Feeling Dry?

Grace and peace to you, dear ones!

At several points this year, while clambering to and from various gatherings and trying to push myself through the final quarters in my seminary career, I have found myself feeling a little dry, (I wrote a little earlier in the summer about this very thing) and wondering where our Beloved was.  I felt as though I was in the midst of a terrible storm of thunder and lightning but was lacking the refreshing, cooling downpour of grace upon my thirsty soul.  As one born and raised in the pacific-northwest where rains are quite abundant, this is saying something!

On account of my geographical location, I don't often identify with the imagery of desert sands and arid places; the landscape surrounding me is usually quite lush and green.  However, during certain points in my life, and particularly poignantly in the last few months of seminary, I have had very strong sensations of being unceasingly thirsty, dry and in a time of waiting for our Beloved to come and take some powerful action.  In these times, this vision of Ezekiel is particularly profound:

"Feeling Dry" - Photo by Trista Wynne

Reaching for Freedom

Watching the sun settling on the horizon this evening, gathered with friends, family, neighbors and community members, we give thanks for the tremendous freedoms we have in this country.  What are you thankful for today?  I'm several days into a thirty-day celebration of praise and thanksgiving, using Twitter to offer prayers and observations of joy in honor of my thirtieth birthday which just past last Saturday.  I invite you to join me, and to offer your own #30DaysofPraise during the month of July.

"Reaching for Freedom"
Red, White & Dead
Zombie Walk, Seattle, 2011
Photo by Trista Wynne

Often around Thanksgiving, and sometimes around Christmas, we pause to take stock of what we have and to offer thanks to our Creator.  But for the rest of the year we seem to take our friends, families, food, clothing, freedom and even our very bodies for granted.  Dear ones, our founding fathers and mothers who fought and strove and prayed and sacrificed so that we might be free from tyrannical government, slave-labor and oppressive taxes did not give of themselves just so that we could be comfortable. 

We as a nation, and each of us as individuals, are called to reach and to work for the freedom, justice, equality and fair treatment of all people everywhere.  And we still have much work to do on our own soil, in our own homes, in our own churches and in our own workplaces.  We cannot simply say that inequalities, injustice, oppression, slavery, abuse and neglect only happen in other places.

The zombie virus is alive and spreading, dear ones.  Everything that our founding mothers and fathers worked so hard to obliterate has seeped into our very bones.  We still fight against it every day, even in our own bodies, minds and spirits.

Sharing the Antidote

"A Zombie Healer"
@ZomBcon Seattle Oct '11
Photo by Matthew Wynne

"Do you want to be made well?"

Jesus' words to a paralytic sitting by the pool of Siloam echo in my mind as I contemplate the drastic shifting of a few relationships that has occurred in my life very recently.  As a theological zombie, on account of my relationship with Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, I have access to the antidote of the zombie virus. 

Love of God and love of neighbor is the clear antidote.  It takes time to work, and our bodies, minds and spirits go through a series of trials and errors within us.  The virus attempts to make us reject, or to develop antibodies that attack the antidote in our system; but if we return to our Creator at regular intervals and accept the guidance of the Great Physician, we will defeat the virus.  We will remember what it means to be human.

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I fully admit that I am somewhere in the midst of battling the zombie virus, both inwardly and in society.  I am working with the Great Physician in attempt to help my body, mind and spirit not to reject the antidote.  I am not yet cured of the zombie virus.  I am in the process of being healed.

Bearing that in mind, I, like all Christ-followers, am called to bring the antidote to the infected.  You can see that I am sharing the Gospel, the Love of God and the Love of others and the Love of creation with you all here on this blog, dear ones.  I am trying to live a life that reflects this love so that our Lord might be glorified and that you might be encouraged along your own healing journey. 

Yes, I loose my way sometimes.  Yes, I stumble along the pathway of life.  Still, I am called to this work of healing and redemption.  So, dear ones, are you.

Zombies Love Music!

In just a couple of weeks, the zombie hoard of Seattle will descend upon the Fremont neighborhood with a vengeance!  Each year we don our make-up and pick out new outfits to bring the Guiness Book of World Records home once more, striving to bring thousands of zombies into one place at the same time.

There's always awesome musicians there to entertain the masses, great photo opportunities and plenty of time to get your groove on.  Our Red, White & Dead gatherings wouldn't be complete without a gigantic dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"!  Seattle Zombies love to shuffle to the beat!

Here's a slideshow of our "Red, White & Dead" photos from 2011:

New Life for Dry Bones

Dry Bones in Dry Leaves
Photo by Trista Wynne

As is the case with most of humanity, part of me has been dead for a long time.  We are all zombies of one sort or another.  Some of us have parts of our personality, or psyche, or spirit or core self that has stopped working and we suspect has died.

For some of us that part of ourselves was brutally beaten over years of experiencing or witnessing the mistreatment, abuse or neglect of others.  In other cases, a singular traumatic event caused that part of ourselves to suddenly shrivel into a prune-like state.  Over time these bits of ourselves have begun to rot and even to turn to dust.  Whatever state of decomposition these parts of ourselves are in, I assure you, dear ones, that we have a word of hope.

Graduation!!!

Yesterday, June 2nd 2012, I graduated from Fuller Seminary Northwest.  It was a fantastic day - the culmination of seminary studies, and a day I've looked forward to since I was six years old!  The good Lord, our Beloved Creator, knows what's next.  As of yet, I've only been given some inklings and ideas.  The whole picture has yet to be revealed.  For now, I am simply thankful for this day of celebration and this giant accomplishment! 

All praise to You, Lord Most High, who called me into seminary and have flowed through the teachings there, through my work as a nanny, through my relationship with my husband and with Your communities of faith, to help me grow in knowledge, love and compassion!  Wherever You lead I will go!  Whatever You call me to, I will do!  Thank You, Beloved, for Your presence and guidance!  And now, thank You, Lord, for rest and recuperation.  Amen.

Dear ones, today, my head is fuzzy and my body is tired.  Having not slept well out of excitement the night prior to graduation, and then again last night due to processing the whole event, today I feel a bit zombie-esque and have not changed out of my pajamas.  It is a true Sabbath day for me! 

Well, dear ones, this is a short post today.  Since I am receiving my Master's of Arts in Theology and Ministry, I'm considering adopting the title "Zombie Master of the Theological and Ministerial Arts".  What do you think?

The Zombie Student Speaks: An Ascension Sunday Message

Greetings, dear ones!

Earlier today I delivered the sermon for St Peter's UMC.  Although I didn't mention zombies in this particular sermon, the message is clear: let's stop biting and clawing one another in the Church and move closer to unity through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Many of us forget our identities as children of our Heavenly Father, and we neglect or abuse our brothers and sisters in Christ in thought, word and deed.  Committee meetings are notorious for such behavior!

I'm certain that our Lord Jesus knew exactly what was coming, and that's why He called the disciples (and now calls us) to sit down and watch for the movement of the Holy Spirit.  Sit down and wait.  Sit down until you are filled with My Presence, He says. I promise to guide you.  Just watch and wait for my Spirit.  She will guide you when the Father and I send her to you.

As we prepare for the season of Pentecost, dear ones, I pray that we all will take time to sit, to watch and to wait for the Spirit to lead us.  Only then will we remember who, and whose, we are.  Here, dear ones, is my sermon.  Watch and wait.  I'll do the same.  Then, together we can enter the future which God has prepared for us.  Remember, no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love God. These things have been, are being, and will be revealed through the Holy Spirit who searches all -- even the very deepest places within God (1 Cor. 2:9-10).