Tag Archives: bible

Oct10

For the Record

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Several years ago, I was watching the news and as usual, I made my opinion known. Loudly. My son Alex, who was probably nine at the time, pulled his headphone off one ear and asked, “are you yelling at us or the tv?” I answered, “the tv.” He nodded and let the headphone drop back onto his ear. All that to say, my four children know where I stand on most political issues. They understand that I appreciate discussion, debate, and nuance. Even though I haven’t practiced law in eighteen years, the attorney in me still exists, and one of my favorite phrases is “for the record.” In this year of 2024, when I feel like our country is at an inflection point that could affect our lives for generations to come and the world at large, I need to express at least some of what I think and feel so that my future grandchildren that I hope will exist someday know where I stood at this moment in history. I am a suburban, white, married mother of four, Christian homemaker in Texas, and in this fall’s election, I am voting for the Democratic ticket of Vice-President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.

I know that many Christians believe that they must vote Republican in order to be faithful. But I am here to let you know that there are many progressive Christians who vote for Democrats. Progressive Christians who are welcoming and affirming, concerned with social justice, and want people to know that God loves them no matter what. Often, abortion is the main issue that Christians say dictates their vote. Let me be clear, I don’t want any woman to ever face the difficult decision of whether to have an abortion. I want them to have low cost or no cost birth control pills available over the counter so they can access them without seeing a doctor and without letting their partners dictate whether or not they use birth control. I want them to know that the government will help support them and their children when they are in dire straits economically and in other ways. But I am terrified for the women who have nonviable pregnancies who cannot get the healthcare they need. I had two miscarriages. One at 8 weeks. One at 16 weeks. I was heartbroken and grief stricken. In both circumstances, I had to undergo a D&C. The second miscarriage occurred after I’d made it through the first trimester and the accompanying morning sickness. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. I remember pouring my words onto the pages of my journal telling God how I was crushed in spirit. In the couple of days before I had my procedure, I felt like a walking graveyard because my belly protruded like a mound and my baby was dead. If I’d had to wait until I became physically ill, or worse on death’s door, or had my case go before a hospital board to obtain the procedure my doctor knew I needed, I cannot imagine how my mind, body, and soul would’ve suffered or been wrecked. Or how my older children would’ve been scarred if their mother didn’t survive. I don’t want my daughter or my sons’ future mates to face death or infertility because they can’t get the healthcare they need if they face similar circumstances. 

But I’m not just worried about my kids when they grow up and are making decisions about their families. I’m concerned everyday about their safety out in the world, and especially at school, a place where they should be the safest. I know that the first graders who were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary should be freshman in college. My son Jed is a freshman in college – he was in first grade when the Sandy Hook children were killed. The list of school shootings in the United States is long. Long and filled with the names of children whose lives were cut short, whose parents are devastated. The number one killer of children is guns. That is unfathomable to me. Yet, we do nothing. Absolutely nothing to protect the children who already exist in our world. Many gun rights advocates and the judges they’ve helped appoint have twisted the meaning of the Constitution to support their view that they should have unfettered access to any gun or as many guns as they might ever want. I’m disgusted by the Republicans who will not vote to enact reasonable gun laws even when the majority of Americans, both conservative and progressive, want them to do so. That is not pro-life. 

I also need to say that if Donald Trump is elected again, I am desperately concerned that our democracy could be at stake. When I went to Rome in September of 2016 before he was first elected and heard about the 400-year Roman Empire that fell, I realized that we still are a baby nation in many ways. If we allow Trump to ascend to the highest office in the land again, I’m afraid we won’t have a democracy left in four years. That he won’t give up power. That our government institutions will be ravaged. That our diversity will be destroyed. That we will become an autocracy whose leader is amoral, unethical, willfully uninformed, uninterested in serving the least of our society, vindictive, and downright mean. The Republican Party should have abandoned him on January 6, 2021, when he tried to foment a coup. I’ve read Liz Cheney’s book “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning” about January 6th, and Trump did much more than give a speech. It is truly frightening that we came that close to the destruction of our country’s system of government. 

The United States is not immune from being ruined by people who claim that God loves us more than God loves the rest of the world. Some Christians think they are ensuring we are a godly nation while casting aspersions on the very people God loves who are poor and downtrodden, who may believe in God through a different path, or may have a different skin color or way of being in the world than themselves. To be clear, they do not speak for all Christians. In fact, many of us see Christian Nationalism as an abomination that God does not condone or celebrate. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matt. 22:37-39). I for one believe that Jesus meant those words. 

I will demonstrate both my love of God and my love for neighbor by voting for the Democratic ticket this fall. I pray other Christians will do the same. So, for my grandbabies who will not exist for years to come, this is what was on your grandmother’s heart and mind less than a month before the election of 2024. I hope you’re reading this at a time in the future when the United States is still a beacon of freedom and justice in the world. I just wanted to let you know where I stood – for the record.   

Jul13

The Privilege and Pleasure Has Been Ours

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Our pastor of eleven years and our dear friend, the Rev. Dr. Chris Carson, died this week from a heart attack. He was only 54. We are heartbroken. I wrote this letter for Chris in 2021 when he and his family moved from Texas to Florida. I thought I would share it now. We will always miss him.

The Privilege and Pleasure Has Been Ours

So, my family has had the privilege and pleasure to witness Pastor Chris Carson lead our church’s congregation for eleven years.  During his time at Faithbridge Presbyterian Church, Pastor Chris has been our family friend, spiritual mentor, and a brilliant preacher.  In fact, while we will miss Pastor Chris on a personal level, our entire family is also worried that we will not be able to find someone new who can preach sermons that meet the high level to which we’ve become accustomed.  

We’re going to especially miss the particular way in which Pastor Chris delivers his sermons.  Pastor Chris begins every sermon with the word “so” and then proceeds to tell a story.  Most of the time those stories are personal in nature.  They might be about his childhood as a pastor’s son, visiting St. Louis, or getting hit by a car – twice.  The stories might revolve around the way he met his wife Becky, their early life together, or his previous churches.  Or they might be more current tales, including vignettes about his three children, even if those kids are sitting in the sanctuary listening.  He creates an atmosphere that is light and communal by using humor to make the congregants laugh and smile.

And then, he ties the story he’s just told to the Biblical lesson, and he reads the day’s scripture.  Our family has a running joke about the amount of time it will take for Pastor Chris to complete the reading.  That’s because he can’t help but take several detours to tell us about the history or context of the verses or elaborate on who is speaking or explain the significance to the audience at that time.  In his next to last sermon at Faithbridge, he read the first word of the selection, “Then,” and immediately said, “let’s talk about then.”  My family couldn’t help but laugh out loud, disturbing Pastor Chris and the sermon.  Of course, with our family’s arguing and fussing, we’ve probably disrupted worship more times than Pastor Chris or the Praise Team can count.  Eventually, he will finish the reading and explain the meaning of the scripture imparting his wealth of education and depth of knowledge. 

And then, Pastor Chris pivots to the point he wants to make to his audience.  At this stage, you could hear a pin drop.  The congregation is focused and quiet.  Every single time, the silence that fills the room as he reaches the main idea is a testament to his ability to reach people.  Pastor Chris teaches, challenges, and calls us to action on a weekly basis.  He appeals to our intellect and emotion and asks us to see God in ourselves and in others.  

Pastor Chris always asks God to speak and says we are not picky about the method.  But at least for my family, we have become picky about the way we hope God will speak.  We’ve listened to God speak through Pastor Chris for years now, and we have grown spiritually and flourished because of it.  We will miss Pastor Chris, but we are forever grateful for his time with us and that because of him, we have a better understanding of who we are and of whose we are.    

Love,

The Carter Family

Ben, Tina, Riley, Jed, Clay & Alex

Feb19

Stirring the Spirit

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Our church’s incredible worship leader Regina is moving back to her hometown of Kansas City, and this past Sunday was her last with us. Regina brought a gospel feel to our worship and a kind and warm personality. As we hugged and said that we loved each other, I told her that she’d brought a wonderful spirit to our church. She said that the Spirit was already at our church when she’d arrived. She suggested that perhaps in her role, she’d helped stir the Spirit. And with that, she gave me a last gift to ponder: what if the Spirit is present always, and we need to help stir it up? 

In church lingo, we pray for the Holy Spirit to come to us, to stir our churches, our people, to bring about change, to move on our behalf. I admit that this has caused a struggle for me at times. Is the Spirit with us all the time or does it only visit occasionally? Or is it both? Or do we even have a clue how the Spirit works? I admit that I don’t know. Before Jesus is born, the Spirit shows up for Mary, her cousin Elizabeth, and Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah (Luke 1). Before Jesus is crucified, he tells his people, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26). Sometimes, we say that God is the Creator; Jesus, the Son, is the Redeemer, and the Spirit is the Sustainer. 

I personally like the idea that the Spirit is always with us, as helper and sustainer. I also think of the Spirit as portraying the feminine elements of the Godhead. I don’t have all the research at hand to back me up, but I know I’m not alone based on some of the seminary classes I’ve taken. In fact, in my first seminary class when the professor called the Spirit “she,” I knew I was in the right place. And just like most women, I think the Spirit is working behind the scenes always. 

Whether we think of the Spirit as male, female, or neutral doesn’t change the fact that I believe the Spirit can be an active participant in our lives. That if we invite the Spirit to be involved in our lives, we open our minds and hearts to see how the Spirit is and can be at work. Maybe the Spirit is the source of “good trouble” at times. If we assume that the Spirit is present, then perhaps our task is to ask how the Spirit would like us to help. If the Spirit is always brewing something, then maybe our job is to take turns stirring in the way the Spirit guides us. 

We don’t need to stir in the same way. Regina stirs by singing and playing in a way that moves people. I try by using words and giving hugs when I greet at church. Some of us may teach children; some of us may be activists that stand up boldly for their communities; some of us may take a meal to someone who is home bound. I believe the Spirit is up to something all the time and in all sorts of ways. And that the Spirit wants us to help. Maybe stirring the pot can be a good thing after all.   

Feb5

Trust Me?

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In the book “One Word That Will Change Your Life,” authors Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page promote the strategy of choosing one word that becomes the focus of a person’s year instead of creating a bunch of wordy resolutions that we’ll forget by the end of January. My friend Lanna is dedicated to discovering a word of the year that frames her mindset for the upcoming year. So, when I decided that the youth group should engage in this one-word project, I asked Lanna to lead the discussion. She agreed and then asked, “what’s your word?” I hadn’t picked a word at that point even though the new year had already started, but now I needed to go through the process of finding my word if I was asking the youth to do the same. I read the above-mentioned book – the copy that Lanna gave me last year – and set out to find my word. 

I admit I was a bit skeptical because while I’d picked words in some years past, I hadn’t gone through the process of looking in, looking up, and looking out described in the book. The authors noted that sometimes the word will come to you quickly and at other times the word reveals itself with a bit of time. I thought my word would emerge gently and slowly. But suddenly, the word “trust” came to me like a bolt of lightning. My next thought was no thank you. 

I didn’t want trust to be my word because I have some trust issues. Whenever I see a tv show or movie in which one character asks another, “do you trust me?” my automatic thought is no. Obviously the question is not intended for me, the viewer, but no is what I think. On the Enneagram personality type, I’m a six. After the word trust came to mind, I saw a social media post by an Enneagram expert (@enneagramexplained) that had each of the nine types’ responses to “Driving in the Snow.” When confronted with driving in the snow, a type six says, “Nope, I either don’t trust myself or I don’t trust everyone else!”  Another Enneagram social media post (enneagramwithhjb) says sixes are “looking for someone they can trust.” We sixes are loyal once we trust someone. It’s just hard for us to get there. I don’t trust the process or the journey easily. I don’t trust myself, and I struggle to trust God too. 

To me, trust implies lack of control and that scares me. But when I looked up the definition of trust, I read “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something” (merriam-webster.com). Trust isn’t based on blind faith but built on a strong foundation that I already have with someone or something. I don’t have to trust everyone (not that that would ever happen), and if I have trusted someone, I can change my mind if they prove themselves untrustworthy. I can trust myself more than I have in the past because I know how much time and effort I put into making decisions. I can trust God more because I can rely on God’s character.    

Perhaps instead of letting the word trust terrify me, I can view it as becoming more content with who and where I am. Now that I have my word, I’ll spend this year learning about trust and about myself in the process. Trust me.