty and maybe even acceptance. However, the part seeking out peace is likely in some conflict with the parts seeking out spontaneity, stimulation, or even growth. And when we're talking about parts that have been harmed in the past, this can be pretty strong. For example, when a person lived through abuse as a child, and the abuser was the caregiver, then the natural human instinct to draw close to caregiver for safety and the natural human instinct to run away from harm are in constant conflict.... and those parts are trained to be on constant alert.

There is also a Part in Charge. I have tended towards calling this the adult self. While the adult self is the moderator/chair of the council, the truth is that sometimes the adult self loses control of the body. In parts language, that means that sometimes other parts hijack the adult self, and the other parts are the ones running the show – by which I mean the body, the facial expressions, the words, the tone, etc. So if you think of a recent time when you said or did something that you later regretted, and wondered “Why didn't I have better control?” the answer is likely that a part hijacked the adult self and “you” weren't in control at that point.

Prayer can be a time when we make space for our parts, listen to our parts, create the capacity for empathy for our parts, and stop fighting them in general. The FLAG method works for this, as do many others. It can also be a time when we teach the parts meditative practice so we can all have some much needed peace within. Building the capacity to listen to ourselves also builds our capacity to listen to each other. That's one of the goals – if we are going to be part of building a more peaceful and just world, we're going to have to learn how to find peace within, and that will likely require learning how to listen to (rather than silence) parts.

Many forms of contemplative prayer teach us how to be in the present, in our bodies, and how to be connected to our breath. These are wonderful practices on their own. They're also the skills needed to bring the adult self back from being hijacked. In the neuroscience part of these theories, the parts are mostly in the amygdala part of the brain and the adult self is in the prefrontal cortex. So whatever we can do to THINK, and be PRESENT, helps move us back to the prefrontal cortex.

Parts theory both feels TRUE, and feels exciting to me. I appreciate how inherently spiritual it is, to listen. Now, many parts that we are familiar with speak in … less than constructive ways. Because of that, we're often a bit scared of them. However, there is some good news. The horrid things that parts say are ALWAYS meant to be helpful. If you actually listen to the things they say, then you can sometimes figure out how to flip it around to the positive thing the part wants for you. They're shockingly transparent. “You aren't enough” can mean, “You were really hurt one time when someone said you weren't enough, and I don't want to you be hurt again, so I'm going to keep your ego small so you don't experience a drop in self-confidence again.” You know, stuff like that.

We've talked about some of this before. Some of our parts communicate through criticism, and they manage to tell us we're wrong A LOT. My parts have a lot they want to get done. No matter what I'm doing, they have about 50 other things I should be doing, and they tell me I'd get them done if I were a “good person” / “good pastor.” None of the parts is able to notice that I can't do 51 things at once, so my adult self is always having to work at setting priorities, at listening, and at soothing, so all the parts aren't screaming at once that their thing isn't getting done. That said, knowing about parts, thinking in terms of parts, and listening to parts has quieted things within me significantly, and I experience a lot less internal angst, and thus more peace. (On good days.)

Did you hear the end of the Proverbs passage? In it, Wisdom talks about delight – the delight in being with God, and the delight Wisdom and God had in humanity. Delight is part of what we're going for, and there are many paths to it. Finding peace within is a form of making space for delight. When we can see what's happening, and remain present and loving, there is a LOT of delight available to us. It really is a bit like traditional Trinitarian doctrine: love spills out. Thanks be for that. Amen

1Marjorie Suchocki, 229.

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/  https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

June 16, 2019

#FUMC Schenectady #Schenectady #UMC #Sorry world for the UMC #Progressive Christianity #God is Love #Thinking Church #mysticism #Rev Sara E Baron #Trinity sorta #Proverbs #Lady Wisdom

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firstumcschenectady · 5 years

Text

"Refusing to be Silent" based on Acts 5:27-32, John 20:19-31

I'll admit I have a strong bias in this story. It feels like my personal job to protect Thomas from the accusations made about him over the years. I feel for him. He said something reasonable and rational and has gained the title “Doubting Thomas” for 2 millennia. (My desire to protect Thomas would make a bit more sense if the Jesus Seminar thought this story reflected historical memory, which it does not, but that hasn't had quite the impact you'd expect on my need to protect Thomas.)

The problem, I think, is that this story does what it supposed to do. It was designed to include those Christians who did not experience the resurrection first hand, and to affirm their faith. The line, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."(20:29) The story seems to say, because Thomas needed proof, but YOU managed to believe without it, you are even better than one of the first disciples!

“Have faith, even in what you can't see” has been a perennial preaching favorite, and Thomas has been the straw man set up to make it work. There are a few issues with this though. Most importantly, “believe what I tell you because I told you so, even if it doesn't make sense” is a terrible way to lead people. Also, bodily resurrection is … a great metaphor, but not something to get obsessed about as historical fact.

This year, I came across a new great way to defend Thomas, namely that none of the disciples believed the Easter story to begin with. Gail O'Day in the New Interpreter's Bible says, “John 20:19-23 is linked with the preceding story in the garden by use the emphatic expression 'that day' (v. 19), although the disciples fearful conduct indicates that they have not credited Mary's report (cf. Luke 24:11). The locked doors may be mentioned to heighten the drama and supernatural effect of Jesus' entrance into the room (v. 19b, fc. 25; Luke 24:37), but their primary importance for the Fourth Evangelist is found in the phrase 'for the fear of the Jews.'”[1] Aka, all the disciples were scared, and hiding in that room, even though they'd heard the Easter narrative from the women already. They hadn't seen and they didn't believe. It wasn't just Thomas.

Furthermore, as another scholar says, ““The women's report should have been credible because (1) they were relating events of which they had firsthand experience (2) there were several witnesses (3) their character has been established by the reports of their selfless service to Jesus and his disciples.”[2]

Now, before I can go on in my defense of Thomas, I need to take a break and talk about antisemitism in the New Testament. It is morally reprehensible not to, especially with texts like what we have today, and shootings like we had yesterday – not to mention the past two millennia of Western history. Now, I'm actually not convinced about whether or not the New Testament is inherently antisemitic for two historical reasons. The first is that at the time the New Testament was written, Christians understood themselves to be Jews who were following “the way” of Jesus.... not unlike the various denominations in Christianity today where all of us would say we are following the way of Jesus, but we might add that we're doing so through some of the teachings of John and Susanna Wesley. Given that the earlier followers of “the way” were Jewish, the things they're saying against the Jews are INTERNAL squabbling, reflecting something like the things I say about the WCA.

The problem is that while the followers of “the way” were an oppressed group in the time of the writing in the New Testament, they became the powerful group and the history of the Western hemisphere since Constantine has involved Christians having power over Jews and using the language of the New Testament to justify mistreatment of others of God's beloved people.

The second piece takes a little bit more nuance. “The Jews” is not really a reference to all Jews, or Jews in general. More often, it is being used to refer to the people in roles of authority within Judaism. This applies to the Gospel and to the story from Acts. The people who were in roles of Jewish authority were the ones who had been placed there by the Roman Empire, with the intention of controlling the Jewish colonies by controlling their leaders. Because the Empire appointed, and removed, leaders at will; the Jewish leaders served the Empire rather than the people, or God, or the faith tradition. So, sometimes, “the Jew” doesn't even mean people who are Jewish, it means Roman Empire leadership appointed to Jewish roles. In our Sunday Night Bible Study, where people are great at asking questions and pondering, we have been wondering if “the Jews” was really coded language for “the oppression of the Empire” while being a FAR safer way to say it. Further, the Roman appointed leaders REALLY wanted to keep the peace, and keep their jobs.

But, again, even though I'm not sure the original language of John or Acts was anti-Jewish, because 1. it was written by people who were themselves Jewish, about an internal fight within Judaism and 2. the references to “the Jews” seems to refer to Roman appointed leaders, I KNOW that these texts have been used SINCE Christianity became a dominate religion to do harm, and I want us to be very very careful in how we hear, speak about, and reflect these texts in our lives. NOTHING about Jesus or the Jesus movement gives us permission to do harm (or allow harm to be done) to God's beloved people, and God's beloved people come in ALL faith traditions or lack there of. Some of our job in refusing to be silent is refusing to be silent about the mistreatment of our Jewish siblings in faith by Christians.

Now, all that said, in Acts, we hear Peter telling the Jewish authorities that they have murdered Jesus. (Do you see now why I spent all that time fussing?) The authorities are presented as being concerned about disrupting the peace, which probably reflects the fact that Luke-Acts was written AFTER the Roman Empire came in and destroyed the 2nd Temple ALONG with killing a lot of people (the Jewish historical Josephus says 1.1 million people died, that is likely an exaggeration, but it reflects an enormous scale). I think the Jewish leaders probably WERE trying to prevent something like that from happening.

Both Christianity and Judaism were transformed, perhaps even formed by the experience of death and destruction in 70 CE. Nothing is the same as it was before then, and some of the separation of the traditions happened as the Temple was destroyed. I believe that the New Testament, which other than the authentic letters of Paul was written in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple, seeks to make sense of that destruction in many of the same ways that the Hebrew Bible tries to make sense of the destruction of the first temple and Jerusalem in 586 BCE.

One of the ways we see God at work in the world is that what should be an end point, a death, a destruction, ends up being over the long run a source of great wisdom, creativity, compassion, and growth. The faith traditions we have today were developed in the midst of horror and destruction, but they speak to growth, hope, faith, and love.

In Acts, we hear Peter say, “We must obey God rather than human authority.” How and when do we make that determination? When are we clear that God's will is distinct from the will of those in authority? Is it simply the question of violence – that God is not for violence, passive or active? Or is it about oppression – that God is not on the side of oppression? Or is it more positive? That God is on the side of life! And love! And expansive possibility! This determination matters.

Now, the story in John is happening on Easter evening. That's why it is so notable that none of those gathered seemed to have figured out that hope and courage are the Resurrection narrative, not being afraid and locking yourselves into a room by yourself. We do know, because of the radical growth of Christianity in the early years, that the disciples did leave the room, and did so with great courage. They continued sharing Jesus message of love, of God, of hope and possibility, and were killed for it too – and they too died with great courage and integrity. The Resurrection narrative is the story of facing fears with courage and letting God's yes take precedence over the world's no.

In the midst of this narrative, in the midst of the fear of the disciples sitting in the locked room, we hear a repetition of a blessing, “Peace be with you.” Peace is shalom here, it is a holistic desire for well-being, not just the absence of violence. Shalom implies physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, AND relational well-being. That's the best part of it – shalom can't exist in just one person because it is inherently relational. It also can't exist without each person finding it, so all gain from it. “Shalom, well-being, connection, love, wholeness be with all of you!” And this gets repeated.

Then there is the weird thing about sins. Did you hear it? “When he had said this,” (the peace bit) “he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." What does that mean? Gail O'Day says, “Any discussion of this verse, therefore, must be grounded in an understanding of the forgiveness of sins as the work of the entire community. ... The forgiveness of sins must be understood as the Spirit-empowered mission of continuing Jesus' work in the world. ... Because the community's work is an extension of Jesus' work, v. 23 must be interpreted in terms of Jesus's teaching and actions about sin. … In John, sin is a theological failing, not a moral or behavioral transgression (in contrast to Matt 18:18). To have sin is to be blind to the revelation of God in Jesus.”[3]

Does that mean, then, that what Jesus is quoted as saying can be understood as “If you teach people of the possibilities of life as I taught you, they will be free from fear; but if you allow them to continue to live in fear, nothing will change?” It is amazing, but this all fits with the Maundy Thursday narrative about “love each other as I have loved you.” O'Day says, “By loving one another as Jesus loves, the faith community reveals God to the world.”[4] And THAT, amazingly enough, releases “sin” in John's perspective. ;)

Now all of this brings us back around to my friend Thomas, the one who is as direct and honest as Peter when he says, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." I really love this line. I love it especially because when the story then provides him with proof he does a 180 and DOES affirm the truth, more strongly than anyone has before him. “My Lord and My God” was a very strong statement. I wonder how often, when we are presented with proof we've asked for, we are able to notice that it is there and it is time to change our minds?

Most of all though, do we have the courage of Peter and of Thomas, to speak the truth? Are we willing to say what we don't believe when we don't believe it AND what we do when we do? Are we willing to speak up and witness to the power of love to transform lives? That is, to release the power of sin in the world? (Giggle, it is so weird to say that.) May it be so. Amen

[1]Gail O'Day, New Interpreter's Bible Volume IX: John, Leander E. Keck editorial board convener (Nashville: Abingdon Press,1995) 846.

[2] R. Alan Culpepper, “Luke,” in The New Interpreter’s Bible Vol. 9 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994) 470.

[3]O'Day, 847.

[4]O'Day, 848.

Rev. Sara E. Baron

First United Methodist Church of Schenectady

603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305

Pronouns: she/her/hers

http://fumcschenectady.org/ https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

#Thinking Church #Progressive Christianity #FUMC Schenectady #UMC #Sorry World for the UMC #Rev Sara E Baron #Easter 2 #My buddy Thomas #New Interpreters Bible #Bringing rationality back #Christians don't get to be antisemitic

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firstumcschenectady · 5 years

Text

"Change and Letting Go" based on Psalm 32 and Joshua 5:9-12

As human beings, we come into the world with needs. New babies need milk, diaper changes, human touch, soothing, temperature control, shelter, communication, emotional mirroring, safe spaces, tummy time, and lots and lots of sleep. As far as I can tell, our needs as humans grow from there.

Our needs remain complicated as well. We have physical needs for food, drink, clothing, shelter, and equally important social and emotional needs to be heard, to be understood, to play, to find peace, to connect. Nonviolent Communication teachers share lists of universal human needs, the one I use most often lists more than 90 of them.

Because there are so many, and because life is so complicated, it is rare for us to have our needs met at the same time. Nonviolent Communication theory suggests that everything we say and do is really about trying to get those needs met, and I haven't seen any reason to disbelieve it. It may help to know that needs for peace, contribution, learning, purpose, and celebration exist – so some of the needs make space for us to want to do things that impact others.

The Isaiah passage opens up for me the dream of having needs being met, perhaps even to have all of them met all at once. Without Isaiah dreaming it, I'm not sure I could conceive of this. Furthermore, the dream isn't of some weak, minimalistic set of needs being met. It is all of them being met well. Using the direct, physical needs of thirst and hunger, Isaiah speaks of being offered water, wine, milk, and rich food – without having to even pay for them!

These were not foods that average people were eating – these were the foods of the rich, and Isaiah proposes that God wants all the people to access those good foods. This is an opening to thinking about life with God, life in relationship to God, life that is shared under God's vision of how things are supposed to be.

How things are supposed to be is incredibly disconnected from how the world actually was, and how it actually is. This passage comes from the end of Second Isaiah, which dreams of a different life for the exiles who God is going to lead home. The people have been in captivity in Babylon, and their captivity is about to be transformed. The hope of the passage is that in coming home to Ancient Israel, the people will also come home to God's ways. Walter Brueggemann writes,

“The initial verse, perhaps in the summoning mode of a street vendor, offers to passersby free water, free wine, and free milk. This of course is in contrast to the life resources offered by the empire that are always expensive, grudging, and unsatisfying. Israel is invited to choose the free, alternative nourishment offered by Yahweh. Thus, although we may ponder the metaphor of free food, the underlying urging is the sharp contrast between the way of life given in Babylon that leads to death and the way of Yahweh that leads to joyous homecoming.”1

The vision of Yahweh for Ancient Israel, which I believe is still the vision of God for all people, is for the people to have enough to survive AND thrive. The world itself produces plenty, but our societies distribution patterns prevent the “enough” from getting to the people. According to the Poor People's campaign, in the US today, 43.5% of US population are in poverty or are low-income.2 Those old systems of the empires – the ones that bring the wealth created by the many to the top – those are still happening.

It is funny to think of our needs being met, not only because there are so many of them, but because even the idea of universally satisfying the basic physical human needs is so far from reality. What would it look like if all people had enough to eat – of nutritious and delicious food? Can we quite imagine it? What would it look like here and elsewhere if the housing stock was mold free, well insulated, repairs were up to date, water was safe to drink, AND homelessness was eliminated? It is a thing to ponder. Can we imagine universal health care in this country, and one that works? Where people can afford both preventative care and necessarily life-giving measures? What about this – can we imagine a world where there are enough mental health care providers for all who need them, and all are offering top notch, compassionate care (and the mental health care providers aren't over worked, are adequately paid, and have time and energy to do necessary self care)? Oh what a world this would be!! Ready for one more? Can we imagine a society with expansive parental leave policies for people at every income level, with excellent nursery and day care for babies AND nursing and adult care for adults in need, provided by people who are adequately compensated for their imperative work, and trained to offer it at the highest levels?

Can we even dream it? Those are the BASICS, and Isaiah invites us to dream them. Those aren't quite milk, wine, and rich foods. Those are merely clean water and enough bread for everyone. Even with these pieces met, a lot of problems would remain. But if the BASICS were met, it would matter a lot. And it is POSSIBLE. This is not an unattainable dream – the capacity to make it happen already exists.

I think it is a dream that Isaiah pushes us to contemplate. If we don't dream a little bit, we can't know what we are working towards, and we have no chance of getting there.

Of course, if we had a system where basic needs were met, it would radically upend the economy, and society. It is a very BIG dream. To have people's needs met would mean that some of the value of their labor would have to return to them, and that more the value of all of our labor would be needed to care for those who cannot labor. We can't have a system that cares adequately for all people AND one that allows the work of most to enrich the few.

In addition to dreaming a dream of human needs being met, Isaiah's passage also condemns the system as it was for how it worked. It indicts the labor system for enriching the empire at the expense of the labors. It also called out the thinking that allowed it, called people out of the idea that working harder within the system would find them a way to get to satisfaction. This is one of the hardest lessons for us today. Working harder in rigged systems only exhausts us, it does not get us what we need. We still have a system where people “spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which does not satisfy,” because the labor is not permitted to bring satisfaction!

God's dream is NOT a system of competition, of forced labor, or even of economic gain over another. God's dream is NOT one where people have to work harder than their neighbors into to fight for the scraps they need to survive. This is true BOTH with regards to food and health care AND with regard to love and beauty. God wants us to have what we need, and the earth is capable of providing it, but not when people are exploited for other's excess.

I suspect is is this system of thinking that is reflected in the later words of the “righteous” and the “wicked” - the ones who are willing to let go of the systems of exploitation of the empire to move into God's vision are the righteous, and those who continue to participate in it and be co-opted by it are the “wicked.” This isn't just me. Brueggemann came to the same conclusions ;) (and that makes me feel SUPER smart.) “'The wicked', I suggest, are not disobedient people in general. In context, they are those who are so settled in Babylon and so accommodated to imperial ways that they have no intention of making a positive response to Yahweh's invitation of homecoming.”3

Between all of this, and the echoes from the Psalm, I'm wondering us and about how well we are doing “making a positive response to Yahweh's invitation of homecoming.” How well are we able to leave behind the systems and thought patterns of oppression and competition to move into a brave new world? How interested are we in the possibilities of the present and the future?

For me, some of the process of freeing myself from the systems of oppression come in the practices of Sabbath-keeping and meditative prayer. It is EASY to get pulled in to never-ending productivity, but when I STOP trying to be productive, I'm more able to figure out what the goal of the production is anyway! It is easy to get pulled into a roller-coaster of emotions with the 24 hour news cycle, but when I stop and get quiet, I can hear which parts of what is happening I'm most able to respond to in a useful way. The times of quiet in my life are when I can hear my own soul, and the Divine prodding, when I can let go of how I'm supposed to present myself, and simply be. And unless I'm doing those things, I'm VERY easily swayed by the systems of oppression.

This is where spirituality intersects with both justice work and my own well-being. It isn't healthy for us to live in the levels of anxiety that modern life produces, but it isn't easy to let go of i either! (In a different sort of church, that might merit an “amen.”) It is hard to focus on what needs to be done to build a better society and world, particularly when dumpster fires are happening all around us – but the capacity to build focus is part of the gift of spiritual practice, as is the process of being able to prioritize.

Beloveds of God, are we finding the ways to listen to the Holy One? God's guidance is worthwhile – the Psalmist even finds it worth clinging to. Are we taking the time for rest, for Sabbath, for prayer, so that we can have those needs met and be able to envision a world where many needs are met for all people? The invitation is given to us – to be fed, to rest, to be filled, to be satiated. May we receive it, and pass it on. Amen

1Walter Bruggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville, KT: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998),159.

2Institute for Policy Studies, “The Souls of Poor Folk: A Preliminary Report” (December 2017) https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/PPC-Report-Draft-1.pdf, page 8.

3Brueggemann, 160.

Rev. Sara E. Baron First United Methodist Church of Schenectady 603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305 Pronouns: she/her/hers http://fumcschenectady.org/  https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

March 24, 2019

#FUMC Schenectady #Schenectady #UMC #Rev Sara E. Baron #Sorry world for the UMC #Thinking Church #Lent #Progressive Christianity #Bruggemann #Poor Peoples' Campaign #Spiritual Practices for Lent #needs

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