God is Still Speaking

lessons in humility...

Aug 10, 2024

“If you judge a book by its cover, you might miss out on an amazing story.”

Three years ago, I started working at Grace United Church of Christ in Wausau, WI. It was a big change for me in many ways but it was a very positive one.

Something that intrigued me from the very start of working there was the motto of their church…”Where God is Still Speaking…” What did that mean?

Rev. Eric Kirkegaard of Peace UCC in Kewaskum, WI describes it this way, “In the United Church of Christ, we listen. Together, we listen for where God is still speaking to us. We hear God’s voice in the unfinished “commas” of each other’s stories. And to better hear, we draw closer to one another: engaging in mission trips and service projects and justice initiatives; creating imaginative space for youngsters to experience faith; gathering at tables for church suppers. Through all the ways we experience faith together, we are encouraged not just to be busy, but to be animated in the life and witness of our Still-Speaking God.”

I grew up Catholic and the Franciscan nuns who taught me focused on the importance of serving the poor and marginalized, embracing the unique value of every life, the faith in a personal and loving God and the importance of treating others you come across in life with the same love and compassion you would want…

I knew from pretty much day one, that Grace church was going to be a good fit for me…

One of the many missions Grace church has is to help the homeless in our community. Over the past three years, I have had many one-on-one conversations with homeless individuals and something I have learned is that each person has a unique story and we shouldn’t automatically judge others based on what we see on the outside.

For example, a few months ago I had a conversation with an older homeless gentleman who I have talked to quite often in the last three years. Most days he walks through our parking lot with his walking stick in hand.

As I was leaving work, he was passing through the parking lot and we stopped to have a chat. I knew him by his nickname and greeted him with that.

He started talking about his youth and as he spoke, I really listened. Not just polite, head nodding listening…but I focused on his words and I could see that he sensed that.

He told me what his first name really was and how he hadn’t heard anyone call him by that name for so long. He smiled and said, “If someone said that name I probably wouldn’t even look their way…Just my Mom and Dad called me by that name…”

Then his eyes suddenly filled with tears and he broke down and said, “I really miss my Mom and Dad…”

My empathetic side kicked in and I felt his anguish at that moment. Here was this elderly man expressing this very human emotion…the grief of missing your parents…which doesn’t lessen no matter what your age…

I said, “I miss my parents too…every day…”

That moment was a reminder to me of our humanity and that each of us has an obligation to help others without judgment, even if it just involves listening... Each of us has a beautiful and complicated story worth listening to…

As author David Brooks reminds us, “Start your work from where you live, with the small concrete needs right around you. Help ease tension in your workplace. Help feed the person right in front of you. Personalism holds that we each have a deep personal obligation to live simply, to look after the needs of our brothers and sisters, and to share in the happiness and misery they are suffering…

Many of our society’s great problems flow from people not feeling seen and known. There is a core trait that we all have to get better at, and that is the trait of seeing each other deeply and being deeply seen.”

As I made my way home that day, I remembered the old adage, “Never judge a book by its cover…” That is so true…what lies beneath our “covers” is where our souls, and our stories, exist…and what unique and wonderful stories they are indeed….

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Tranquil Moments…

I asked my niece, Jennifer Malphy, if she could share some of her nature photos with my newsletter audience. Each week I will feature a new photo. Here is this week’s:

This week’s Smile video…

A veteran anonymously paid for the prescriptions of people in need for a decade. After his death, others are carrying on his generosity. Steve Hartman shares more in "On the Road."

#believe #smilevideos #spreadkindnessandlove

And that’s a good thing…

This week I had a chance to catch up with several friends - in person and online - phone calls, texts, and even a dinner gathering…all great reminders that there is no substitute for deep conversations, big hugs and kind words…

…and that’s a good thing…

What I am watching…

This week I watched a documentary for a class I am taking at Viterbo College. The film was about Sister Thea Bowman, an African American Catholic Franciscan Sister who used her powerful gifts to educate and challenge the church and society to grow in racial inclusivity. Her skills of preaching, music, and teaching moved many Catholics to begin to confront their own racism while she urged her African American brothers and sisters to claim their gifts and share their “fully functioning” personhood. Thea worked tirelessly to proclaim this message until her untimely death from breast cancer in 1990.

What an inspiring life - I urge to watch this documentary!

What I am reading…

This week I started reading the book Round Robin by Jennifer Chiaverini. I read the first book in this series earlier this year and loved it. This one is equally good.

The Amazon description is as follows: “Round Robin reunites readers with the Elm Creek Quilters in this poignant and heartwarming follow-up to The Quilter's Apprentice, Jennifer Chiaverini's acclaimed debut novel.

The Elm Creek Quilters have begun a round robin ... a quilt created by sewing concentric patchwork to a central block as it is passed around a circle of friends. Led by Sarah McClure, who came to Waterford, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Matt, a few years ago, the project is to be their gift to their beloved fellow quilter Sylvia Compson. But like the most delicate cross-stitch, their lives are held together by the most tenuous threads of happiness ... and they can unravel.

As each woman confronts a personal crisis, a painful truth, or a life-changing choice, the quilt serves as a symbol of the complex and enduring bonds between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends. In weaving together the harmonious, disparate pieces of their crazy-quilt lives, the Elm Creek Quilters come to realize that friendship is one of the most precious gifts we can give each other, and that love can strengthen understanding, lead to new beginnings, and illuminate our lives.”

Podcast picks…

What do you do when you encounter the unexpected? That make-or-break moment that leaves you crying in front of strangers or quitting your job to pursue your true passion. Now What? with Brooke Shields dives deep into the world of redos, resets, and forward fails: From career pivots and personal missteps to moving through grief (or just plain moving on). Join Brooke as she sits down with authors, experts, and celebrity guests to hear their ‘now what?’ moments and learn what they’ve done (or are still doing) to get through it.

Mind/Body connections…

This is a guided mindfulness meditation for enjoying (or imagining) a beautiful summer day. It features calming lake waves, ambient background music, and a guided voice with reassuring affirmations and visualization. Find a deep connection to the truth of your heart through this meditation session. Love those around you and transcend a stuck mind with daily meditation practice. Calm anxiety and fear with this beautiful and tranquil session.