Sandie Richards

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.

The Bible in 90 Days: DAY FIVE Exodus 1:1-15-18

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:23:00 +0000

After a short list of brothers who went to Egypt with Joseph, we learn that the Israelites were prolific in pro-creation. As the Israelites grow in number, we are told that a Pharoah arose in Egypt who didn’t remember Joseph.
The new king was nervous that there were so many Israelites. He feared they would rise up against him. His solution is to work the Isrealites as slaves, to make them work very very hard. He admonishes two midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to let all the Hebrew girl babies live, but to kill the boy babies. The scripture says, “But the midwives feared God and not Pharoah.” The midwives protest that the Hebrew women give birth before the midwives arrive, and hid the boys.
Pharoah changes his tactics, throwing the boy children into the Nile.
We meet a couple, both decendants of Levi. When the woman gives birth to a boy, she hids him until he’s just too big. She then makes a basket of reeds, water-proofs it with tar and pitch, and sets him floating down the Nile with his sister following behind.
An Egyptian princess and her maids are bathing at the Nile, and she spots the baby in his basket. The baby’s resourceful sister steps out of hiding and offers to fetch a ‘nurse-maid.’
The princess names the baby, ‘Moses’. And hires his own mother to nurse him. Thanks to this oft-called, ‘conspiracy of women’, the one who will lead his people out of slavery is saved.
Things get worse for the Israelites. Moses watches an Egyptian beat one of his kinsmen, and in a fit of rage, he kills the Egyptian. Then, he buries the Egyptian and runs away to Midian.
In Midian, Moses meets seven beautiful daughters of a Midianite Priest as he sits by a well. When the daughters tell their father that he was helpful to them and was a gentleman, he has them invite Moses home for dinner. Moses marries one of the daughters, Zipporah. They have a son named Gershon.
While tending his father-in-law’s sheep, Moses sees a bush on fire; curiously, the bush burns but is not consumed by the fire. Then, he hears the voice of God, telling him to take off his shoes, because he’s on sacred ground. The voice tells Moses that God has heard the cry of God’s people, and that Moses will be a great leader, and will lead his people out of Egypt.
Moses has two concerns. The first is, how will people believe him when he gives this unlikely news to his people; and the second, he is not so great at talking.
God says for Moses to say, “I AM” has sent him (or some equally cryptic non-proper-name for God), and that his brother Aaron will be able to help out. Moses will tell Aaron what to say, and Aaron will say it.
Moses is to tell the Israelites that God has heard their pleas, and will help them leave Egypt for a land flowing with Milk and Honey. But, Pharoah will never let them go ‘unless a mighty hand compels him.’ The Egyptian people, however, will be kindly disposed to the Israelites and will give them gold, silver, and clothing, which they will carry on them when they leave.
God also gives Moses a staff that can turn into a snake and back into a staff again, as more proof that Moses is telling the truth.
Moses takes his leave of his father-in-law, who wishes him well.
At a lodging place along the way, a deity meets Moses and threatens to kill him; things are dicey until Zipporah circumcises Gershon. Then, all is well.
The first request to Pharoah is to allow the Israelites to repair to the desert beyond Egypt, where they will be better able to worship their God.
Pharoah does not know this God of the Israelites, so he refuses to let them go. The Israelites protest that they must go a three-day journey into the desert, lest their God bring about plagues and pestilence. Still Pharoah refuses, and just for spite, he accuses the Isrealites of being lazy and punishes them. They will no longer be supplied straw to make bricks. Now they will have to get the straw themselves, but their quota will be the same.
The Israelites are understandably angry. Not only do they remain captive, but their job is even harder than before. Moses cries out to God. God replies that God has made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that God intends to keep; and that God never spoke to any of them as he has spoken to Moses.
Exodus 7:1-5 says: 1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."
What follows is exactly that-- with the ten plagues we’ve heard of if we’ve ever been to a Seder. In between each plague, Moses through Aaron tells Pharoah to let the Israelites go, Pharoah agrees at first but later changes his mind, and another plague is unleashed:
1) All the water turns to blood for seven days
2) Frogs everywhere
3) Gnats or Lice
4) Flies everywhere
5) Diseased livestock
6) Boils
7) Thunder and Hail
8) Locusts
9) Three Days of Darkness
10) Death of the Firstborn
Before the tenth plague, the Israelites are instructed to get their belongings ready, to slaughter a lamb, and to smear lamb’s blood on the top and on each side of their doors. By this mark the Israelite first born will all be spared; but the houses without the lamb’s blood will lose their first born sons and all other first-born creatures like cattle and goats.
They are also told to bake bread but not to let it rise-- there won’t be time. They must roast the lamb all the way through and eat it while dressed in their travelling clothes. And whatever meat is left over, will be burned rather than packed and taken along.
Finally, they are told that this feast will be kept each year to remind them of their journey out of Egypt and out of slavery, freed by God’s hand.
Pharoah is finally convinced after the death of the first-born, and the Isrealites leave Egypt. God does not take them on the short route back to Canaan; if they face war against the Philistines God is concerned that the Israelites will just run back to Egypt. They get the bones of Joseph and get going.
God leads the way, a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.
They take the long way, toward the Red Sea. God says that this is a plan to make Pharoah think the Israelites are just wandering around confused; God will ‘harden Pharoah’s heart’, and Pharoah will send his army after the Israelites.
As Pharoah’s army approaches the people complain to Moses, “Were there not graves enough in Egypt?” They think they could have died more comfortably at home than here hemmed in against the Red Sea.
But all is well when Moses lifts his staff, the waters part, and the people make a long procession across on dry land. Pharoah’s army follows, but the waters crash in over them and they are drowned: soldiers, horses, and chariots all.
Miriam (Sister to Moses and Aaron-- she’s a favorite of the people. More on that in later meetings) gathers the women and they sing and dance a victory song. Moses sings the song as well, a nice long song about what has happened. The verse goes something like: “I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously/ The horse and rider fell into the sea.” It’s a great ballad, so I hope you’ve got some time to really read it through.

My Thoughts:

How about a shout out to Shiphrah, Puah, and the Egyptian Princess, who all practice civil disobedience in order to protect the lives of the slave babies? The whole slavery in Egypt saga could be changed over to any slavery saga, and the themes would remain the same: The leaders putting slaves to death with impunity; the punishing labor; increasing the workload for the same time period.

In fact, the whole part about the Hebrews having to get the straw AND make the bricks in the same amount of time they used to just make bricks reminds me of the hotel workers. Those housekeepers have to clean more and more square feet of rooms in the same amount of time, particularly if they are trying to organize for a collective bargaining unit. Here's a couple of resources for your reference:

Hotel Workers Rising: The Big Speed-Up

Hospitality Risk Solutions: June 12, 2010, "Osha Reviewing Ergonomic Enforcement as Housekeepers Suffer"

PLAGUES:

I always feel a little sad for the death of the firstborn. Thankfully the Seders I've attended have a moment of silence for the Egyptian dead-- firstborn and army-- because everyone grieves. That helps.

The Ten Commandments: The Movie
The whole saga does read like a great movie script, which is no doubt why Cecil B. DeMille made it into a movie. I’d love it if someone would make a 21st century attempt at it.

What do you think?

The Bible in 90 Days, DAY FOUR: Genesis 40:12-50:26

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 22:31:00 +0000

(Click the title of this blog post, and it will take you to the biblegateway.com site for the Day Four reading.)

First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles is reading the Bible in 90 Days, starting Sunday July 11, 2010. You can join us on Sunday mornings at 10am, at 1020 S Flower St., Los Angeles CA 90015, to discuss the week's readings, or you can join us online. Check out our website at firstla.org

The Joseph Saga continues!

The Baker and the Cup Bearer each have dreams; Joseph tells the Baker that his dream means Pharoah will have him killed; but the Cup Bearer will be promoted. Joseph requests that they 'remember' him after they are released. Events come to pass as Joseph interpreted they would; but the Cup Bearer forgets about Joseph until some time later when the Pharoah has two dreams and no one can figure out what the dreams mean.

In Pharoah's dreams, first seven fat cows are devoured by seven thin cows. Second, seven healthy, fat heads of grain on a single stalk are devoured by seven sickly heads of grain, scorched by the east wind.

Joseph tells the Pharoah that both dreams are the same. There will be seven years of plentiful harvests followed by seven years of famine. He recommends that food be stored up from the seven years of plenty, to last through the famine. Pharoah puts Joseph in charge of making sure things are well-organized, and Joseph does such a good job that Pharoah makes Joseph a very powerful head administrator.

Meanwhile, Joseph's brothers and father are affected by the famine, and while Jacob/Israel stays home with the youngest son Benjamin, the rest of the brothers sojourn to Egypt to purchase grain. Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize Joseph in his Egyptian garb. He inquires to be certain their father and youngest brother are still living;he accuses his brothers of being 'spies' and admonishes them not to return unless their younger brother is with them. He keeps one of the brothers in Egypt as a sort of hostage.

It isn't until the brothers stop to rest that they realize the silver they brought to pay for the grain has been restored to their sacks. They become afraid that they will be thought of as thieves.

Since Joseph is presumed dead, Jacob is adamant that Benjamin not leave his side to go to Egypt. That works until they run out of grain and are in danger of starvation. Judah convinces his father that Benjamin must go. They bring gifts for the Egyptian leader, and twice the amount of silver to pay for the first as well as the second load of grain.

Joseph receives his brothers again; they bow down to him and let him know they brought double the silver. He lets them know that the God of their fathers has returned the silver to them; they needn't worry. When Joseph sees Benjamin he breaks down and has to go find a private place to weep. When he returns, the Egyptians and the Hebrews sit at different tables. The brothers note that Benjamin has five times the amount of food as everyone else-- they all eat.

As they prepare to leave, Joseph again has his servants fill the brothers' sacks with grain, and return the silver. This time, however, he asks that his own cup be secretly placed in Benjamin's sack.

He then accuses the brothers of having stolen his cup, saying that when it is found whoever has it will remain in Egypt as his slave. The brothers are astonished when it is found in Benjamin's sack, and they beg Joseph to let Benjamin return to Jacob. Joseph can no longer keep it together. He dismisses all the Egyptian servants, and he breaks down weeping as he reveals himself to his brothers. He weeps so loudly that everyone, including Pharoah, hears about it.

Joseph lets his brothers know that he's not mad at them, but believes instead that God meant everything to happen in order to preserve their family. He sends them home with carts to bring back their wives, livestock, and of course, their father Jacob. They are to leave their belongings back home, because Pharoah will give them much more and better stuff when they come to Egypt.

Finally, Joseph BEGS his brothers not to quarrel on the way!

Jacob agrees to come to Egypt and the whole family is reunited; God assures Jacob through a dream that everything will be fine in Egypt and that his son Joseph will 'close his eyes' when he dies.

The remainder of this chapter (Chapter 46) gives a sort of census of the family of Jacob, enumerating sons, grandchildren, some wives, and so forth. Finally, Joseph instructs them to tell Pharoah that they tend livestock; they'll be sent to Goshen to live.

Joseph makes sure that his family is well-provided for.

In Chapter 48 we learn that the famine has grown worse; people are running out of money with which to buy the grain. Joseph offers to take livestock in payment. When the people run out of livestock, they ask for seed. Joseph agrees, but creates a kind of share-cropping arrangement where the people must agree to bring back 1/5 of whatever they grow, a rule that remains in place.

Joseph's entire family does very well, becoming quite rich.

Jacob, however, is aging and near death. Joseph promises to bury his Jacob with his 'fathers', out of Egypt. Jacob claims Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Efraim, as his own, and blesses them. Even now Jacob/Israel is still switching out first-born and second-born sons. Manasseh, the first-born, is on his grandfather's right side and Efraim, second-born, on the left. Jacob crosses his arms so that his right hand is resting on Efraim and left hand on Manasseh. Joseph tries to correct him, but Jacob insists that's the way he will give the blessing. Efraim will be greater than Manasseh.

Jacob bequeaths the land he took from the Amorites to Joseph and his two sons. (A bit of forshadowing here- From Israel/Jacob's 12 sons, there are 12 tribes. However, after Moses leads them back to the Promised Land, the descendants of Levi are priests and will not receive a land grant. The land will still be divided 12 ways, with the tribe of Joseph getting two portions: one for Manasseh's descendants and one for Efraim's.)

Genesis 49 is mostly the blessing of Jacob over his sons, with special praise for Joseph at the end.

Jacob dies, and there's quite a fancy funeral procession of Egyptians as well as Israelites as they take Jacob/Israel back to Canaan to be buried. The brothers fret that Joseph's going to take his revenge now that their father is dead. Joseph assures them that he has forgiven them, and that though they intended their actions to be harmful, God intended them for good.

Joseph lived a good long time, long enough to see his great-grandchildren. He reassures the families that God will restore them to the promised land, and makes them swear that when they return there they will take his bones there with them. Then he dies and is embalmed and placed in a coffin.

My Thoughts:

I think this story is so interesting! I love how human it is, with Joseph unable to contain his emotions despite his high position. Even the Pharoah hears him weep! I'm also impressed at how Joseph doesn't think his brothers have changed much over the years as evidenced in his concern that they may quarrel with each other on the way home to get their father. He apparently fears that they may throw another brother away to slave traders. The brothers, for their part, continue in their worry that Joseph wants revenge against them. How is it that he can see the big picture, that though they sold him into slavery where he endured an unjust prison term, it was all part of God's bigger plan?

I think it centers in the dreams. Throughout the story, God gives dreams to Joseph, to the Cup Bearer and the Baker, to Pharoah, and to Jacob. Joseph says over and over again that the meaning of the dreams comes from God, not from humans; God is the one who decides. I have heard this story used as 'proof' that all the bad things that happen are just part of God's purpose; I say that is not for us to say. It's up to God to communicate with the person who has suffered, and for God together with that person to make meaning of the suffering.

The story also proves what my friend Anna is fond of reminding us: You can't solve a problem just by getting rid of a family member! It is very difficult to cut people out. Even when you think you have, you find that you are still connected to that person/those people in ways you could not have guessed at first.

What do you think?

The Bible in 90 Days, Day Three: Genesis 28:20-40:11

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:26:00 +0000

(Click the title of this blog post, and it will take you to the biblegateway.com site for the Day Three reading.)

Jacobs comes to meet his bride, he falls in love with Rachel but Leah is the older one. Jacob works seven years Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Leah and her servant Zilpah as well. Jacob works another seven years in exchange for Rachel and her servant Bilhah, but the text seems to say that he only had to wait one week after his wedding to Leah, to actually marry Rachel.

Leah is unloved but fertile. In fairly short order she has four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

Rachel is barren, so Bilhah her maid gives birth to sons on Rachel's behalf: Dan and Naphtali.

Leah's no longer having children so she gets her maid Zilpah to bear children- Gad and Asher.
Rachel requests the mandrake root that Leah's son finds. (Could this be a rare fertility herb?) When Leah complains (I'm thinking something like, 'YOU WANT EVERYTHING I HAVE!").

Rachel, Big Love/Sister-Wife style, offers Leah an extra night with Jacob in exchange for the mandrake root. Leah becomes pregnant and names that son Issachar, conceives again, and has a sixth son, Zebulun. Dinah, Leah's daughter, is mentioned here because later on there's a situation that comes up regarding Dinah, a foreign boy, and of her brothers "defending" her honor.

Perhaps thanks to the mandrake root, Rachel at last has a son Joseph (yes, THAT Joseph, The handsome one with the coat of many colors- but I get ahead of the story.)

After years of servitude, Jacob asks to be let go, Laban asks him to stay, Jacob makes a deal with him. Jacob wants all the speckled spotted Sheep, the dark lambs and spotted goats.
Laban agrees, because Jacob has clearly made Laban rich and he doesn't want him to go away. Jacob then cross breeds the stronger livestock to ensure that the speckled ones are strong where as the solid color livestock were weaker. Jacob gets rich and Laban's sons gets mad.

Jacob hears from God, It's time to go! (Or, is it because his cousins are angry? With Jacob, you never know!) Rachel and Leah are sent for. Jacob explains that Laban keep changing the terms of his wages, and is unfair to Jacob. That's good enough for Leah and Rachel, and with no love lost for their father, they agree to take as much of the livestock as they can. (Naturally, they're thinking of their own sons as well.)
They pack up to go, and Rachel steals her father's household gods. She hides them under her camel saddle. Laban gives chase and tells Jacob there was no need to sneak off . Laban would have sent them off with a celebration but now, he is super angry about the stolen gods.

There's a shouting match between these two very angry men: Jacob loses his temper and shouts about all the ways Laban has mistreated him, Laban is angry because Jacob left with lots of sheep and apparently, Laban’s household gods. Jacob, not knowing that Rachel stole the gods, vows that if discovered, the thief will be put to death.Tension mounts as Laban’s search draws near to Rachel, sitting on her camel, the gods hidden underneath her saddle. Thinking quickly, Rachel claims she can’t stand up and allow her father to search because, she claims, she is menstruating.

Finally Laban must concede he can find no stolen goods or gods, and the two men make a sort of peace agreement. They feast together and build a pillar as a marker. Each agrees not to cross the pillar to “go to the other side” to harm one another. (Sort of like our nuclear treaty with Russia, I think...)

Then Laban goes home. Jacob and his entourage (wives, children, livestock, servants) go on their way, but, (uh-ooohhh) Jacob has to deal with Esau, the brother from whom he got the birthright. Jacob splits his camp in two groups, (Esau can only attack one- The other will escape), and sends ambassadors with gifts. He sends everybody across the Jabbock river, while he stays alone.

That night he wrestles with a man/angel and the opponent injures Jacob's hip. As day breaks, the opponent changes Jacob's name to Israel ("He struggles with God") and disappears. (Is the creature a celestial being or God's own self? The text is unclear. Jacob seems to start with the 'celestial being' hypothesis, but as day breaks he claims he's struggled with God.)

Across the river Jacobs troubles continue, as he sees Esau approaching. Jacob approaches, bowing seven times, but Esau isn't having it. Esau runs to Jacob, embrace and kisses him. Jacob introduces him to the rest of the family. Esau attempts to return Jacobs gift, but Jacob insists he keep it.

Esau offers to accompany Jacob, but Jacob is nervous that it could be a trick, so he politely refuses Esau help. Finally Jacob arrives at Canaan, buys some land, builds an altar and sets up camp.

Dinah is taken by a Hivite named Shechem who has sex with her. He falls in love with her and asks to marry her. As the law demands, he requests permission from her father and brothers, who agree to the match. The brothers say that the Hivites all have to be circumcised according to the covenant; but when the Hivites are all laying around recovering Jacob's sons slaughter them and take their wives and property. Clearly, the brothers are not interested in honor but in Hivite property and women.

Jacob is furious, but they protest that they were simply avenging Dinah's honor. However, now no one will trust them in deals, so they all have to move... again. Returning to Bethel, Jacob gets rid of all the foreign gods, sets up an altar to the God of his fathers, and has another dream. This time, it's God who tells him that he's called Israel, and bequeaths him the land of Abraham and Isaac.
Rachel has another son, dying in childbirth. She names him, Son of my troubles, but Israel names him Benjamin (son of my right hand).

Isaac dies and is buried by both Esau and Israel aka Jacob.

Chapter 36 is a list of Esau's descendants, and gives some details about who were rulers in Edom before there were Israelite Kings.

Chapter 37 starts the saga of Joseph. Literary critics often refer to Joseph’s saga as a ‘novella’, and it certainly reads like one.

Joseph is his father’s favorite, and as if he needed to curry even more favor, he constantly tattles on his older brothers. They hate him. It doesn't help matters when daddy Israel makes him a fancy coat.

Joseph has a dream where his sheaf of wheat is upright and all of theirs bow to him; and then the sun, moon, and eleven stars all bow to him. The brothers are seething with rage now, but Israel seems kind of impressed with his favorite son.
When Israel sends Joseph to check up on the brothers; the brothers plan to kill him when he arrives. Luckily Reuben softens the plan, suggesting that they spare his life. (Reuben's plan is to rescue him and take him back to Israel.) But the brothers manage to grab Joseph, steal his coat, toss him into an empty cistern, and finally, sell him as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites before Reuben is able to rescue him. One brother tears Joseph’s fancy coat, dips it in blood, and tells Israel Joseph was devoured by an animal.

While Israel mourns Joseph, Joseph is sold again to an Egyptian official named Potiphar.

Chapter 38
We leave Joseph's saga and turn to another son: Judah. This story is another misunderstood part of the Bible, having to do with the so-called, Law of Levirate Marriage. This law holds that if a man dies leaving his widow childless, it is up to the man’s brothers to inseminate his widow on his behalf.
Judah marries Shua. They have three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. Er marries a woman called Tamar. Er soon dies. His brother Onan, by law, is supposed to get Tamar pregnant instead of his brother- but Onan refuses, “spilling his semen on the ground.” Onan dies also. Shelah is too young to help.

Tamar is sent home to her father's house. Meanwhile, Shua dies and Shelah grows up, but Judah does not send for Tamar.

So, when Judah goes to Shear his sheep, Tamar disguise herself as a prostitute and has sex with Judah. He gives her his seal and his cord and his staff to hold until he returns with payment, still not knowing who she is. When he comes back to redeem his seal, cord and staff, he can't find the woman and get his stuff back, but after some time passes, he learns that Tamar is pregnant by someone other than Shelah.

Judah sends for her to have her burned to death. She proves the child is his by showing him the seal, ring and cord; he admits his wrong in not sending her to Shelah. She gave birth to twins, Perez and Zelah.

Genesis 39
Meanwhile back in Egypt, Joseph is propering in Potiphar's house. Potiphar trusts him absolutely and gives him charge over the household. But Potiphar’s wife is taken with Joseph’s beauty and tries to get Joseph in bed. Joseph refuses, and runs out, but she grabs his coat. She uses the coat as proof that Joseph tried to attack her, saying he ran off after she screamed. For this, Joseph goes to prison. There he meets the Pharoah's cupbearer and the baker in prison because Pharoah was angry at them. Each of these men have a dream but they don't know what they mean. Joseph says, “do not interpretations belong to God?” and he asks them what their dreams are. The chief cupbearer tells of a vine and he squeezes its grapes into Pharoahs cup.

My Thoughts:

I'm struck by how those who want to include women as Matriarchs often include the wives of the Patriarchs (that is, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekkah, Jacob, Leah and Rachel-- but leave out Bilhah and Zilpah. What does it mean that two slave women were matriarchs, and that their names are most often left out?

In the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar, I’m struck by how different our world is today! I can’t think of anything more out of my realm than the idea that I must give birth to sons or my life is useless, OR that if my husband dies I have to have sons by his brother or father. And, by the way, Onan’s sin isn’t masturbation-- it’s ‘withdrawal’. He spills his semen on the ground rather than impregnate his sister-in-law.

Ancient hearers of Tamar's story understood that Tamar is a hero, by creatively doing for herself what her husband’s family would not do for her. In our day she’d be on Jerry Springer or something. It's a big YUCK factor for my modern sensibilities, for sure.

In Dinah's story, we learn that she was taken by Shechem; there are scholars who report that this sort of abduction was often used by permission of the woman, as a way of her choosing her husband from outside the tribe. Read a sermon by Rabbi Allison Bergman Vann, titled "Giving Voice to Dinah" for some provocative possibilities.

The Joseph saga is just starting out-- so more on that in Day Four's post.

And as for all of these stories, again I say to those who lift up Biblical Family Values: WHAT FAMILY VALUES? Trickery, theft, rape, kidnap, favoritism, murder, levirate marriage? I’d say that in these stories at least, the Bible illustrates human nature. For the sake of your family’s emotional, mental, and spiritual health, don’t do as they have done!

What do you think?

The Bible in 90 Days, Day Two: Genesis 17:1-28:19

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:31:00 +0000

(Click the title of this blog post, and it will take you to the biblegateway.com site for the Day Two reading.)

First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles is reading the Bible in 90 Days, starting Sunday July 11, 2010. You can join us on Sunday mornings at 10am, at 1020 S Flower St., Los Angeles CA 90015, to discuss the week's readings, or you can join us online. Check out our website at firstla.org

God confirms the covenant with Abram (meaning, 'father'), renaming him Abraham ('father of many'). Abraham is aged 99. This time, the covenant is affirmed by all the men and boys of Abraham's household undergoing circumcision. Abraham asks God to have Ishmael live under the blessing, God agrees, but confirms that Sarai (meaning, 'law' or 'authority') will bear a child and her name will be 'Sarah' ('woman of high rank', 'princess').

Abraham looks up after this time with God and sees three men passing by during the heat of the day. He offers them food and drink. They accept, and the household creates a feast for these men. They ask after Sarah; Abraham explains that she's in the tent. A blessing is pronounced, that at the same time the following year, Sarah will have borne a son. She is listening inside the tent, and she laughs out loud. Then one of the three asks why Sarah laughed; she's afraid and denies it, but 'he said, 'Yes, you did laugh!" (18:15).

The three men get up to leave, and God again speaks. First, there is assurance that no matter what, the covenant with Abraham will be honored. Next, there is dismay at the behavior in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The three men will travel there to see if it is truly as bad as has been reported, and if it is, the city will be destroyed. Abraham pleads for Sodom.

The two angels go to Sodom and arrive at Lot's house. The men of Sodom attempt to break down the door and rape the intruders. Lot offers them his virgin daughters instead, but that's not what the men of Sodom are after. (These verses are very important because they are widely mis-understood. See my notes below for more of what I think.)

The two men warn Lot to get his whole family out of Sodom, and he does. The hapless 'Mrs.' Lot unfortunately looks back as Sodom is going up in a fiery blast, and she becomes a pillar of salt.

Lot asks that he be able to go to Zoar (a small town), and that the town be spared. Abraham, meanwhile, looks and sees the smoking ruins of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Lot and his daughters leave Zoar and flee to the mountains because he was afraid. The daughters have no one with whom to bear children, so they plot to make their father drunk and have children by him. The older daughter has a son named Moab (the Moabites decend from him. Remember this one when we meet Ruth, the Moabite), and the young er daughter has a son named Ben-Ammi (his people are the Ammonites).

Abraham goes on a journey, and he tells everyone Sarah (still very, very beautiful), is his sister. This is because he doesn't want to be killed by someone who wants Sarah. King Abimelech sends for Sarah, believing her to be unmarried, and God warns Abimelech in a dream that she is already married. Abimelech returns Sarah to Abraham, gives Abraham lots of gifts to atone for taking Sarah (although nothing happened, thanks to God's intervention), and they set off again.

Issac is born, and Sarah sends Hagar and Ishmael away again. God rescues Hagar and Ishmael, and he grows up and marries an Egyptian woman.

Abraham and Abimelech make a treaty, and 'Abraham stays in the land of the Philistines for a long time.' (21:34)

Abraham and Isaac go on an adventure, the so-called test of Abraham's faith. Abraham is called by God to take Isaac as a sacrifice, but at the last minute a ram is provided instead. The story continually refers to Isaac as Abraham's 'son, your only son'; some people think it's an attempt to ignore Ishmael's place, some think Abraham may presume Ishmael is dead.

Next is a very short 'begat' section, with some of Abraham's relatives listed. This is important because Isaac's going to marry one of the daughters.

Sarah dies, and Abraham buries her. Then he has to get a wife for Isaac.

What follows is a lovely story of courtship and kindness, as Rebekkah proves her worth by getting water not only for Abraham's servant who comes to get her for Isaac, but for all the camels as well. That is a huge amount of fetching of water, and a great act of kindness and strength.

The servant makes the case for Abraham's son Isaac, and Rebekah agrees to marry Isaac.

Abraham dies soon after the marriage.

In case we'd forgotten about Ishmael, we get an update naming all his sons, that he died at age 137, the places along the border of Egypt have settled, and 'they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.' (25:18)

The story of Jacob and Esau, the two fraternal twins born to Isaac and Rebekah, comes next. I find the story rings authentic, with each parent choosing a favorite. Jacob becomes quite the trickster, Esau quite the brutish guy-- early stereotypes that would be instantly recognizable today. If you're a fan of TMZ or reality T.V., you'll find this story entertaining as well!

It starts with a multiple pregnancy. There are only two (as opposed to the eight we expect today!), but these two are constantly fighting in Rebekah's womb. They struggle even as they are born, Esau first, Jacob grasping Esau's heel.

Grown-up, Esau likes the big outdoors and is his father's favorite. Jacob prefers the homefires and is his mother's favorite.

Jacob entices Esau to give up his birthright for a bowl of stew (OK, not a fair trade, but Esau was really, really hungry.)

During a famine, Isaac returns to the old family friend Abimelech King of the Philistines. In a repeat of Abraham's adventure in Gerar, Isaac, too, tries to pass off his beautiful wife as his sister. This time, Abimelech catches Isaac caressing Rebekah and chides him for the deceit. Abimelech puts the word out, no one is to touch Rebekah.

Isaac and family plant crops and settle in. God blesses him. Abimelech sees how rich Isaac is becoming and asks that Isaac move on. Isaac complies, and in the Valley of Gerar, he works to get some water. Every time he digs a well, another tribe claims it. He just keeps moving on, and finally gets one dug that no one disputes. God comes to him again and reiterates the covenant.

Abimelech comes to make a treaty with Isaac, he says because it's clear that God is with Isaac.

We hear a bit about Esau's marriage, which brings us to the death of Isaac. Rebekah and Jacob have to make a plot to get the birthright blessing for Jacob, because Isaac will never bless Jacob on purpose. It's pretty clever, and you can read all about it in chapter 27. This plot is more 'Desperate Housewives' than 'Real Housewives', and I don't think a synopsis will do it justice!

In the end, Esau does get a blessing from his father but it's not a very good one, and Jacob has to 'high-tail' it on outta there because Esau is BIG and FIERCE and ANGRY.

Mom Rebekah tells Jacob to go hide out with her brother Laban-- and to Isaac she complains that Jacob simply cannot marry some trashy Hittite woman. As she puts it, 'If Jacob takes a wife from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living!"

We learn that Esau, seeing how 'displeasing the Caananite women are to his father', goes to get a non-Caananite wife from another first-born-son-but-not-blessed-by-his-father, none other than Ishmael.

Jacob's trip to Paddan Aram, where his uncle Laban lives, will include a dream where he sees a stairway, or a ladder, between earth and heaven, where creatures are ascending and descending, and which provides imagery for two famous songs, 'We are Climbing Jacob's Ladder', and 'Stairway to Heaven'.

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My Thoughts:

I'm suspicious of the text referring to Isaac as Abraham's 'son, [his] only son.' Of course Ishmael is also Abraham's son, has his own covenant, and even has a daughter who marries his half-brother Isaac's son Esau.

I was surprised to see Ishmael appear again! As many times as I've read the Bible, I never noticed the two little passage that describe his marriages and children! Reading the small story of Esau getting a wife from Ishmael's family is for me one of the early rewards of the Bible in 90 Days program.

Sodom and Gomorrah: The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is referred to elsewhere in scripture, as because of their extreme lack of hospitality. The demand to have sex with the two men who are guests of Lot is not because of homosexuality. The men of Sodom want to rape the guests to diminish the power the men have. 'Who are they to judge us?' demand the men of Sodom-- the act of rape will humiliate the guests, and make them afraid to return to Sodom. Ezekial 16:49-50 says the people were over-fed and forgot to care for the poor, and Jewish tradition tells of a story where Sodomites would give beggars gold, then refuse to sell them food. After the beggar starved to death, the donor would reclaim his money.

Disturbing Passages:

The idea that God would ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac is disturbing. There are those who say that, in fact, this story tells that people should NOT sacrifice their children to a god (a not-uncommon practice) and should instead use a ram.

The idea that Lot would send his daughters out to be raped by an angry mob is disturbing. I understand that he's supposed to protect his guests, but it's terrifying that he cares so little for the well-being of his daughters.

The idea that two daughters would have sex with their father just in order to procreate is disturbing. Survivors of sexual abuse find that this story echoes their own experience of the abuser claiming he was drunk and had no idea what was happening, that it was all the daughters' idea. Some bible scholars counter that the daughters, given the idea that there were no other people in the secluded mountains, were thought of as heroic for their extreme measures to save the human race by having sex with who they thought was literally the last man on earth.

What do you think?

Bible in 90 Days, DAY 1: Genesis 1:1- 16:16

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:02:00 +0000

(Our adventure of reading the Bible in 90 Days officially starts on Sunday, July 11, 2010. To find out more about the program and get some resources, check out the First Church Los Angeles website, Bible in 90 Days page.)

Wow! This was quite a packed bit of reading. I hadn't realized how much happens in just the first several pages of the Bible. (click on the title of this blog post if you want to read the text online.)

It's two versions of creation (the poetry of the Seven Days version, and then the story that answers all those little 'why' questions: Why does the snake crawl on the ground, why do we have to work so hard to grow food, why do we die, etc.)

Creation and fall stories are followed by the account of the first murder (Cain kills Abel).

The next bit is the genealogy-- the famous 'begats' that everyone dreads when undertaking a reading of the Bible. My advice? Toughen up, people! This is just a couple of paragraphs' worth, and there's no quiz. Skim it if you must!

Notable are the length of years assigned to the patriarchs in this list, and that Noah was 500 years old when he had his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

This takes us to the story of Noah and the Ark, which adventure spans all of three pages in my version of the Bible, followed by, you guessed it, more 'begats'. The genealogy is important for the sake of all the tribes, to explain who descended from which Patriarch. Follow Shem's line all the way to Patriarch Abram (who becomes Abraham, but not in today's reading set.)

We meet Sarai (later called Sara), Abram's nephew Lot (Lot's wife will come to a sad end in tomorrow's reading by 'looking back'). God begins making covenants with Abram, Lot gets into some quarrels and his uncle comes to the rescue. God speaks to Abram in a vision and promises that he'll have so many offspring they can't be counted, this despite Sarai's menopause! The beginnings of Hagar's story is in today's reading- she's Sarai's Egyptian maid, called in by Sarai to bear Abram a child and so fulfill the prophesy.

Sarai regrets her decision, and tries to expel Hagar, but God appears to Hagar and makes a covenant with her. She is the only woman with whom God makes this kind of covenant. When her son is born, Ishmael (hebrew for ''God Hears') will also become a great nation.

My thoughts on some of today's stories:

Re: 'The Fall': First, it's the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, not the Tree of Good and Evil Some people think evil only came after the woman ate the fruit. It is a pet peeve of mine that people refer to this story as proof that God wants us to be uneducated, without knowledge. The story implies evil was present all along, and that the couple eating the fruit were ushered into awareness of it.The point of the story seems to be that knowledge of Good and Evil is a heavy thing to carry. If ignorance is bliss....

Re: Fratricide: I was impressed that God placed a mark on Cain to prevent others from killing him. My 'abolish the death penalty' heart took note.

Re: Patriarchs and Covenants: Legally, the child Ishmael belongs to Sarai; Hagar as a slave is the property of Sarai and she is just a surrogate under the law. BUT, God seems to have a different idea about that, making a promise to Hagar regarding the child. God elevates the slave, the FEMALE SLAVE, by creating a covenant with her just as with Abram and acknowledging her connection to Ishmael.

What are your thougts, ideas, questions, impressions?

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

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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.

--------

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!

LAPD CLERGY SUMMIT

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:21:00 +0000

Today, June 28, 2008, the Los Angeles Police Department held a summit for religious leaders. It was held to educate clergy on the problems with gang violence in Los Angeles, and how people of faith might take part in finding some solutions. After the courtesies—greetings from the mayor, invocation, etc., the first item on the agenda was a presentation on the state of gangs and violence today.

We learned that while homicides are down from the 1992 high, homicides have increased this year. We learned that gang membership sometimes gets passed down from father to son, uncle to nephew. We learned that it is more common for women to be involved in the more violent aspects of gang life than it used to be. And most distressing of all, we learned that these gangs are holding their neighborhoods hostage, with direct and brutal retaliation against anyone who reports crime to the police or who appears as witnesses against gang members in court.

But there is good news, too. A bright line of connection was drawn between the availability of living wage jobs and the ability of former gang members to get out of gang life and into successful lives.. Three trade unions: the Iron Workers, the Electricians, and the Pipe Fitters all have programs to help former convicts get their G.E.D.'s and get good jobs. The workers are proud to see the buildings they've helped to create, buildings like the new Police Headquarters.

Churches and people of faith are being invited to help with a pilot program this summer, serving meals to kids who are taking part in recreation programs being held Wednesday-Saturday nights from 4pm to midnight in eight locations around Los Angeles. When former city councilmember Martin Ludlow held such a program at a park in his then-district, the homicide rate for that summer fell to zero in that district.

The difficulties in overcoming gang violence are large, but we were reminded that most social change programs at first seem impossible to realize. The civil rights movement, for instance, was initially won by a combination of courageous action on the part of concerned people and faith leaders; laws were changed; and the new laws were enforced. As a result important changes have been realized.

The theme of the Summit was "welcoming the Prodigal Son." It was heartening to hear it from the L.A.P.D.—even gang members are people too, and they need places of welcome where they can be embraced when they are ready to change. It seems like a good foundation is being laid for positive change in our city. I pray we continue in the courage to face history, face this problem, and work together for the solutions.

Same Sex Marriage: State and Church

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:17:00 +0000

On June 17, 2008, it became legal for two people of the same gender to get married in the state of California. Hooray! The Supreme Court of California basically ruled that voters cannot simply vote away the civil rights of other people, and this is a hopeful thing.

What is difficult for me as a United Methodist Minister is that our denomination does not look at things the same way. That is to say, a majority of voters in the United Methodist Church does not look at things the same way. There is a significant minority of folks who believe that people who love one another and are committed to one another ought to be able to have that committment affirmed in marriage, whether straight or gay.

As a denomination, we've overlooked the significant contributions of our homosexual brothers and sisters in the church. For instance, when the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles has its concert this coming weekend, there will be many churches bereft of their organists and choir directors. It's the proof of my oft-repeated joke: If there's a gay rapture, there'll be no music in the churches!

Composers, artists, preachers, teachers, board members, team members, faithful attenders-- Gay and Lesbian folk in the church have been part of the church's witness in so many ways.

So, why would we say to people who are baptized, raised in our congregations, and are faithful members that we would deny them the same privilege extended to others? Why lock them out of matrimony?

There are many arguments from scripture-- I've heard 'em all, and rather than rehearse all that here I will refer you to Mel White and his 'Soulforce' website. He says it all a lot better than I could. http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible

I am aware that other cultures among the world-wide Methodist connection have a different idea than I do. As some of the delegates from other continents stated at our April 2008 General Convention, they hang homosexuals in their country.

We in the U.S. aren't past the hateful treatment of GLBT people in our own nation, but thankfully at least it's illegal to harm them.

As a denomination, we have a long way to go in terms of gender and sexual equality.

I can only hope that the many wonderful same-sex couples and their families who serve the United Methodist Church will hang in there with us, as we struggle along.

It would not be the first time the church was given grace it did not deserve (the scars of slavery and other racial-ethnic injustices are yet to be fully confessed and dealt with), but we will not and cannot be all that we ought to be without those who are willing to wait for the United Methodist Church to catch up with God's unmitigated grace.

At First United Methodist Church of Los Angeles, we are committed to welcoming all who are willing to join us in a committment to discipleship; we are not willing to qualify anyone's membership.

As of today, we don't know the ways in which this committment will be challenged, but we know we are called to be faithful to full inclusion in the life of our church. That full inclusion means without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, family of origin, economic status, ability, age, or ethnicity. (Did I leave anything out? If so, please add it in!)

Jesus tells us that all are invited to the table-- and so since a disciple is just one beggar telling another where to get bread, we all are equal at Christ's feast.

As for those who are not willing to hang in there with us, I say, don't leave without telling the Council of Bishops why-- and may God grant you the happiness and acceptance you deserve in the lucky congregation that is able to give you an unqualified seat in the worship service, and an unqualified wedding in the sanctuary.

Internation Women's Day: War on Terror, War on Women?

Sandie Richards (Rev. Sandie Richards) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 23:35:00 +0000

“On March 8, 1908, working women in the needle trade industry took to the streets of New York City demanding better working conditions, higher wages, shorter workdays and the overall improvement of women’s lives in this country.

These women marched through New York City demanding justice for women workers and immigrant workers; they were in fact working immigrant women…” http://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Today is the 100th anniversary of this march in New York City; the year 2011 will mark 100 years of International Women’s Day, a day of focus on the status of women worldwide.

I take today to think about the war in Iraq, to help us focus on some of the realities for women in this war.

Let's start the inquiry by looking at a New York Times article, about why young men are joining ‘insurgent groups.’

It isn’t because of religious fervor; in fact, the New York Times article is titled, “Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics” (NYT, Tuesday, March 4, 2008).

To quote, “Muath, 19, a Sunni, joined an insurgent group in Baghdad last spring to help support his family.”

The article mentions that this young man, who was only 14 when the United States invaded Iraq, is the sole support for his family. He was reduced to selling calling cards on the streets of Baghdad, and joined an insurgent army because that way, he could make enough money to feed his mother and younger siblings.

It’s a very long article, but I wonder who else noticed that the plight of women and children is only between the lines.

The article is not about women and children; as I said, that is only between the lines. I am left with the following questions:

1) What happened to Muath’s father and uncles? Why is a 19 year old man the sole support of his family,

and

2) What will happen to the mother and siblings now that Muath has been arrested for his participation in the insurgent group?

The answers to the questions are not given-- in fact, the questions themselves are missing.

Yet, these questions are important ones if we are to halt the cycle of trauma and violence that contributes to ongoing conflict and war.

Let me give some possible answers, based on what I know about this subject: The mother and the children are left to their own devices.

The chances are high that they will become refugees, starve, become trafficked to other countries for labor and/or sex slavery, or else the next son may take his place in the conflict in order to provide for his mother and siblings.

Unless we begin to think in terms more complex than simply, “The War on Terror,” we are in fact perpetuating terrible circumstances for women and children. Children need adequate food, shelter, and safety in order to grow up with healthy minds, bodies, and souls. Women whose rights of self-determination are curtailed by culture or situation are not able to provide these things for children; neither are men who are conscripted to war, or imprisioned.

By ignoring their plight in favor of a less complicated and more self-serving story, we are not in fact fighting terror; rather, we are prosecuting a war against women and children, punishing the innocent and forcing them to take on violence as a means by which to simply survive.

Or perhaps worse, we are condemning them to lives of slavery and abuse.

There is no war without consequences, and we are all paying.

Let’s start asking the bigger questions, and work hard to understand the answers; let’s begin by looking between the lines, on this International Women’s Day and every day.