Don't hesistate, Mary Oliver

 

Brene Brown

I realize I'm late to this awesome party, but I am reading Brene Brown's work and am just loving it! 

 

Which Book Do I Read First?

April 26, 2019 | 3 min read

By Brené Brown

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My team and I receive emails every week from people asking 

“If I’m new to your work, where do I start? Which book do I read first?”

Here’s how I think of the progression of my work:

The Gifts of Imperfection—Be you.
Daring Greatly—Be all in.
Rising Strong—Fall. Get up. Try again.

I offer brief overviews of my work at the start of Daring Greatly and Rising Strong, but reading The Gifts is always a good place to start. The 10th Anniversary hardback edition of The Gifts and the new audiobook (imperfectly read by me) launched on September 8th, 2020.

Dare to Lead is putting Daring Greatly and Rising Strong into practice at work. 

It’s tactical, actionable, and great for team/group/org reads. 

There are free downloadable workbooks and tools on our Dare to Lead Hub.

Braving the Wilderness is a book about belonging in a polarized culture and 

it stands on its own. You can read it anywhere in the progression.  

 I Thought It Was Just Me was my first book and is a deep dive into women and shame. If you’re looking for detailed information on women and shame, I still recommend starting with The Gifts then moving to I Thought It Was Just Me.

If you’re looking primarily for a book on courage and vulnerability, or you want something that talks about applying “the work” at work – start with Daring Greatly.

If you’re looking for a “I-was-brave-and-got-my-heart-broken-or-my-ass-kicked” book – well, first, thanks for being brave. Courage is contagious even when there are hard endings. Second, I would start with Daring Greatly then get to Rising Strong ASAP. Daring Greatly will remind you that your vulnerability was courage and Rising Strong will give you some ideas about how to deal with all of the stories we make up and keep on a loop when we’re dusting ourselves off.

Hope this helps and thanks for your interest!

Gaudete: Joy

Gaudete: Joy is a state of mind independent of the state of the world! 

Gaudete: Joy

Gaudete: Joy is a state of mind independent of the state of the world! 

Gaudete: Joy!

Gaudete: Joy is a state of mind independent of the state of the world! 

Be joyful

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

A new birth into a living hope!

1 Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith-- being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Cast away the works of darkness

Collect for Advent 1

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Everything

EVERYTHING

Everything I see, hear, touch, feel, taste,

speak, think,

imagine,

is completing a perfect circle

God has drawn.

~Meister Eckhart

The source of your joy

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile,

but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

Thích Nhất Hạnh

Don't go back to sleep

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.

Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.

Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill

where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.

Don't go back to sleep.

Enjoy me

Enjoy Me

St. Teresa of Avila

Just these two words He spoke
changed my life:

“Enjoy Me.” 

What a burden I thought I was to carry--
a crucifix, as did He.

Love once said to me, "I know a song,
Would you like to hear it?

And laughter came from every brick in the street
And from every pore
in the sky.

After a night of prayer, he
changed my life when
He sang,

"Enjoy Me."

Love Poems From God edited by Daniel Ladinsky

hat tip to "Inward/Outward" blog

24 December 2009 - Christmas Eve Sermon

Christmas Eve Sermon

24 December 2009

The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness –

on them light has shined.

~

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given.

~Isaiah 9

Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord, all the earth.

~

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it.

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

before the Lord.

~Psalm96:11-12

“I bring you good tidings of great joy which should be for all people.”

~Luke 2:10

Light – the light of heaven has been lit here on the face of the earth.  A deep and abiding light that shined only in the heavenly courts has been sent to earth, and once here, this light lasts forever.  As earlier peoples sought comfort in the returning light of the Sun, God has sent a Son who is the light who comforts all peoples.  Here, in this feast of Christmas, the feast of the Incarnation, we celebrate and recognize the light that has been sent into the world, a light that brings hope to our hopelessness, a light that gives courage to our fearfulness, a light that gives joy to joylessness.  God has stooped down and reached down into the manger in Bethlehem to become known in the world.  God has stooped down and brought light to the world in the baby Jesus.  God has stooped down and lit every candle of every heart with a fire that is ever-present, always warming, and never extinguished.  The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.

And we are they!

Whether or not we always feel this light in our hearts, the light is there.  Whether or not we always see the light, the light is there.  The magic of Christmas includes glimmers of that light in various forms and in surprising places and spaces.  We may look back to Christmases past feel something quite deep and rich that we haven’t felt in a long time.  We may remember the gift of a present under the tree, or the gift of a grandparent’s presence and love for us, giving us glimmers of the gift of God’s presence in our lives.  We may watch one of many holiday tv shows and find ourselves getting choked up when the Grinch’s heart grows three times that day. 

“He didn’t stop Christmas from coming, it came just the same!”  There is a deep and abiding power of the Spirit that can feel more alive, and more tangible in this holiday time.  This deep and abiding power can lead us to wonderful and joyful places.  Conversely, this deep and abiding power can lead us to places of sadness, and the blues.  But this too, can be a gift to us, perhaps helping us to focus our attention on what really matters, perhaps allowing us to remember that though we go through peaks and valleys, the miracle of Christmas is that God is with us always – God with us – Emmanuel.

New song - and so, we sing a new song, we “sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.”  God is with us, and we rejoice. We light lights and we sing songs, and the psalmist reminds us to sing to the Lord a new song.  This song is a song of hope, a song of rejoicing, a song of glory for the Lord.  This song is a song that everything in the whole creation sings.  The sea roars, the field exults, and everything in it.  And even the trees, the trees!  This new song is sung by even the trees, “all the trees of the forest sing for joy, before the Lord.”  All of creation sings for joy for this new song, this new reality that has been brought down to the world.  As sunshine covers the world, so God’s grace and love covers us, and the entire creation. 

The trees and all the creation sings for joy.  How strange you might say.  But then, C.S. Lewis puts language into the mouths of animals in his Narnia books.  There, the snow covered the entire land of Narnia because the Lord had not returned.  Snow covers the earth because Aslan had not yet returned, but the animals, and the entire land awaits his coming.  All of the land sings for joy when they hear that “Aslan is on the move!” 

The deep and abiding power of Aslan is a deep power that is beyond the paltry magic of the White Witch.  The deep and abiding power of Aslan is warmer, and richer, and stronger than any magic we might imagine.  It passes human understanding.  It is like the warm sun shining upon an icy driveway.  God’s love and deep care for us is like a sunny 85 degree day after a long and icy winter freeze.  If you’ve spent any time trying to chip away at the snow and ice, you will find that all your efforts are eclipsed by the warmth of the sun.  We can spend a lot of time and energy trying to chip away at our own ice and chilliness, but God’s grace will blast it all to bits.

“Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord.”  We sing this new song as we are willing to receive the grace and allow it to transform our lives.  We sing with joy as we remember the gift of this night.  We sing with joy to behold the presence of God in Jesus in the humble manger.  We sing with joy to behold him among us. 

Joy – the birth of Jesus is the decisive fulfillment of that “always coming” reign of God – and yet we still look forward to the fullness of that reign when Christ will come in glory. 

“For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which should be to all people, to you is born in the city of David, a savior which is Christ the Lord, and this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

“I bring you good tidings of great joy which should be for all people.”

May the light of the Lord shine bright in dark places, illuminating your hearts, giving you deep joy so that you may sing a new song, for unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Amen.

Prayers for Peace - a Jewish Prayer for Peace

"Peace and Joy to you in 2009"

As many of us sent and received Christmas and Holiday cards that had words such as "Peace" and "Joy" and "Hope," I thought it would be a good time to explore some of these deep concepts. Beginning with "Peace," we might also begin by praying for peace.

My friend and colleague, Jim Richardson, who is the rector of St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church in Charlottesville recently had a Day of Peace, in which he and his congregation gathered on a Saturday to pray for peace, and they used prayers from a variety of sources. While I was unable to attend this day, I did "follow" it a bit online. Jim, and those who attended, offered a beautiful variety of prayers for peace. I know only too well that while we strive to work for peace with justice, we also are in deep need of God's grace as we pursue this lofty (and difficult!) goal of bringing peace to our lives "nearby" and "far away."

~ The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Jewish Prayer for Peace

Grant us peace, Your most precious gift, O Eternal Source of peace, and give us the will to proclaim its message to all the peoples of the earth. Bless our country, that it may always be a stronghold of peace, and its advocate among the nations. May contentment reign within its borders, health and happiness within its homes. Strengthen the bonds of friendship among the inhabitants of all lands, and may the love of Your name hallow every home and every heart. Blessed is the Eternal God, the Source of peace. AMEN

Gates of Prayer (Reformed Jewish), p. 695

And, do check out Jim's blog, "Fiat Lux" HERE.

Hearts filled with Joy - Where do YOU find JOY?

.

The school at which I teach has within its list of core values that we want students to take JOY in their learning. I love this statement and this sentiment, and I am so happy (shall I say Joyful?), that those who crafted these statements have included this statement. Joy is perhaps a somewhat underused word, perhaps even somewhat old fashioned, but the concept of JOY is a wonderful one. Where we find joy is really where the Holy Spirit is at work and thriving in our lives. In addition, the affirmation of JOY in our lives is an affirmation that God wants us to live abundant lives. John 10:10 is one of my favorite verses, "I am come so that you may have life and have it abundantly." God does not want us to live lives of slavish service, but rather joyful lives of caring for ourselves, caring for one another and finding JOY and LOVE and Peace in life.

I had my students write an assignment on where they find JOY, and these were some wonderful papers to read - there was a wide variety of ways that students find joy, in family gatherings, running in the rain, making food, having a cup of tea with a mentor, playing sports, writing, reading, teaching, learning, watching zombie movies...you name it, they mentioned it -- and I find joy in reading these wonderful papers.

Then I ran across this quote from Mother Teresa, a sort of a different take on the quote attributed to St. Francis ("preach the gospel at all times, when necessary, use words"), Mother Teresa is quoted as saying:

"One filled with joy preaches without preaching." -Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Where do YOU find JOY?

"Be joyful though you have considered all the facts" - Wendell Berry

Manifesto:
The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

by Wendell Berry

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.
And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.
When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion - put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.
Ask yourself: Will this satisfy
a woman satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep
of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.
As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go. Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" from The Country of Marriage, copyright © 1973 by Wendell Berry

First Sunday Serving as a Deacon

 

It was really quite wonderful to serve as a deacon today at Grace Church, Silver Spring, MD, my old field education site from seminary. It was a great service and it was just excellent to proclaim the gospel and serve at the table!