Sandie Richards

Jakelin and her People

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sun, 16 Dec 2018 00:24:00 +0000

Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin died in U.S. custody last week, aged 7 years old. She and her father, Nery Caal, had come from an area in Guatemala where a Mayan dialect is spoken, Q'eqchi, rather than Spanish.

I wondered what specifically made this father and daughter leave their home and make such a difficult trip. I can’t find any evidence that gives the particulars in their case; however, their being Mayan makes me suspect that their indigenous culture is under exploitation and their lives are at risk.

Why do I think that? Because people are on the move around the planet for this very same reason. Militarism and exploitation of indigenous lands are happening all around the world, and people are fleeing or being driven off their ancestral lands because industry requires the raw (and financially valuable) materials.

We see it in our own nation, as the water protectors of Standing Rock stood firm through all weathers to prevent the Keystone Pipeline from coming through their lands. We see it in the Philippines, as indigenous people are displaced by the Philippine military and must decide between staying and attempting to save their lands, or leaving and saving their lives. And we see that wars all over the world are making people flee. More people are on the move around the planet than ever before in history, risking life and limb to try to find a tenable place to live.

The death of a small indigenous child in the custody of the United States government has moved many to outrage and grief.

Just this past week, a group of religious leaders were arrested at the border to protest the U.S. Government’s treatment of these asylum seekers. The question before us, the question of our time, is whether or not our hunger for justice will override our fear of those migrants on the move, and whether we can see all of God’s children as worthy of a home and a future in peace.

-- Rev. Sandie Richards

Talking about Suicide

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Thu, 31 May 2018 05:26:00 +0000

Because I am a pastor, friends often ask for advice on how to approach sensitive subjects with their children and teens. Recently, a friend asked how to explain to her preteen daughter that a friend in their community had taken his own life.

We talked about what she might say, and afterwards she said, “You should write a blog post about this.” So, I’m writing a blog post about it!

Firstly, suicide is confusing. It leaves the living with a variety of deep feelings, such as grief, guilt, anger, and helplessness. The complications can mean that grief is protracted and even more challenging to experience. There also remains quite a stigma around suicide.

How to speak of the situation, especially to a young person? We often say that someone ‘committed suicide’, which is such a harsh-sounding phrase. I might say instead, that the person died by their own hand because they didn’t see a way forward.

The phrasing indicates a empathy with the person who has died; to try to understand what brings a person to that decision. Physical, mental, and emotional pain can be overwhelming, and though the person has chosen a permanent solution to what may be a temporary problem, it is heartbreaking to contemplate what feelings might have led them to such a drastic action.

Empathy also can help to remove the stigma. When we describe death by one’s own hand in more compassionate terms, we are working to remove the shame that the living loved ones often feel.

For information on Suicide Prevention, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255

For more information on grieving a loved one who has died by their own hand: Healing After A Loved One’s Suicide by Mayo Clinic Staff.

SHOOTING DAY, part one

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 21:13:00 +0000

As a person who is FOR sensible gun laws and AGAINST gun violence, I am often asked whether or not I have ever shot a gun, or whether or not I own one. Well, I haven’t and I don’t- at least, not yet. My total experience to date regarding the handling of guns is that once upon a time I dated a guy who was in training to be a police officer. I used to carry his gun in my purse when we went out. That’s the extent of my gun handling, and it is something I wouldn't do today.

I’ve been around gun violence most of my life. Most recently, there were several murders by gunshot in my neighborhood. And who can tell on New Year’s Eve, what are fireworks and what is gunfire? We stayed in, as far to the interior of the house as possible.

Just under 30 years ago, my father was killed by a gun. It was a shotgun, wielded by one of two gang members who knocked on his door in the middle of the night. I still haven’t recovered, either from that or from the ambient violence of life in my childhood neighborhood surrounded by gangs. Every year on the anniversary of his death, whether I remember that it is the day or not, my body remembers. Every March 3, I always feel horrible, and have a very short temper. When I remember, I can make plans to take care of myself. If I forget, which is about half the time, my family has to deal with a cranky, aggrieved person. That’s just how it goes.

Needless to say, I am not a fan of guns. Nonetheless, I am curious to see what it is like to shoot one. So, this Friday, off I will go for lunch and shooting with a couple of really amazing women. I’ve asked my dear friend, who is a gentle soul, a poet, and a gun owner, to take me shooting for the very first time. She’s asked another friend of hers, who on Facebook at least is hilarious, to come and instruct me. So, there will be three madcap gals a-shootin’ (safely, of course) at a range in somewhere in the northern parts of Los Angeles. Perhaps we’ll strike a ‘Charlie’s Angels’ pose. In any event, it will be a safe space to learn and explore.

Let us see if this shooting day helps me in some way to better understand the answer to my question: “Why guns at all?”

2012 Medical and Advocacy Mission to the Philippines

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 02:18:00 +0000

More Than a Year in the Making

Although the mission was first envisioned in the fall of 2010, planning began in earnest in July 2011. Monthly meeting were held at Rosewood United Methodist Church, mostly chaired by Jolo Buktaw and Kuusela Hilo. Jolo and Kuu formed the backbone of the mission. It was they who made the contacts with our Davao-based partners, got our plane reservations, insurance coverage, and other important logistical arrangements. We were also blessed by a group of women who came to be called "The Friends of Brenda Calida Buktaw", a group of gorgeous, lively women who are Brenda's school-mates and friends. More about them later.

We partnered with several other organizations both in the USA and in the Philippines. A partial list: Anak Bayan USA, Habi Arts, Sisters of Gabriella Awaken; Bayan Muna, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Gabriella, Panalipdan, Mindinao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc., and many more.

The US team was interfaith with representatives from the United Methodist, Roman Catholic, Ecumenical Catholic, and Buddhist faiths. There was also diversity among our ages-- our youngest just turned 17 when the trip began, our oldest was 79.

May Vargas, from an organization called Panalipdan Southern Mindinao, was head of the group on the Philippine side. Between May, Jolo, and Kuu, it is hard to imagine a more patient, wise, or kind trio of leaders. Together they resolved issues, handled crises, held hands, found lost objects, and in general, provided the glue that held our team together.

The Death of Father Fausto "Pops" Tentorio

Father Pops was murdered inside his parish garage on the morning of October 17, 2011. Father Pops was an advocate for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Mindinao, and he worked tirelessly to support them in their struggles against the encroaching corporate mining, logging, and hydro-electric dam building that destroys ancestral lands and pollutes rivers, streams, and air. The case of the murder of Father Pops has yet to see the inside of a courtroom. Father Pops is the third priest from his order to be murdered; this is a continuation of the harassment of leaders who stand up for the rights of the people. There are many religious leaders who have been detained by the military, threatened with their lives, and even killed.

During our visit, we remembered Father Pops through a Welcome dinner called, "Libolong" (Solidarity). The event raised funds for the Father Pops Foundation, which will continue his work in establishing schools and helping the indigenous people to maintain rights to their ancestral lands.

I was struck with how complacent we have all been about the death of Father Pops. Accused of being a communist, he really followed the teachings of Jesus Christ. He made the sufferings of the poor his own; he did all he could to bring the love of Jesus to the people he served. In his will, he specified that Micah 6:8 be on his tombstone. Why have we fellow religious leaders been so silent? When one of our brothers is slain to make way for corporate profits, why aren't we in the streets, demanding that justice be done? How long will they kill our prophets, while we stand aside and look?

Recently, the Philippines was declared the most dangerous place for foreign missionaries. That should concern us for several reasons, perhaps the top two being that the United States government supports both the Philippine Army (which commits enforced disappearances and may have played a role in the death of Fr. Pops) as well as the corporations which seek to exploit the resources of the Philippines, AND that we as United Methodists have several missionaries in the Philippines who worked alongside Father Pops and now continue the advocacy he began.

A Plea for Humanity

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 02:13:00 +0000

“You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Matthew 5:43-46 (CEB)

One of the most difficult spiritual disciplines is that of loving one’s enemies and praying for those who harass you. On the face of it, it shouldn’t be so hard. Jesus himself told us to do it, and even demonstrated enormous grace as he prayed for those who were in the act of torturing and killing him. “Father, forgive them,” he prayed, “For they know not what they do.”

Why did Jesus ask us to love those who hate us? And what does this love look like? We must begin looking at one another’s humanity. Some of us will recall the plaintive cold-war verse from Sting, in his song titled “Russians”: “We share the same biology regardless of ideology.” Perhaps when we see what’s at stake for our ‘enemy’, we can better understand why they are taking the stance they take. Instead, we elevate our own perspectives and denigrate the ‘other’.

The language we are using is alarming. I ceased a facebook friendship with someone who, while swearing he wasn’t acting racist, continued to refer to our president as ‘The Hussein’ and continually decried Barack Obama with racist-tinged ridicule. Likewise, I am always shocked to see people spell ‘Republican’ as ‘Repugs’, as if nothing good could ever come from anyone who is part of that party. Now, people may say, if one is a public figure, one is fair game. Perhaps, but we must watch carefully not to step over a line where the object of our disagreement becomes a target of derision.

The price of our increasingly divisive culture is alienation. We find ourselves becoming alienated from one another, and in the balance, we are becoming alienated from our own humanity. We begin the process through ridicule and a sense of superiority, as opposed to simply disagreeing. The subject ceases to be that about which we are debating, and becomes an ad hominem attack on one another’s actual worth as a human being.

Once we allow others to become less than human in our eyes, we give ourselves permission to treat them as less than human. This very phenomenon allowed ‘good, church going’ men and women to own as chattel, to beat, and to torture human beings that they held as slaves. We still live in that legacy today, as our racist systems carry forward despite ‘good intentions’ to end them. It allows us as U.S. Americans to condone torture of prisoners of war, despite the fact that, as a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, we have said we never would resort to such a thing.

We can only torture people whose humanity we deny. Otherwise, we see ourselves in their faces, cringe at their pain, become horrified at what suffering has been visited upon them. If, in our rage and fear, we want to see someone harmed, then we have strayed far from the path Christ has set for us. We have become something different, something monstrous. In denying the humanity of others, we also lay down our own humanity.

Let us begin by reining in our own fears. We must become spiritually mature and able to examine ourselves as deeply and mercilessly as we examine our ‘enemies’. And, though the examination be merciless, the resolution must be the opposite. We must be full of grace and mercy for ourselves and one another, for it is in imitation of the grace and mercy Christ has for us. And it is what allows for reconciliation and peace, gives hope for the future, and truly shows the world what it means to be Christian.

Ruth & Naomi & Two Winter Weddings

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 06:05:00 +0000

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’” (Ruth 1:16, NIV/ BibleGateway.com)

I got married to Bill Bronner on Saturday, January 16, 1999. On that same day, another couple also got married in Northern California-- and many of our guests were torn about which wedding they should attend.

That other couple was Jean Barnett and Elie Charleton. They had waited much longer than we had to make their love official in a church, so it was fitting that 95 officiants and 1200 guests had come together to honor their nuptials.

Luckily, our friends had decided to attend our wedding rather than Ellie and Jean’s; we had about ⅙ as many guests, and we only had the one officiant! Nonetheless, we were definitely with them in spirit.

We honored their ceremony in our wedding service. In addition to our more traditional vows, the Rev. Frank Wulf had Bill and I repeat the vows that Ruth made to Naomi. “Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.” The power of those vows were clear to me that day. It is powerful to tie oneself to the people and the God of one’s wedded partner.

My own family of origin is a fractured foundation. For many years, I was truly on my own, struggling and working to make a healthy life. I was blessed to have found friends, both straight and LGBT, who helped to fill the fissures and make my foundation firm. They’ve had my back. When I needed a place to be safe, they sheltered me. When I needed a listening ear, they were nearby. When I was struggling with my call, and finally with ordination, my gay mentors supported me. Frankly, I would likely not be a United Methodist minister without them.

Together we forged an alternative kind of family: Close-knit, accepting, caring, generous, and honest. I came to rely on them for hospitality, for advice, for all kinds of help and support.

It is therefore impossible for me to understand how anyone could say that my Lesbian and Gay friends are anything other than God’s sacred people. They have been the agents of God’s spirit all along my path, from my earliest childhood until now. They have affirmed my sacred worth. I can do nothing other than to affirm theirs.

I can do all the arguments from Scripture-- most of us in the church business know them all by heart and, from our respective sides, we can do them in our sleep. If you like, you can join those on hundreds of facebook pages, news posts, and blog entries.

But this post is not about that argument. This is simply my testimony. It is the truth I know from my own life and experience. I can only witness to what I have seen and heard; what I know in my heart to be true.

I could marry, fully and legally, on January 16, 1999.

Elie and Jean could not. At least they could take their vows in front of their friends, and make a witness to the sacred bond between them.

I cannot agree in mind, heart, or spirit with anyone who believes that same-sex attraction is, of itself, a wrong thing. It simply is.

I have watched as my LGBT friends and family endured the injustice of having their relationships treated as wrong; their very being called an abomination. I have seen some of them crumble under the judgement of their families and religions. But more often, I have seen them triumph. They defined themselves rather than allowing unhealthy and cruel systems to define them. They carried on in love, in creating family, in making friends, and in struggling for justice.

Through them I came to learn that their struggles in relationship were identical to mine, excepting in two important ways: They were in love with people of their same gender, AND society did not accept their relationships.

I am glad now to celebrate with them as we begin to define this new step forward in our nation’s acceptance of who they are.

My son knows from birth what I only discovered as a young adult: That no matter who you love, no matter who your partner may be, we are all humans worthy of being loved and cherished. Despite an individual's unique qualities, we humans are surprisingly similar in life, in love, and before God.

There were at least two weddings on January 16, 1999 for whom the vow Ruth gave to Naomi became a marriage vow.

“Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.”

Indeed.

The Hidden Cost of Armed Conflict: 90% of casualties are non-combatants, mostly women & children

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 03:35:00 +0000

"Wisdom is better than the weapons of war, but one fool can destroy much good." -Ecclesiastes 9:18

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What if you knew that in order to fight a war, 90% of those killed in the war would be non-combatants: mostly women and children? Would it be worth it, whatever the cause?

Welcome to the modern era, where nine out of every ten people killed in war are women and children. That's right. In the wars waged over the past twenty years, 90% of those killed in conflicts are non-combatants.

Not all of them die of bullets or bombs. Many die of hunger, physical or sexual assault, and disease. But, their hunger and their diseases are a direct result of the conditions of war being waged in their cities and villages.

At the turn of the last century, 90% of those killed in armed conflict were soldiers, and 10% were civilian casualties. By World War II, civilian casualties had increased to 65%. Finally, by the time of the conflicts in the 1990’s, the number had completely reversed—and now, it remains that at least 90% of casualties are non-combatants. Still more are displaced and/or suffer trauma, hunger, assault, and other tragedies.

This fact is not news, first because our national and international leaders have known about this for a long time. And second, it isn't news because our news outlets don't think it is important enough information to tell us about it. When casualties are reported, only the deaths of soldiers or contractors are counted.

Now that you know, there are many things you can do to help pressure our governments to put an end to conflict. Here's a list of five things you can do, for a start:

Tell people about this reality. Make it news.
Join Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, Amnesty International and a host of others who call for more women to be involved in peace negotiations. The participation of women ensures a just and lasting peace.
Become a peace advocate. Stand against any ‘drumbeat’ to war. There are those who believe that to the threat of war is proof of the strength of a nation, but in truth, the greater strength is in finding solutions that avoid combat. And since we know that one out of ten people who will be harmed in a war are non-combatants, we simply must stand against the use of violent force as a means to an end.
Make peace an official part of the work of our Government. Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich proposed a Department of Peace. Given what we know about the lasting effects of violent conflict, a governmental department dedicated to teaching non-violent conflict resolution and finding alternatives to war seems essential. (By the way, the bill also addressed domestic violence, rehabilitation of prisoners, and other means for creating a peaceful and secure society.)
Write your elected officials and let them know that you object to the use of force by the United States, because you know that wars are no longer soldiers fighting soldiers. Those most vulnerable will pay the ultimate price.

Whatever you choose to do, do it now.

Escuchanos en Los Campos

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Thu, 31 May 2012 23:19:00 +0000

.Although strict guidelines were passed in 2005 demanding that farm workers be given adequate rest, shade, and water, the United Farm Workers Union reports that heatstroke continues to claim the lives of California's farm workers. Lack of accountability has been the issue.Today, the Farm Worker Safety Act, AB 2346 (Butler), is making its way through the California State Assembly

Reports say that this bill has more 'teeth', allowing both growers and contractors to be liable for manslaughter should a farmworker die of heat stroke on their watch. Yes, that is a serious consequence, but allowing someone to die for lack of rest, shade, and water is a kind of indifference to human life that is shocking. And so far, current legal remedies have proved ineffective in stopping the deaths.

In 2009 we mourned the life of Agustin Gaudino, who, having been denied the opportunity to rest and get shade, sought respite under some grape vines. There, he breathed his last. His coworkers did not miss him until that evening. His body was found the next day.

Here is Agustin's song, written and performed by Nina Fernando. It still stands as a prayer that no one else will die needlessly for lack of these basic human requirements:

OCCUPY THE LIGHT: A Christian reflects on Channukah and the 99%.

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:40:00 +0000

On the first day of Channukah, in the midst of Advent, on the eve of Solstice, we, the members of Occupy Los Angeles Sanctuary, prepare for a gathering in Pershing Square which we are calling, OCCUPY THE LIGHT. Below are my reflections as I study the story of Channukah and think about its implications for our movement.

Channukah is a story of reclaimation and God’s abundance in the midst of scarcity. It’s a miracle of the sacred expanding as needed. When one hears the Channukah story, one already knows about the eight days. The people within the story, however, don’t know. Imagine the suspense as each day passes. Will there be enough? This small amount has already stretched one, two, three... days. Will it stretch one day more?

Tonight, we gather in Pershing Square as Occupy Los Angeles Sanctuary. Occupy Los Angeles’s home at City Hall is no longer. We have been evicted from that space, which the Occupiers made sacred by their witness for justice and the common good. How does the movement continue?

Tonight, we claim public space again. We gather in our park, in Pershing Square, with its history of soapbox preachers and free-spirited artists, homeless citizens cheek by jowel with comfortably well-off families. We bring art, music, spoken word, and stories of our sacred traditions.

We celebrate that the darkest night is merely the moment before the light begins to return. We celebrate that we are here, together, Christians-Jews-Muslims-Buddhists-Atheists, Priests-Rabbis-Artists, Rich-Poor-Middle Class. We are united in our desire for our nation to live up to her storied past, to remember the lights that have moved/ are moving us forward: Abraham Lincoln, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr., Caesar Chavez, Lt. Dan Choi, and others. We celebrate that now, we are the lights.

We celebrate that the Occupy movement has no single hero. We are each a hero, stepping forward together take the movement through the next 24 hours, just as the sacred oil burned each night to reclaim the sacred space, for eight days. Just long enough to sanctify more oil.

We are the 99%, and tonight, together, we celebrate the light. By our presence together in Public Space, we reclaim our heritage as American People. We carry the light for one more day. And one more day. And one more day. We carry it until we find a way to sanctify more light, until the processes of our goverments consider people and the planet before the desires of power and greed. Will we make it? Will the oil last one more day? We cannot know. We cannot see the future. We have today, and today is enough.

Gray IS the Party!

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Juliana Margulies (from stylelist.com)

Gray is the Party!
Sandie Richards
June 13, 2011

Juliana Margulies is a beautiful and successful American Actor. At age 45, she is also starring in commercials-- you know the ones: She’s Fighting Wrinkles. She’s Banishing Gray Hair. The picture below accompanied a press release announcing her partnership with L’Oreal’s Revitalift; not only is she fighting the look of fine lines and wrinkles, notice she has also straightened her sumptuous curls.

She’s beautiful, but her commercial sounds ugly. It starts, “I will always be too young to be gray," and ends “Nobody invited gray to this party."

But, Juliana, Gray is the party!

Everyone knows that coloring a few gray hairs is no problem; but coloring a whole head of gray hairs is nothing but a fight to stay ahead of gray roots and what my pal Carrie Snow calls the gray yarmulke. You know, the little circle of roots that spirals around at the back of your head? Once I figured out that I could either embrace my gray hair or spend precious time and money dying those roots every two weeks, I made a daring choice. I stopped coloring my hair. I got a super-short hair cut (it was very chic, by the way) to get rid of all the colored portions. The cut and the natural color got loads of compliments. Would you guess from my picture (below) that I’m five years older than Ms. Margulies?

Gray hair, fine lines and wrinkles-- if we live a long time, we will spend the largest percentage of our years with such physical features. Whether we choose to cover the gray or let it all hang out, let's at least stop denigrating the signs of aging. Ms Margulies seems to be saying "Hide your age." I'm saying, embrace your age. If we embrace aging, we’ll feel better, free up a lot of time, and save some serious cash.

Author Sandie Richards

Four months ago, I turned 50. I’m at the start of my real aging process, with the gray hair, fine lines and wrinkles, and chin just now heading south. None of these seems to be holding me back. At fifty, I no longer seem to fettered with the numerous problems and insecurities of youth. As far as I can tell, I'm healthy, I'm happy. I have meaningful work and people I love who love me back. I welcome this new adventure.

The Importance of Women Leaders in Christian Communities

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 02:02:00 +0000

September 11, 2010 Korean-Latino Christian Association of Los Angeles Breakfast

Remarks by Rev. Sandie Richards

(I was one of three religious leaders invited to give closing remarks at the end of a breakfast for Christian Unity on the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.)

Good morning! I am the Rev. Sandie Richards, pastor of First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles, in downtown L.A. I am honored to be with you this morning.. I will give brief remarks on the theme, “The Importance of Women Leaders in Christian Communities.

In downtown, on the second Thursday of every month, there’s an Artwalk. It’s a big event, with art showings, music, restaurants, and lots of people. This past Thursday, cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz was autographing and selling prints of his work at a fundraiser. I bought one where a little girl has created her own cardboard version of a courtroom and is sitting ‘on the bench’; behind her is a portrait of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Because of Judge Sotomayor, every Latino little girl can see herself as a Supreme Court Justice.

It is essential that we honor and elevate the status of women in our Christian communities. There is a saying that women hold up half the sky; yet we do not acknowledge the essential nature of women’s contributions. World-wide, women do more than half of the labor, yet earn only 11 cents on the dollar compared to men. This is because traditional women’s work is unwaged: caring for children, the sick, and the elderly; cleaning; cooking; bearing and raising children. Women’s work is called ‘unskilled’ and therefore deemed unworthy of decent wages. Yet, this very work is the backbone of all societies! We can’t function without someone cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. Further, this work is far from ‘unskilled.’ For instance, anyone who cleans knows that to do it thoroughly, efficiently, and well is indeed a skill. Cooking, as well, is the amalgamation of many skills which must be learned and practiced.

As Christians, we look to Scripture for the stories of our faith. The Bible is full of examples of strong women; nonetheless, their witness is often ignored or undervalued.

Let’s take the example of Mary Magdalene. She is the first disciple to encounter the Risen Christ. Some call her 'the Apostle to the Apostles.' And when she ran to tell the others the Good News, what did they say? They chided her, telling her that she was imagining things, Later, Mary Magdalene would be discredited as a prostitute, even though there is no evidence from scripture to confirm that she was. I hasten to add, however, that it doesn't matter whether she was or wasn't a prostitute before she began to follow Jesus.

And, what of Mary, mother of Jesus? In our Protestant haste not to worship Mary, we diminish her story as well. In saying yes to bearing Christ, Mary risked getting stoned to death because she wasn't considered a virgin before marriage. And I think we can all agree that no one would have believed her story, that she was made pregnant by God. This extraordinary young woman agreed to bring Jesus Christ into the world, for our salvation, at great personal risk. She could have been stoned to death because she wasn't considered a virgin before marriage.

How can we ignore the sacred worth of this woman, and indeed, all women? If a woman bore Jesus Christ to save the world, and a woman was the first to bear the news of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, who are we to say that women can't speak in church? If we silence women, we lose the gifts God has given us through women. And speaking of God...

Friends,God is not a man. God is not a woman either. God is God. Because we know God through metaphor, there are both father and mother images of God in the Bible. Jesus himself said “I long to gather you as a mother hen gathers her chicks...” , comparing his desire to protect God's people to a mother hen gathers her chuicks under soft pinion feathers. What a beautiful image of God!

Women deserve to be treated as people of sacred worth, the plight of women and their children taken under consideration.

Today, the 9^th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, it isn't enough to mourn the losses sustained on that day. Nor is it enough to mourn the losses of our nation's treasure and troops. During the march to war, as we cried out to feel safe on our own soil, we never thought to count this cost: Women and children bear the majority of the consequences of war. Particularly in societies where women must have male protectors (ie, fathers, brothers, husbands, or adult sons), women are at risk when their male protectors are kidnapped,killed, imprisoned, wounded, or serving in armed conflict. Because there is no way for a woman to own property or work outside the home in these societies, when a woman loses her male protectors she is at risk for kidnap, abuse, and slavery. One of the hidden consquences of the war in Iraq has been that thousands of women have had to travel to Syria, where they sell their own bodies in order to survive. Is this not like the diminishing of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, as war forced mothers and children into becoming prostitues? What terror have they suffered, because of our decisions?

If we do not value women, we lose 'half the sky.' That's a big loss. As God has shown us, women are worthy to bear the Christ, and to announce Christ's resurrection. Are we not worthy as equal bearers of God's story and God's image? Are we not worthy in the world? Let us lift up and value the sacred worth and important contributions of women, and thereby receive not half, but all of the blessings God has given us. And little children everywhere will know that they are people of sacred worth, growing up to honor God and one other.

Amen.

Breakfast-- right outta the backyard!

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:29:00 +0000

I got some berries, a tomato and some basil. All's I need is some
mozzarella and some olive oil with vinegar and I'm set!

Big Oil/ Deep Roots

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 02:13:00 +0000

Just about every adult my age raised in the U.S. knows this little ditty by heart: “Come and listen to my story ‘bout a man named Jed…” Black gold, indeed! The poor mountaineer becomes rich! He moves to Beverly, -Hills, that is! Swimmin' Pools, Movie Stars! Naturally, hilarity ensues as the Clampetts continue to shoot at their food and cook over open fire in spite of their great wealth and fancy digs.

The premise was made for laughs, but the story is not to far removed from the real-life tale of a failed silver and gold prospector named Edward L. Doheny. He and his mining partner Charles A. Canfield struck it rich near Chavez Ravine. Their story can be found in an article on the Paleontological Research Association’s webpage titled, History of Oil, The Story of Oil in California. Doheny and his second wife, Carrie Estelle Doheny, were great philanthropists. In fact, the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation donated money to First UMC Los Angeles for several years, to put on a holiday party for the children of our neighborhood. So even I and the organizations for which I work reap the benefits from oil wealth.

It struck me as I thrilled to a wonderful afternoon at the Getty Center, that the spewing maw a mile underwater in the Gulf of Mexico was connected to me and my life. As much as I enjoyed the Getty Center, I was challenged by the disparity between its beauty and the ugliness of the oil slick in the Gulf. How many of the privileges I enjoy are directly connected to the wealth of oil? And how many of those privileges are costing me -costing us- a future?

I often buy ARCO gasoline (British Petroleum, of course). It’s the cheapest if you pay cash, and that’s been my guide to how to buy gasoline. I’m not buying ARCO anymore, but my other gasoline choices are no better. So what are my non-fossil fueled options?

We bought an old Mercedes-Benz Diesel, which we hoped to run on bio-fuel; but just as we embarked on the research for how to do it, all the bio-fuel companies in our area went bust. I started doing research online but have run into some roadblocks. Take BioLiberty, for instance. BioLiberty.net was supposed to be a site started by veterans of the Gulf wars who want to encourage U.S. energy independence through fossil fuel alternatives. But, the website was ‘under construction’, and I’m doubtful the information they do provide (like links to Chevron, for instance) will help achieve the stated goal.

I’ve not given up on reducing my need for fossil fuel. I’m walking more, taking the bus, riding my bike. But as we know, transportation isn’t the only way we use fossil fuels.

I’m surrounded by plastics for one thing. For another, items from food to clothes, furniture, and medicine have ridden countless ships, planes,trucks and my car to get to my house, and when I’m done they’ll make a sort of return trip by similar means. So, I’m working to reduce my reliance on plastics, doing things like getting my seltzer in cans to wrapping things in wax paper. I was given a set of metal chopsticks in a carrying case, and those work great in place of plastic forks and spoons. I’ve started carrying around a container for my restaurant left-overs, sparing the need for the disposable ones. I rarely if ever get those one-use plastic shopping bags—even if I forget my reusable bag.

As for food, we’re closer to becoming locavores. We’re composting and planting more food in our back yard. Everyone knows about subscriptions to farms, and shopping at farmer’s markets. I love the group, Food Not Lawns (Turning Yards into Gardens and Neighborhoods into Communities). The name alone is informative and inspiring.

In Los Angeles, finding local food has literally become art. Fallen Fruit is a collective who have mapped fruit trees in Los Angeles. They’re encouraging folks to plant fruit trees on the borders of their properties. They’ve partnered with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the show EAT LACMA (February-November, 2010) Once Mother Nature’s been given a showing at LACMA there can be no doubt that she’s making valuable cultural contributions. To paraphrase Trudy the Bag Lady, “Fruit, Art. Art, Fruit.”

I suppose we’re moving full-circle, a la Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Her family’s adventure is a reversal of the Clampett’s adventure. The Kingsolver family leaves the city (Tucson, in their case) and returns to a mountain home similar to the one where Jed would have been shootin’ at some food. The book documents a year of food on their farm in Appalachia, along with commentary on the state of food in the world, and of course, menus and recipes for food in season.

It’s time to live into a world where we understand that Black Gold is over. The riches we now seek are in fertile soil and waters near where we live.

I used to think, “I just hope it’s not too late.” Now I think it’s worth giving it a try no matter what.

Connection to the cycles of life is a blessing worth pursuing. If it saves the world, so much the better.

In The Eyes of God: Mother's Day Sermon 2010

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:07:00 +0000

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! I'm not posting my sermon here, but you can read the text by clicking the link here.

A request to sign a petition to free the detained health workers in the Philippines.

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:22:00 +0000

Below is the text of a request to sign on to a letter of support for the 43 Health Workers. This letter will be published in the Philippines and perhaps other international newspapers.
A scanned copy or PDF may be emailed to kuusela (at) gmail.com, and is needed by Monday March 1, 2010 at noon.

Below the letter are two resources for your information.

--One is a list of links to legal documents in the case, news reports, and to the GBGM and GBCS websites.

-- The other is my initial report of our advocacy team's 8-day immersion trip, Feb. 14-21, 2010.

Grace and Peace!

Sandie Richards

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Free the 43 health workers
We, undersigned, express our condemnation of the illegal raid on the house of Philippine General Hospital consultant Dr . Melecia Velmonte on February 6 which resulted in the illegal mass arrest of 43 health workers and volunteers, including 2 doctors, a nurse and a midwife.

The arrests were made based on a patently defective search warrant and were done with brazen disregard for the rule of law and due process.

We condemn the violations of the rights of the 43 as attested to by no less than the Commission on Human Rights. We deplore the psychological and physical torture inflicted on them, including: being blindfolded and handcuffed for 36 hours, subjected to continuing and prolonged tactical interrogation with death threats, harassment and intimidation, deprived of sleep and urgent medication, manhandled and beaten, denied legal counsel and medical treatment for days, coerced to wrongly make admissions and implicate others, and subjected to various indignities during their captivity. Some were held incommunicado or remain in solitary confinement up to now. Others face continuing threats and harassment.

We deplore the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) initial defiance of a Supreme Court order to produce the 43 before a hearing on their petition for habeas corpus. We decry the vilification heaped against 62-year-old Dr. Alexis Montes, Dr. Merry Mia-Clamor and their fellow participants in the health training. The AFP continues to make the sweeping and baseless allegation that all 43 are members of the New People's Army (NPA) in order justify their illegal arrest and detention.

The arrest of the 43 puts to risk health professionals and community health workers who serve the poor and disadvantaged especially in remote areas of the country. Many are already being accused as members of the NPA, subjected to military and police harassment and worse, have become victims of outright human rights violations.

The incident underscores the fact that grievous human rights violations not seen since the martial law regime of Marcos continue with impunity under the Arroyo administration.

Justice demands that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo order the immediate and unconditional release of the 43 health workers detained by the AFP.

We call on political and religious leaders, colleagues in the various professions, and all freedom-loving Filipinos to make a stand for human rights. Let us unite to FREE THE 43 health workers!

Signed:

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Important Links:
Legal Documents in the case on behalf of the 43 health workers
"Military Accused of Torturing Detained Health Workers", Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2/9/2010

"Health Workers Tortured-CHR", Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2/10/2010

"International Outrage Growing over 'Morong 43' Case", Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2/18/2010

"Mission Board Expresses Concern for Detained Health Workers", United Methodist Global Ministries, 2/11/2010

"Military Denies Health Workers Rights", Faith in Action Newsletter, UM Church & Society 2/19/2010

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rev. Sandie Richards

Chair, Cal-Pac Board of Church & Society
February 21, 2010
National Council of Churches of the Philippines

Manila

Dear Friends:

Tonight (Sunday) I leave for home! Right now it's almost 10am Sunday morning here, almost 6pm (Saturday) in Los Angeles. I wanted to write to say thanks to the team that has stepped up to lead while I'm away-- I know everything is being taken care of there.

I look forward to coming home today-- we've only been here 8 days, but it has been a very full trip!

We learned about the excellent work of the National Council of Churches of the Philippines, a convening body for several non-Roman Catholic churches; we met with some who were forcibly detained by the military, and some whose family members are either missing or killed because they chose to speak up for the rights of the poor and marginalized. Still others are under threat.

We met the Chair of the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines, Chair Leila DeLima. She is scrupulous in her fair, 'facts-only' approach, and because of that, when she states a fact one may be sure of its truth.

We spent a day at the gates of Camp Capinpin, home of the Philippine 2nd Infantry Jungle Fighters. This is where the 43 health workers are being detained. A bit of background:

There are several organizations that are working on training health workers in the under-served poor, rural areas of the Philippines. The trainings have been ongoing, teaching first basic skills such as CPR, and basic information-gathering such as taking blood pressure and testing for diabetes. The training that was ongoing when the 43 were rounded up and detained was an advanced training, particularly meant to equip folks for disaster response. The flooding last fall was one event which prompted the need for such a training. Hospitals were flooded, and people died for lack of even the most basic medical care.

Among the 43 is a long-time church layman and respected surgeon, Dr. Alex Montes, and Dr. Merry Mia, a well-respected health professional.

I will say more about the 43 health workers in my full report, but for now suffice it to say that they are being accused of being a part of the NPA (New People's Army), an uprising that has been warring with the Philippine government for about forty years. It's outrageous that helping the poor and working on improving community health have been made into a crime.

Speaking of the NPA, there has been a peace process slowing inching forward between a coalition of so-called, 'people's groups', called the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.

It is this peace process which most interests me.

Currently it's being financed and supported by the Norwegian Government, and an agreement between the two parties has been formed on the first of four items. This agreement, called the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. (CARHRIHL). I hope to become an advocate for this process to continue-- there have been difficulties as for instance, some of the negotiators on the NDFP side have been labeled 'terrorists' and therefore are on international watch lists. One such person has successfully challenged this label and had it removed by the Europeans, but the USA and the Philippine Government have not obliged. As the negotiations take place in Oslo, and as this negotiator is needed there in order for talks to continue, his presence on watch lists effectively stops the negotiation.

It is my initial assessment that the peace process is key to ending the warring between the NPA and the Philippine military. At our meeting we learned that the Philippine military has about 200,000 troops; the NPA is estimated at 5,000 or fewer. If the terms of peace could be agreed upon, there could be a laying down of arms and the beginning of a time of healing.

We also had a presentation on the environment here in the Philippines. Rich in biodiversity and gold/oil/minerals, the Philippines

is in danger of becoming a plaything of the multinational corporations who wish to extract the treasures but not share the wealth with the people. US corporations are among those. The environment is in danger because of relentless mining practices to name one thing. (A few years ago mine tailings got into a river, polluting the water and killing all the fish.) The people of the Philippines

wish to make their own, balanced determinations about how much industry should be allowed, and how much to protect the pristine parts of their islands. They wish to enable the natural resources of the Philippines

to be used to improve the economy, allowing for living wage jobs to be available in the Philippines

. This will stop the need for Philippine workers to head overseas. Currently, 60+percent of the Philippine economy are remittances from overseas Philippino workers. As many as 4,000 people PER DAY head overseas to jobs ranging from nurses to housekeepers. Many are exploited in the countries to which they go. There is also a social cost at home. For instance, we met a man who had just returned from Dubai; his wife is still there. Their child is now 12 years old, living in the Philippines

with his aunt. He does not remember ever seeing his mother.

As you can see, our trip has been jam-packed with important information, but the most important thing remains to be said:

The Philippines

is a beautiful country, and her people are smart, hard-working, and fully engaged in the restoration of their land and people. The church is alive here, full of people with strong faith and strong morals; those who truly believe in and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. We were able to get out of metro Manila and visit the Union Theological Seminary. There, men and women are equipped for service to the church. It's also the home of UMCOR in the Philippines

. We traveled about 30 minutes away from the seminary to see the volcanos at Tagaytay; there is a beautiful Roman Catholic retreat center that overlooks the volcano and lake surrounding. I also got to go to Batanga, a province where we visited a beautiful little resort and take a relaxing night and day floating in the warm, clear ocean and marvelling at the natural beauty of the coastline.

I love and miss you all, and look forward to seeing you shortly!

I especially thank the United Methodist Women of FUMCLA and the Cal-Pac Board of Church and Society, who sponsored my trip.

Our advocacy team will be hosting a briefing and report; in the meanwhile, the situation of the 43 health workers grows ever more dire. Urgent action is needed. Please consider signing on to a letter demanding the release of the 43 health workers.

Sandie

Someone cut out our rainbow.

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:53:00 +0000

Today as I was leaving my office I noticed that our sign was
vandalized. The neatly cut out spot on the lower right-hand corner of
the sign had a small version of the rainbow flag.

This small act of vandalism is a heart-breaking act of hate.

When we make our new sign, we'll place the rainbow up higher, out of
reach of passers-by with scissors.

APOLOGIES

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Apologies are much in the news this week— from Congressman Joe Wilson’s apology-to-the-Congress-but-not-to-the-President, to Venus Williams’s regret at yelling at the line judge, to Kanye West’s heartfelt apology to Taylor Swift, there are lots of people on deck to say they are sorry.

But, what does it mean to apologize? The word ‘apology’ has a Greek origin: apo, meaning “from/off”, and logos, meaning “speech.” But the word itself is a bit ambivalent in meaning. It can mean, to express regret. It can also mean to justify. When the same word has come to mean two nearly opposite things, we might be in for a bit of trouble.

Not many know that at the General Conference of United Methodists in 2008, the denomination voted to prepare a formal apology to Native Americans for presentation at the 2012 General Conference. However, no funds were allocated to this effort, and those who are seeking both to illuminate the history of our denomination in relationship to the Native Americans and to prepare a meaningful act of confession and repentance, have almost no resources with which to do so.

I’m hopeful that United Methodist churchs and organizations from around the United States will help fund this effort, and we won’t reach 2010, merely say, “Sorry!” and move on. I hope we’ll take a hard look at the modern consequences of our history, and take concrete, effective steps to address those consequences.

After all, unless we take steps to address the damage our actions cause, our apology becomes a justification of our actions, not an expression of regret. Better, I think, to take the time for a thorough look at what went wrong, and why— then, take steps to address the damage. Then, and only then, can an apology truly mean we are sorry for what happened and don’t want it to happen again.

(For further reading on the issue of apologies and reparations, check out When Sorry Isn’t Enough: The Controversy over Apologies and Reparations for Human Injustice, edited by Roy L. Brooks.)

Friday morning at Santa Monica beach

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:11:00 +0000

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:08:00 +0000

My friend Anne and I finally got in the water, after our brisk Friday walk. It was like heaven! The water was warmer than usual, calmer and clearer as well. It was a joy and a pleasure. It begs the age-old question-- why don't I do this more often?

Some reflections on the life of Senator Edward Kennedy

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Senator Edward Kennedy died last night, from an aggressive brain cancer called, Glioblastoma. I have lost two dear friends to this disease. I knew the moment I heard, that Senator Kennedy didn’t have very long.

I think lots of folks didn’t know that he had only a short time left, because Senator Kennedy kept his Senate seat, and people spoke as if he would return at some point. Now we all know that Senator Kennedy’s time in the Senate is through, and as we say in church, he rests from his labors.

Senator Kennedy embodied great contradictions. It puzzles me how someone with so great a capacity for soaring rhetoric and effective legislation could fail to translate the ideals represented in public to his private life. Authoring ground-breaking legislation on behalf of women, Senator Kennedy was a notorious womanizer. As an advocate of public health, he failed for many years of his life to care for his own health.

This puzzles me, that is, until I take a good look at myself, and see all the small and large ways in which I betray my own ideals. I suppose it’s a part of being human, to say one thing and do another; to wish and strive for something higher while sabotaging the efforts to attain the higher way.

That is why I am grateful for God’s grace. Grace, God’s unmerited favor, is God’s way of giving us another chance to try. And, by trying again and again, we get a bit further along the road toward that place where our ideals and our actions match.

Rest in Peace, Senator Kennedy. And to the rest of us, for now, Rest in Grace.

Agusto Gudino remembered

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:56:00 +0000

From the altar at the corner of Olympic and McGarry Streets, Tues.,
July 21, 2009

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:24:00 +0000

It seems I can now text messages to my blog! This is quite something. It means you'll be hearing a lot more from me!

Yes to Legal Same Sex Marriage, NO on PROPOSITION 8

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:04:00 +0000

Proposition 8 is an amendment to the California Constitution that will prohibit same-sex couples from being able to obtain civil marriages. Much has been written about why this is a civil-rights issue; much has been said about those same-sex couples who are, in this brief interlude, able to get married after even decades of commitment to one another. This has all been said so eloquently and movingly, that I don't need to reiterate.

So, I'm moving on to two "against Proposition 8" arguments I haven't heard that often.

Some religious leaders claim that if same-sex marriages are legal, they will lose their religious freedom. First, I don't see how one person's civil rights remove someone else's. It's a self-serving argument.

Those who make it, ignore the reality that there are religious congregations that believe in and support same-sex marriage, and hold them in spite of the reality that the marriages are not considered legitimate in the eyes of the law. What about religious freedom for these congregations? If proposition 8 passes, these congregations are, de facto, denied the religious freedom to conduct legal weddings for those who have shown a commitment to partnership and family.

But a most egregious part of Proposition 8 in my view is that it's been propagated and financed by people who don't even live in our state, and what's worse, claim the same faith as me. These Christian-identified leaders, in the name of 'family', are in fact seeking to divide and conquer.

As proof, I offer simply this: The Knights of Columbus, people from the Mormon Church, Focus on the Family, and other politically-right organizations have spent literally millions of dollars to change the constitution of California to prohibit same-sex marriage. This, at a time when families – all families—are under extreme financial stress, wouldn't it make more sense to spend those millions of dollars helping families keep their homes, get healthcare, food, school tuition, and the like? How about childcare? That would be a huge help for families, to get help with the costs of childcare.

What will change in California if Proposition 8 does pass, and same-sex couples can't get legally married? The same-sex couples I know will stay together, raise their children together, tenderly care for one another through illness and life's ups and downs. They'll do it as they've always done, knowing that their love is a reflection of God's love, and that their commitment has to be stronger because there is opposition to it. They will also have to spend thousands of dollars in legal fees to even approach the kind of status they can get today just by obtaining a license at the County courthouse and having a wedding ceremony.

Giving one group civil rights doesn't take away someone else's. It's just plain wrong to say so, and even more wrong to keep committed same-sex couples from having the same rights as hetero-sexual couples by spending millions of dollars that actually ought to go for direct mission to God's children who are hungry, worried about shelter, jobs, health and childcare. Focus on the Family, indeed.

(First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles has taken a position against Proposition 8.)

Forgive? Sure, but how? (Sermon, 9/14/2008)

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 01:04:00 +0000

Text: Matthew 18:21-35

The English word, 'against', has at least two connotations—it can mean, "in opposition", as in for instance a political contest. One candidate runs 'against' the other.

It can also mean, "into", as in "lean against me."

One is a kind of opposition, and one is a kind of joining.

When we read the words, "Sin against me," we might be thinking of someone who is in opposition to us. But in fact, the word that is translated, "against" is actually the Greek word for the preposition, "into." The word we translate, "Sin" is actually literally, "missing" as in, missing the bull's eye, or missing the mark. We could literally translate the sentence,

"How many times can I let someone miss into me?"

So, another way to think of Peter's question is to imagine someone 'sinning against' someone else, to think of that someone aiming an arrow in one direction but instead of hitting in the bulls' eye, the arrow sticks right into a person and injures them. When someone hurts us, or we hurt someone, we become linked by that trauma. Something is broken, while something is connected. Neither is a healthy situation.

Peter is willing to forgive, or literally from the Greek, 'afe-imi', seven times —this word has been translated in many ways. It can mean to divorce or banish; it can mean to dismiss; to abandon. Here it is used to mean to pardon, to forgive.

The unifying theme in all these different translations is this: Each sense of the word means to utterly abandon the current reality, AS IF IT NEVER HAPPENED.

This word, afeimi, has contradictory definitions—more on this later.

----------------

How many times should I pardon someone who shoots an arrow into me? I think seven times is a lot. Peter was right; if you can pardon someone seven times, that is a truly large accomplishment.

But Jesus adds—no, seventy times seven.(Or, 77 times in some translations.) Take your original seven, times ten, then multiply it again by seven.

Because even forgiving seven times brings an important question. What happens on time 8?

Jesus is trying to help Peter understand that grace goes in many directions—Peter was generous to want to grant someone grace seven times. But Jesus wants Peter to understand that Peter, too, is in need of grace.

So, Jesus launches into a parable about someone whose debt was wiped away, yet that same person was unwilling to forgive a much smaller debt that was owed to him.

Of course at the end, we see the servant thrown into debtors' prison along with his wife and children…

Ok, I want to say—we get the message!! We're supposed to forgive, literally to divorce ourselves from the desire to punish the 'mark misser'; but really, when we are living in the consequences of sin, how then shall we forgive as if the injury never happened?

I'd like to suggest two pathways today, but before I get there, I want to remind each of us that as we are sinned against, so have we shot a few arrows through others (whether we've meant to or not.)

The first pathway I'd like to suggest is a kind of mental and spiritual pathway, and it is perhaps somewhat counter-intuitive. That is to say, that in order to forgive FIRST we have to fully own that we've been injured, are dealing with the consequences of that injury, and whatever that injury has done to us… but we can't stay there.

Often I've wanted to forgive, said I'd forgiven, only to find that actually, I needed more of a process than simply relying on my will.

Since I've read the parable, since I want to live as a Christian, I attempt to forgive asap. But then, I take it back. I'm still angry. Still hurting. Still wishing for ugly things to happen to that other person… So, I say I forgive, again. Then I take it back. And so on.

Sometimes you just have to live where you are for awhile, as you go through a process of learning to forgive. The important thing, I think, is to keep forgiveness as the destination.

Last week we talked about the steps of reconciliation; the ways we can work to restore community. However, there is a point of no return, and remember, this lesson on forgiving comes right after that lesson in the book of Matthew.

FORGIVENESS doesn't mean you act as if a dangerous person is safe; it's not an opportunity to pretend that someone who habitually causes harm should be allowed to carry on. It doesn't mean you have to be 'nice' to someone who is challenging you, and ignore the danger.

The second pathway I'd like to suggest is a physical one, and it comes to us from brain science—as recently as the year 2000, neuroscience has found a way to map what happens in the brain when a person experiences trauma. I spoke of this a few weeks ago, but I bring it here in a slightly different context. It's important to realize why the first path—the mental and spiritual path— must not be considered the only path.

Not all of our hurts are kept in what we think of as 'conscious' memory. Some are kept in a different part of the brain, one which informs our reactions, our ideas, and even our dreams, but we may not be able to actually remember and tell with words.

Because our memories are contained in parts of our brains that don't even use language, we have to first try to articulate our hurts to someone who cares about us. We have to be able to TELL the story, not just live in it, in order to heal and begin a process of forgiving.

Forgiveness is a complicated process—

I can give you easy platitudes, and sometimes following those platitudes works.

But sometimes banishing the person from your life and your thoughts works at first to allow an injured person to build enough of a base of strength from which to review their injuries, recover, then forgive. This would be one meaning of afeimi—to simply banish the person utterly.

I think the most important part of forgiveness is just what I said last week— Listening.

To one another's stories. To one another's assumptions. To one another's pain. Forgiving someone who has caused us pain isn't always something we can do alone. We need someone to listen to us. We can help others by listening to them.

In sharing our stories with someone who listens to us, we can actually move our memories from trauma to narrative; we can release our desire for revenge or even, for justice. We can move on without allowing the trauma to turn us into someone who injures others.

Finally, in listening to others, we can understand how our actions have injured someone else, (whether we believe something is 'our fault' or not!) and if we can receive forgiveness and allow hearts to be made whole, we have not only restored that relationship, we have allowed our brother or our sister to find a new story in the world—a more authentic and connected way of being. This would be the second meaning of 'afeimi'- to act as if the original injury was never committed. Forgiven, not banished.

If it's true that sin, "missing the mark", is what breaks us apart from God and separates us from each other; then it's the complicated process of forgiveness—forgiving and being forgiven—that reconnects us and helps to realize the Realm of God—the Beloved Community—in the here and now. Something so simple, and yet so complicated, as that, is our sacred duty to pursue.

Amen.

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From Dr. Bruce Perry, of childtrauma.org:

"All experiences change the brain – yet not all experiences have equal 'impact' on the brain. Because the brain is organizing at such an explosive rate in the first years of life, experiences during this period have more potential to influence the brain – in positive and negative ways. Traumatic experiences and therapeutic experiences impact the same brain and are limited by the same principles of neurophysiology."

And from USA Today:

The Biology of Soul Murder, Fear can harm a child's brain. Is it reversible? By Shannon Brownlee USA Today, Posted 11/3/96

"Once viewed as genetically programmed, the brain is now known to be plastic, an organ molded by both genes and experience throughout life. A single traumatic experience can alter an adult's brain: A horrifying battle, for instance, may induce the flashbacks, depression and hair-trigger response of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And researchers are finding that abuse and neglect early in life can have even more devastating consequences, tangling both the chemistry and the architecture of children's brains and leaving them at risk for drug abuse, teen pregnancy and psychiatric problems later in life…

Yet the brain's plasticity also holds out the chance that positive experiences--psychotherapy, mentoring, loving relationships--might ameliorate some of the damage. Much remains unknown. But if scientists can understand exactly how trauma harms the brain, they may also learn much about healing broken lives…

Trauma's toll on a child's brain begins with fear. Faced with a threat, the body embarks on a cascade of physiological reactions. Adrenalin surges, setting the heart pounding and blood pressure soaring and readying the muscles for action, a response called 'fight or flight'. At the same time, a more subtle set of changes, called the stress response, releases the hormone cortisol, which also helps the body respond to danger."

God’s Impossible Task

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:26:00 +0000

The sermon for July 6 is called, "God's Impossible Task." The text is Genesis 24:34-67.

Abraham's servant goes back to Abraham's ancestral land to find a wife for Isaac, son of Abraham. The servant is desperate to do the right thing—to find just the right woman as a wife. So, he says to God, "This will be the sign that it's the right woman. The one who offers water to me AND to my camels is the right one."

I confess, that as an urban person in the 21^st century I have no idea the significance of offering water to the camels. As it turns out, camels can drink as much as 50 gallons at once. So, an offer to a thirsty traveler to water the camels is not like filling a simple trough. The candidate the servant seeks is a truly generous and hard-working woman who, rather than simply pointing the traveler in the direction of the well, will provide an act of hospitality.

What does this mean for us, as people on a spiritual journey? What signs have we requested from God, to let us know we are on the right path? Or have we even gotten that far? These are the questions we will explore in our church service on July 6, 2008 at our First Church Los Angeles worship service, Villa Flores Multipurpose Room, 1020 S Flower St. (enter at the back of the building)

See you in church! 10am, everyone's welcome!