Drinking Deeply

I have begun work on my next sermon and have been focused on the text from John's Gospel where Jesus tells his disciples, "whatever you ask for in my name will be granted." I asked our choir director to repeat an anthem we did just before Easter on the Sunday I will be preaching. It's a particularly beautiful piece, and the choir loved it. More importantly it talks of drinking "deeply of the endless water of life." I think that's how one goes about praying in Jesus' name--by drinking deeply of the living water Christ offers. I don't think praying in Jesus' name means simply tacking on "in Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer like some magical incantation, though there's certainly nothing wrong with adding that phrase to a prayer. But I think what's more important is drinking deeply of Christ and in so doing learning how to pray as He did. It's that simple, and that difficult.

As I was pondering this topic and how best to speak to our congregation (which this time will include one of my sons and his wife!), I received a phone call advising me that I'd won first place in poetry and non-fiction in this year's local literary contest. A second call told me as a result of winning the poetry prize, I would be named poet laureate for the next year. I am still in shock over that! As I concluded my seminary education and was pondering what might come next, I attended a faith in writing course taught by Ann Weems, who is a wonderful poet. I had not written poetry before that conference, but have been doing so since then. God seems to keep turning me back to writing as a calling, and I remember well Ann insisting that faith in writing is a ministry. So perhaps this next year will allow me to share what I have learned of drinking deeply of the living water of Christ through my poetry. A scary blessing, but then most blessings are.

Grace and Peace,
Donna Sue

Tasting and Seeing

This has been a long week. My little granddaughter has been in the hospital with a stomach virus, and I've been worried about her. I learned when our first grandchild came along that one of the hardest things about being a grandma is standing on the sidelines and waiting. Being a woman of action, I find that difficult. My son just called to say they were on their way home from the hospital, and I realized I've been holding my breath waiting to hear she was doing better. When kids are this little, they can't really give them anything to stop the vomiting. Instead they hook them up to an IV and hope that keeps their fluid level up enough so that they can survive until the virus has run its course.

The first night she was in the hospital, my son soberly reflected on the kids in third world countries who don't have access to health care and die from the kind of illness that hospitalized my little granddaughter. My son and I talked about the fact that their parents and grandparents don't love them any less than we love this sweet little girl. In Eugene Peterson's version of Psalm 34 in The Message, the Psalmist says: "Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see--how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him." We have certainly run to God and clung to him this week, and as always God was waiting with open arms to support us.

Grace and Peace,
Donna Sue

Being Important

I'm thankful that today is the primary here in Texas. This year Texas is considered an important state so the candidates have been lavishing attention on us. I've lost count of the many computerized phone calls we've received. John McCain just "called," and Hillary "called" before lunch. Perhaps there are those who are impressed to hear the recorded voice of someone important. Personally, I prefer the human touch and was more impressed by a call from a live human being asking for my vote. I am grateful for the opportunity we have to go to the polls in this country and for a choice of candidates. All too many around the world are not so lucky. Our friends in Cuba, for instance, just witnessed a presidential "election" in which the result was preordained. I'm willing to put up with a few phone calls in exchange for having a voice. That's a blessing. As for being important, I know that in God's eyes I matter and more than enough importance for me.

Grace and Peace,
Donna Sue