Piece of the Puzzle

random musings...

questions on writing poetry

This summer I took a poetry workshop at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. It was a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed having a new outlet for writing. I’m going to take the workshop again in the fall, but in the meantime I’ve been pondering a couple of questions as a newbie amateur poet.

What to do with my poems when they’re “done”? In a sense I’m writing for myself but I also have an urge to share them. Maybe I just want to be told they’re good — even if they aren’t. Egos are fragile 🙂 I did some research into the idea of submitting to literary journals but after submitting a few poems it seems like a lot of work for not much gain. And do I really feel a need to be officially published? I’m not sure I do. I’m thinking for now I’ll just post a poem on this blog when I feel like it. Maybe people will see them or maybe they won’t.

Is a poem really ever done? It seems like it’s finished when I run out of ideas to improve it, but then if I take it to a workshop group I can always get more ideas 🙂 I’m going to post poems that I feel happy with at the time I post them but I’m not sure that will mean they are finished poems. Perhaps, like humans, poems can always be improved upon.

Poetics

Poetics

A whitewater rapids of tumbling words,
flowing fast and furious, threatening to crash,
or a decaying tooth holding fast by its roots,
refusing to give way, painstakingly extracted.

A scientist interrogates the mysteries of the cosmos
and determines we are principally uncertain.

A mystic stalks a labyrinth to invite visions
and loses herself, becoming the universe.

An explorer sets sail for new frontiers
and runs aground in lands already occupied.

A pirate raids an English brigantine for its gold
and exhausts the booty on rum while singing sea shanties.

A potter shapes clay into prismatic pottery, plates and mugs,
and fills them with nachos and beer.

An artisan strips away the layers of peeling paint
and reveals the natural beauty of the wood carving.

A psychologist penetrates humanity's dark shadows
and is eaten by the boogie man hiding under the bed.

A fortune teller gazes into a crystal ball
and finding it forever cloudy makes some shit up.

A gardener nurtures the seedlings in the rich humus
not knowing whether they will yield fruit or die from the blight.

A miner burrows deep for the glitter of gold
but owes his soul to the company store.

A picketer disrupts the corporate office, demanding justice,
and frees himself from the confines of a nine-to-five.

A librarian sorts and categorizes to impose order on chaos
and returns home to unwashed dishes perpetually piled high.

A paramour makes love in staid halls,
and shocks the self-righteous with the secret joys of fornication.

To breathe new life
into a tired world.

©2016 Kenneth W. Arthur

Stop the Insanity

It’s been weirdly re-assuring to see conservative politicians condemn Donald Trump’s proposal to stop Muslims from entering the US. I truly fear what far-right conservatives would do to our country in their pursuit of more wealth for the rich should they regain control of the presidency so it’s nice to think there is some moral line that they wouldn’t cross. Trump seems to finally have found that line.

As a nation we must stop giving into our fear. We must stop condemning an entire religion because of criminal terrorist organizations that create mayhem in the name of Islam. They no more represent Islam than Westboro Baptist Church represents Christianity. When we attack the entirety of Islam because of these terrorists it simply makes us their best agents because it creates a fertile atmosphere for them to recruit people to their cause. Instead, we need to embrace our Islamic brothers and sisters with love. That is how we could truly disarm the terrorists.

As many have been pointing out it is high time for ALL people, but especially our leaders, to speak out against the fear and hate that is running rampant throughout our nation, resulting in levels of xenophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and anti-Islamic rhetoric that are frightening. It feels as if the world has gone insane.

As a Christian minister, I am particularly disturbed that supposedly Christian leaders such as Jerry Falwell, Jr., Franklin Graham, and Pat Robertson routinely add to the fear. Such messages are not based in the Christian gospel. Remarks such as Falwell’s comments that we could “end those Muslims” by arming more people are profoundly offensive to me and should be offensive to all Christians. Christ taught that “love your neighbor” was the basis of, well, everything that matters. Anyone that preaches anything else is very simply not Christian.

Whether we are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, some other religion, or atheist, I hope that “love your neighbor” or some other version of the golden rule is a principle we can all get behind. It is only by realizing our inter-dependence, realizing that we need each other, can we save this crazy world we are living in. We have to stop the insanity. It’s time to stand up and say enough is enough. We need to declare that all lives matter, but we need to do that not as some kind of code that really means white American lives matter. We need to be specific: Black lives matter. Latino lives matter. Muslim lives matter. Trans lives matter. And on and on. Not to say it is to deny it.

The German protestant pastor Martin Niemoller is famous for the post World War II quote:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

The truth of this is more relevant today than ever. It’s time to speak out however we can, whenever we can. #blacklivesmatter #iammuslim

Queer Theology

The “anarchistreverend” blog, in the post http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/07/synchroblog/, asked people to blog about queer theology today, August 10, 2011. I think it will have a list of all of those who responded by blogging. My friend Cindi, who blogs at http://cindik.com/, has echoed the call several times, which finally inspired me to add a few words to the cause.

The original proposal stated: “On that day I want people to blog about what queer theology means to them. I want you to share your story of how reading the Bible queerly has changed your life. I want you to talk about how your sexuality or your gender identity has brought you deeper into relationship with God.”

And further clarified: “This synchroblog is NOT ABOUT apologetics. This isn’t about taking on the clobber passages or explaining why it’s okay to be queer. It’s time to move past those conversations. […] This day will give a hint of the beautiful stories that can be shared; of the amazing ways that queer folks read and delve into the Scriptures.”

Since I’ve waited until the last possible moment to think about this, my thoughts aren’t as well thought out as I would like… but I’ll give it a shot.

As a gay pastor of a small church composed of mostly LGBT people, the relationship of Christianity and queerness is very much of personal interest to me. First of all, I would echo the anarchistreverend’s sentiment that “it’s time to move past [apologetic] conversations.” Although I don’t mind giving my take on the “clobber” passages or why one can be queer and Christian to those who are genuinely struggling with those questions, I have no interest whatsoever in arguing about it with those who are determined to adhere to homophobic views. Queer people are loved children of God and our inherent, God-given worthiness is not up for debate. Period. End of Question.

But what does being queer and Christian mean to my life? For one, if I had not come to terms with being gay, I probably would never have come back to the church or Christianity. After many years, having left the church behind for reasons that had nothing to do with the question of queerness, I came back to church as a safe place to meet other gay people. In the process, I discovered “progressive” Christianity and re-found my love of the church and God. This has led me on a weird and wonderful journey to ministry.

But does being gay / queer enhance my spiritual journey? One way in which it does is that being a queer Christian forces me to question the status quo. To think for myself. I cannot just accept whatever traditional doctrine that I’m told I’m supposed to believe. Too many church teachings have historically been about maintaining the church’s power over people’s lives and not about helping them find God’s love. To buy into those doctrines would be self-damaging and irresponsible. The way many churches treat queer people is a good example of this at work.

This questioning and challenging is a gift that queer people give to the church. Being queer is to be on the margins of what is “acceptable.” Queerness makes people question and challenge boundaries, especially as to whether our boundaries are really God-given or established by fearful, power-pursuing humans. Marriage is a good example. Queerness challenges the status quo. It challenges the very definition of and reasons for marriage.

But, our questioning as queer people should also go beyond pushing the boundaries outward to include more people. We should question the very structure of the boundaries. Sticking with marriage, we might question whether being included in this institution is even the best thing. Perhaps we instead need new understandings of committed human relationships. In one way, I’m surprised that conservative Christians are against gay marriage. If conservatives wanted control over gay people and how they are allowed to act and present themselves then the best way to do that would be to bring them within the walls of their moral codes. I think it is wonderful when a new state approves gay marriage, but is to be within those walls really what is best? I’m not saying I disapprove of marriage… I think it is exciting when two people are in love and make a commitment to each other. But there are lots of side issues (such as church vs. state marriage) and this is not really meant to be a blog entry on marriage.

And there are plenty of other issues that come to mind… sexual ethics, open relationships, pornography, bdsm, family dynamics, the nature of love… Being queer should challenge us to try to think through those issues and not just accept the stereotypical, traditional Christian responses. And all of this questioning and searching the Bible, our hearts, and our fellow spiritual journeyers for answers should bring us closer to God in a more genuine, heartfelt relationship. Because that’s what queer people have to do, forge our own path of relationships – with each other and with God.

Related to this questioning, being a gay Christian has led me to think of Christ as queer… Jesus was always challenging the status quo, making people think. If you’re interested in the idea of a queer Christ, I’ll offer a sermon I preached a couple of years ago for further reflection. Listen to it at http://www.phoenixchurch.org/sermons/032909_ka_1corinth12_12-21_26.mp3 or read the pdf file attached to this blog entry.

Okay, that’s it as a last minute reflection on what being queer and Christian means to me… at least what it means to me today anyway 🙂 I’m still questioning… and hope I always will be.

referenced sermon in pdf format:  Recognizing Ourselves in Christ

How to make a difficult decision easy (sort of)

At a meeting a month or so again I mentioned how my church had made a difficult decision without rancor or ill will despite the fact that not everyone was in agreement on what the outcome should be.  Several people asked “how did you do that?” as if it sounded quite miraculous.  Indeed, in some sense it did seem like a miracle, especially considering we have, at times in our history, sometimes made easy decisions seem difficult and difficult decisions seem almost impossible.  But this is not unique to our church either.  Any group of human beings, all of whom have unique opinions, passions, and perspectives, can struggle with group decision making.

This led me to think about how did we take a difficult decision and make a pleasant process out of it?  Here are some of my thoughts and some of the principles that we followed:

Another powerful anti-bullying message

Another powerful video:

Watch: ‘At 13’, A Spoken Word Anti-Bullying Performance by Kenneth Morrison – Towleroad | #gay #news.

Last “Pink Triangle” Survivor

Check out this story and interview about the last known “pink triangle” survivor of Hitler’s concentration camps.

FROM PARIS WITH YAGG Pink Triangles: The last known survivor tells his story | FROM PARIS WITH YAGG.

Here’s the video (also referenced from the above link):

YouTube – Joel Burns tells gay teens “it gets better”

A video well worth watching:

YouTube – Joel Burns tells gay teens “it gets better”.

And God Created…

Here’s a cute story…  I don’t know the original source, but I found it here: http://www.frtommylane.com/stories/humility/man_dog_cat.htm

=====

It is reported that the following edition of Genesis Chapter 2 was discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

And Adam said, “God, when I was in the garden, you walked with me everyday. Now I do not see you anymore. I am lonesome here and it is difficult for me to remember how much you love me. “

And God said, “No problem! I will create a companion for you that will be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that you will know I love you, even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish and childish and unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will love you as I do, in spite of yourself.”

Reflection on Augut 9 lectionary readings

Some thoughts on lectionary readings for Aug 9, 2009… (what direction might I take if I were preaching on this)

In 1 Kings 19:4-8, Elijah is fleeing for his life from Queen Jezebel. Although he asks to die, God instead provides food and water to strengthen him for his next journey. Two things we might see in this short story… 1) God’s plan for us isn’t necessarily what we want. Even when we think we’re done, God might have other things in mind. We need to listen for God’s plan in our life. 2) Elijah wanted deliverance from his problem but this isn’t what God provides. Instead, God strengthens him so he can continue on his path. Likewise, we shouldn’t necessarily expect a miracle that allows us to avoid whatever problems we may be facing. We cannot always avoid our problems, but God will always be there with us to provide the strength to face them.

And, where does Elijah’s journey take him? Through 40 days and nights, similar to Noah’s 40 days of flooding, Moses’ 40 years of leading, and Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, to “Horeb, the mount of God.” To find new life, the promised land, the place where God is, seems to always require a period of trials. But we know that God has strengthened us for the journey. This is not a one time trip where God is only at the end… this is a cycle… God always strengthens us for the next step which in turn brings us closer to God and readies us for the step after that.

As Christians, we find God through Jesus. The reading of John 6:35, 41-51 calls Jesus the bread of life. Through Jesus, new life can be found. This reading also uses some terms that merit some discussion.

Jesus is said to have come down from heaven. Does this mean some heaven in the sky like children are taught to think of it? I don’t think this talk of heaven says anything about a place or an afterlife, but more probably indicates Jesus comes from an ideal state of complete harmony with God, the source of being.

The word “believe” is also important, especially for John where we find it more than twice the number of times it appears in Matthew, Mark, and Luke combined. One of the meanings of believe is to “accept as true,” but John often talks about believing in the name of Jesus. It doesn’t seem likely that John is asking us to believe his name is really Jesus. But, the dictionary also defines believe as “trust in.” This, I think, is what John is saying we should do. We don’t need to believe in doctrines and dogmas that otherwise seem unbelievable, but we do need to trust in the story and teachings of Jesus and how they can positively affect our lives.

Other questions deserve additional thought as well. What does it mean to say that those who trust in Jesus will have eternal life? Obviously, as humans we die so this isn’t meant in a literal sense. What then does it mean? Is it a promise of life after death? Or does it refer to a spiritual eternal-ness or transcendence here in this life, perhaps a life filled with the love and hope of God, lived in harmony with God?

Likewise, when Jesus says he will give his flesh as the bread is he referring to his death, birth, or his life and ministry? What does it mean to eat of his flesh? Is this a call to trust in Jesus? To live like Jesus? What does it mean to be raised up “at the last day?” Is this talk of an after-life? Or might we understand it as part of the process of being “born again”? To die away from our old life (a last day) and begin a new life in harmony with God’s love…

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