poetry party 41

Christine has announced Abbey of the Arts poetry party 41 and book giveaway so I'm participating and she tells us the books from the giveaway all have been given away, yay!

All month long I've been blogging daily thanks for National Blog Month, and I'm delighted to offer a few more reasons for thanksgiving.

I am excited about my Facebook page, suntreeriver design and all my fabulous fans. Since suntreeriver design debuted on Facebook just over six months ago, I've featured galleries of my own design along with ten guest artists so far; two more guests are scheduled for the near future.

Last Sunday we celebrated the reign of the crucified Man of Sorrows and risen King of Glory, and my heart holds immense gratitude for a God Who chose to come to earth in flesh that fails, bones that break, dreams that shatter and plans that implode and that God continues choosing far less than ideal circumstances as the ongoing locale of continuing Self-revelation

A Facebook friend quoted from Shane Claiborne in Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals "Christianity is at its best when it is peculiar, marginalized, suffering, and it is at its worst when it is popular, credible, triumphal, and powerful...." Despite my own tremendous ambivalence and pain, in many ways I yet am thankful for all these years of loneliness, marginalization and far less than full participation in church and world. After all, I'm a theologian so I do paradox and ambiguity very very well.

As we move into Advent's call to repentance and hope and then to the Nativity, the birth of the Baby Boy in Bethlehem, how can I not be everlastingly grateful for the Savior "Of Jesse's lineage coming ...amid the cold of winter when half-spent was the night" and for the Good News Jesus still brings, a gospel that fully engages and that calls us to stewardship of all creation.