3,000 Soldiers Dead, Including One Friend
January 5, 2007
My brother Sgt. A. Peter Snodgrass, who is serving his 2nd deployment as an Army Medic in Iraq, was friends with a soldier who was killed last week (the same week we passed the 3,000 US soldiers casualties mark). They had served together in South Korea and on both Iraqi tours.
AP Article w/ Photos: http://cbs4denver.com/local/local_story_003072103.html
“22-year-old Sergant John M. Sullivan of Hixon, Tennessee died last Saturday in Baghdad when an improvised explosive device went off near his vehicle while on combat patrol. Sullivan was just days away from returning home from his second tour of duty in Iraq to be with his wife and newborn son. His family said Sullivan volunteered for the patrol when a fellow-soldier got sick.”
from http://fox21news.com/Global/story.asp?S=5891680
“Hours after SGT John Michael Sullivan was killed in Iraq, his wife Michele gave birth to their little boy at Fort Carson. News of her husband’s death had sent Sullivan into labor.
‘I got a knock on the door and I told them, ‘don’t tell me,” said Sullivan. Her husband had been killed when a roadside bomb hit his Humvee. SGT Sullivan and his wife had planned to name their son Johnny Walker. Sullivan said they both thought it was a strong name everyone would remember. When SGT Sullivan died, his wife chose a different name so her son would always be remembered… and her husband would never be forgotten– John Michael Sullivan Jr.”
from http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/5080596.html
* Please pray for his soul, his wife, newborn son, parents (he was an only son), and unit in Iraq.
newyears-day
January 1, 2007
newyears-day, originally uploaded by pinholepirate.
Many faiths and traditions,
my tradition and faith:
lately I can’t seem to have
one without the other.
Like the communion wafers
passed out as a meal,
and the unfrozen pita bread,
church has grown stale.
Too many 18th and 19th
century quarter notes.
The pipe organ was once
a technical innovation.
I’m not anti-establishment,
but let’s also establish
new mysteries to assure us
of Your Holy Presence
by Bowie Snodgrass
Spiritual Resolution Questions for 2007
December 26, 2006
What will be your spiritual and wellness disciplines?
Where will you seek wisdom and creativity?
How will you strive for justice and peace?
How will you be hospitable and big hearted?
What will be your ministries in the world this year?
WIS-TIPS the wake down
December 18, 2006
by Bowie Snodgrass
these short days are pregnant with expectation
of what is real, unrealized, and unrealistic
John proclaimed bold and true
the coming of the kingdom
- and ended up beheaded
the dangerous call of the gospel
- is unsettling
enough of settling down
I am poised for adventure
and like a lion - persistent in its pursuit
we are called - to roam and roar
he walks with a limp -
his eyes sparkle with insight -
she plays Bach with her feet -
hands strained behind her back
in New York City
we carry our worlds
in pockets and bags
enough of being earnest
it’s time to entertain
when it’s GAME OVER
agree to PLAY AGAIN
I am throwing down
- I am standing up!
preach in broad strokes
and live in the nuance
traditions are meant to be kept
stories are meant to be meant
something new is about to begin
now is a time to dance and sing
note: written after David Fleenor’s ordination; Bp. Packard preaching
Two Visions of the Emerging Church
December 11, 2006
Embracing Worship 2.0 – an Architecture of Participation
by Johnny Baker, excellent column published in Church Times
Brian McLaren shared this poem with me at the end of October, after it was shared with him on a recent trip to Mexico City. It resonated with me so strongly that I recently got permission to publish the English translation (trans. by Amy Stabeno and Elisa Padilla). Many thanks!
Do You Know Someone Like this?
A poem by Pablo Alaguibe
Could there be someone out there,
someone else,
who would be interested
in participating in an experiment
of Christian community
’model 2006,’
Read the rest of this entry »
Advent Meditation Pieces
December 4, 2006
1)
The wind has changed
I can smell you again
In the soft open air
Beneath the mountains of the moon
In the stillness of the night
I sense your sweet scent
2)
we speak of matters of the soul
when we’re alone in this world.
men and women trying to figure
it out and our insides to know.
we work to know ourselves, and
thereby accept the other folks, we.
work together in the struggle for
liberation and peace in our land.
3)
some goals for the new liturgical year…
be honest about your life.
cherish your inheritances and pass on to other people.
come to know yourself by taking time to think and worship god.
be creative. move ideas around. be curious.
struggle for justice.
be flexible. breathe.
be kind to living things and appreciate nature.
share. believe.
love.
what else? please comment with additional goals.
Psalm 13
November 30, 2006
1) How long, O God? How long will you hide your face from me? How long will I be clinging so tightly to wisps of smoke?
2) How long will I wrestle with these traditions, these scriptures, this church? How long will this obsession last? How long until I can happily live a secular life?
3) I need answers, God! You have left me too many questions. Give me a sign that my struggling is more than foolishness or please release me from this burning need to seek you.
4) My friends will say, “We’re glad you’ve matured out of your religious phase. We’re glad you’ve come to your senses.” They will rejoice for me and welcome me back with open arms.
5) But even if I cannot take hold of you, Silent and Invisible One, the wisdom of this world is insufficient. My search gives me meaning that this world never will.
6) And so I will write songs for you and craft rituals for you. I will walk your road because my struggles, wanderings, and discouragements are a blessing. You have given me a bounty.
Thanks Giving
November 22, 2006
Dear God, you provide for the birds of the air and the lillies of the feild. You have given us our minds our bodies, and your love.
For this we come to you in humble thanks giving.
Let us give thanks for all that we have.
Let us give thanks that we have enough to be thankful for.
God is There
October 28, 2006
Commemoration Ceremony of the Destruction of the Bamyan Buddhas, originally uploaded by Chris Kuhn.
a photo I found on flickr looking for pics tagged: friends god alone
—————————————
by Bowie Snodgrass
a poem I wrote wednesday night:
I want
A church
that’s part
of my private life
the life I live alone
in my head and heart
so many public personas,
media mentalities/realities
we yearn for integration
to become whole again
be part of something
bigger than just me
when two or three
gather together
God is
There
Sad, Sad Story
October 13, 2006
this is one of my favorite songs written by my bro, TJSnodgrass. I thought they were good lyrics to muse upon while thinking about house church. the arrangement reminds me of an ol’ revival grace or, perhaps, a campfire song.
From The Sundry Brothers WORK OUT
Bring your sad, sad story to the table
To lay between the salad and the steak
Spill it like the horses from the stable
You’ll find the cloth is clean ‘fore you’re awake
Bring your sad, sad story to the table
To flow between the politics and news
Bring it satire, daydream, fact or fable,
You’ll find there’s still an ending left to choose
Bring it if it’s beautiful or terrible
Bring it gospel truth or pretty parable
Save your certified learning
Don’t preach your practice sermon
Don’t try too hard to hide your cards
Just share it all
Bring your sad, sad story to the table
To lay between your set-up and your stash
You’ll know you’re getting somewhere
If it’s painful, and in the morn we’ll
Throw it in the trash, yes, in the morn
We’ll throw it in the trash
© Snodgrass 2006