presupposing the greatest thing.

I heard these words today, "the resurrection of Jesus is the most important thing that has ever happened on Earth." I must be quite honest that even I, a committed Christian, was taken aback by this comment.

Even when putting the audience (school children at a Christian school) aside, I find this presupposition of knowing the greatest thing to be horrifying. Who gets to decide that? What are the repercussions for a statement such as this on the lives of the approximately 70% of the world who do not practice Christianity? Jesus lived and died a mere 2000 years ago, what about the billions of years prior to his life and death? Wouldn't the creation of the Earth rank up there pretty importantly?

I am sure the speaker of the statement did not mean to offend anyone. I'm pretty sure that he didn't think about the power of his words. We must be thoughtful to the fact that just because we are Christians does not make us superior to the world. Before we go touting the perfection of one act, however miraculous and world changing, we must consider that perhaps it is the spouting of superiority that makes much of the rest of the world angry with Christians.

I am not saying that we shouldn't be proud to be Christians. I am not suggesting that we do not define the resurrection as the most important event in the history of Christianity. (We would not exist without it) What I am saying is that I do not feel we can truly be followers of Christ, living His example of humility, love, and grace, if we assume that the most important thing to ever happen in the history of the world is about us.

Even up to his last, Jesus allowed others to learn through his use of parables, reciprocal questioning, and his model. We as adult followers give children a great gift when we allow them to learn about Christ through our lives, through our stories, through our songs. We should never attempt to teach them through perceived superiority, assumption, or exclusion of others.

No matter which religion you practice, or none at all, you are loved.

Peace.

Horton Hears a Who

Took my fantastic five year old niece to Horton Hears a Who today. It now has my five star, two thumbs up, and gold star seal of approval. It was fantastic for both kids and adults. I think what I liked the most was how well it highlighted two major themes; faith and diversity. I haven't read the story in years but was so moved by the story in a new way as an adult.

Need something to do by yourself? with your kids? with your loved one? Go see it. You'll see what I mean.

The wisdom of Leo.

I've been watching a lot of The West Wing this fine spring break as my cable is out and I need some kind of distraction. (Reading isn't as easy these days). This short tale is the most moving moment of Leo's text from every episode. His character was the epitome of servant leadership. The line is from the Noel episode of season two.

This line completely represents a few people in my life right now without whom I could not currently be walking upright and getting through the day. To them I offer my thanks. If you are ever down in the hole, as I am now, I shall come in and help you out.

Leo: "This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.' "

Bread of Life

Today in church it was befitting to sing "I am the Bread of Life" hymn 335 in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982. The text of the music is rather interesting in that it really makes quite clear the meaning of the Eucharist. It makes no bones about the way to the Father. With words like, "unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his Blood, you shall not have life within you" this is a very serious piece from a theological standpoint.

But it is the chorus of the piece that always moves me. No matter where I am or where I sing it, as the congregation breaks into the harmonies, I am moved to tears in the promise that God has made to us. It is particularly moving when I am surrounded by those whom I love, the first time I sang it at my new church, on my wedding day, or whenever I am with my Mom, who sings just about as loud as I do.

"And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day."

This piece reminds me, even in the darkest of times, that God is our hope. That when we come to God, broken, afraid, or empty, that He will fulfill all of our needs. And on the glorious day of resurrection, we will sit with Him at the table.

Happy Easter dear Reader. May this day find you in a place of peace and be a reminder to you, wherever you are on your faith journey, that you are never alone.

SP Safeway

I love the fact that no matter when you go or how long it has been since you were last there friends are always at the SP Safeway. Today it was my longest friend Casey, her wonderful bf and her amazing parents. She reminds me of who I am, where I come from, and some of my best memories.

What a great way to end my good Easter day.

He is Risen!

This evening we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This is the reason we are Christians.

I am humbled by the selfless love that God has shown for us in the flesh of his son. Came to Earth to live perfectly, to teach us to love, and to be taken from us for our multitude of sins.

I am reminded that we have hope, every day, found in the form of the Lord. He is our hope. He is the completeness that we seek elsewhere. No one else can fulfill our needs, our hopes, our dreams. He is Risen!

Matthew 28:1-10

28:1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

28:2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

28:4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.

28:5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.

28:6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

28:7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you."

28:8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

28:9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him.

28:10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

down the rabbit hole

I had three conversations with different people today all referencing being down in the rabbit hole. (alice in wonderland is a personal favorite)

For your reading pleasure, please read Chapter 1 of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

thinking of my friend.

The road you are on may seem lonely today as you come to grips with the reality of your life. There will be days of joy. days of freedom. days of despair. days of getting by. days of staying in.
I cannot tell you that each day will be easier because five may be great and seven next will be terrifying. But you are not alone. You are never alone. You have great strength.

oh dear.

i heard today that life had changed for you as it has for me

i wonder if you are happy or sad or frightened or feeling free

i think you know that i have hurt you and you have so deeply hurt me

but regardless of any hurt or pain that you or i have caused

you are in my deepest prayers as your life changes fast

i see the destruction all around me in the hearts and lives of many

i ask God what is this mess where did it start and where is its rest

why give us love for even a time if only to rip it away

why does it work for so many but for many cannot stay one day

have i done something wrong or traveled the wrong avenue

for this lofty love goal which I sought

i only hope it is different for you and you feel free or calm not distraught

i know for me that this road will be long--lacking clarity or sense of direction

but it is grace that we seek and strength that we need no matter our actual situation

for god will provide for both you and me and all those who walk down this journey

patience

I am finding it really hard to sit back and wait in a life situation. Several actually. I deeply desire to continue my methodical, planned life, but God has other plans. Life right now is a jumble of change and it is requiring new ways of thinking in so many ways.

Patience is not something that fits well into my Type A personality. I have struggled with patience my entire life. In my early years, it took the form of hellacious tantrums imposed upon my parents, siblings, teachers, and any other authority figures that might accidentally got stuck in my path. The tantrums have changed their implementation, but my difficulty with patience has not particularly changed. I still find it very difficult to control my impulse to need something (information, answers, love, attention), right now.

I am drawn to the character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Veruca Salt. (The original movie or the book, not the scary Tim Burton version) While her character is more spoiled than I think I have been (though I have been blessed with amazingly generous parents), it is her impulsiveness and her inability to wait for what she wants are the traits for which I find myself relating to immensely. These, unfortunately, become her undoing.

My impatience shows itself in my huffs, in my battery of questions, in my absolute desire for immediate answers, my inability to say no when at target :-). There are few ways in which I have improved. I have improved my patience with my kids this year. I have spent a lot of time making a conscious effort to allow them to learn in their own time and to see each of their journey's time as their own and not necessarily as a reflection of me. I have also tried to explicitly model this with my kids this year. To share with them how it is ok to take time to learn, to take their own time and not compare themselves to others in the process. Oh, that darn comparison to others, it gets us every time. This is not to say that my kids aren't eventually expected to get it right at some point, but taking a bit more time has led to a much greater understanding for them.

But what about all the other stuff? How do I remain patient in a world of turmoil? I have been asking God to show me what I am missing. In my impatience and impulsiveness, what am I failing to see? What about me is causing this distress? But God speaks in whispers and I know that I must be patient enough to slow down and quiet my mind in order to hear.

a bit of a rant...excuse me.

Yes, I am a music teacher.
No, I am not a pianist.
Yes, singing is music and it is difficult.
Yes, music education is more than sitting behind a piano and plunking out notes while kids attempt to sing along.

I am a teacher. Well-rounded, employing multi-modal methods which allow diverse learning styles to access music. My students make music, read music, watch music, talk about it, write about it, dance creatively to it, compose it, and enjoy it.

To be told I am anything less than a "real" educator, is offensive.

(Thank you for reading...I'm done ranting now.)

long slow road

driving down the road, splish splash of the wipers
the pouring of the cold rain a direct companion to my hot wet tears
the road ahead is long
today if feels as though it will be the slowest road ever driven

the rain has stopped
the tears do not stop they simple collect
the road ahead is long
i will not travel alone but i will not travel with the most important one

perhaps the tears will stop tomorrow
if not by resolution than perhaps by requirement
the road ahead is long
and the world around me does not stop because i want it to

pure joy

Last weekend at the MMEA convention, I had the pleasure of working with 90 fifth graders from across the state. They came together to sing as a demonstration chorus for the convention. They were from diverse backgrounds, financially, socially, and racially. They started the day with their classmates in rows but were quickly shuffled. They rehearsed and rehearsed, tackling some really difficult music. They worked really hard.

The most amazing moment day came not during rehearsal but from our lunch break. A group of students started playing a game with their teacher. It was a catchy singing game and their group quickly grew from five or so to half of our chorus. By the time our second break was finishing up, the circle contained all of our kids. No ipods, no magazines, no fooling around. Just the simple, pure joy of kids playing a music game. It made me believe the power of music that becomes cliche so much of the time. It also reminded me that you don't need anything but yourself and perhaps a friend or two to have fun.