Kathy Griffin, Petitions, Crazy Christians and Wasted Money

This morning I received an email from a respected leader in my church, asking me to sign a petition created by a group of Christian actors in response to Kathy Griffin’s off color comment during her acceptance of a creative arts Emmy earlier in the month.

Here’s a link to the article that accompanied the request: http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=276713

I’m flabbergasted. While I think Griffin’s comment was controversial, I’m not at all surprised by it. Griffin is known to make off color comments about many subjects, religion included. She’s a comic…that’s her job. Her comment doesn’t offend me. In fact, I thought it a bit witty. How many times, as a Christian, have I watched an awards show where someone gets up and “thanks Jesus” for their accomplishments, all of us knowing full well that it’s probably just lip service? (I’m not judging here…just being honest. No one knows a heart except God, but He does allow us to examine believers by their fruits). Griffin has never (to my knowledge) claimed to be a follower of Christ. Why would we expect her to be respectful of our God?

But most of all I found Griffin’s statements sad. To get up in front of a national audience and claim that “this award is now your God” is a very bold statement, joking or not, and one that she will have to answer for one day.

So instead of organizing protests and petitions, why doesn’t this group of supposedly well intentioned Christians put their time and effort into praying for Griffin? And I don’t mean organizing a public, self serving “prayer service” to draw attention to themselves. I’m talking about asking God, in their secret closet of prayer, to soften Kathy’s heart and reveal Himself to her.

And then there’s the issue of the $90,000 + spent on an ad in the USA Today claiming “enough is enough”? The group claims they just want to “give a voice to those who want to stand up for Christ”. That’s all well and good…except I can’t help but believe that that $90,000 could have been put to much better use feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and a thousand other tangible tasks that exhibit the love of Christ.

I don’t know…call me crazy…

What is prayer?

From Ted Loder’s Guerillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle

how shall i pray?

are tears prayers, lord?

are screams prayers,
or groans
or sighs
or curses?

can trembling hands be lifted to you,
or clenched fists
or the cold sweat that trickles down my back
or the cramps that knot my stomach?

will you accept my prayers, lord,
my real prayers,
rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life,
and not just the pretty, cut-flower,
gracefully arranged bouquet of words?

will you accept me, lord,
as i really am,
messed up mixture of glory and grime?

In Memory

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” ~Revelation 21:4

I pray that you have found peace, my friend.

Lump of Coal

LUMP OF COAL
————Lord, I always wonder why
When bad things happen to me,
How could You allow me turmoil
And roughen waves upon my sea?

If you love me, why allow such pain
And unnecessary strife?
I thought that You wanted me to know
Peace within my life.

I know that You really love me,
I know that You really care.
I know that You work in mysterious ways,
I know that You are always there.

“Child, you are pressed upon every side,
But you’re never really broken.
I will keep My every word
On the promises that I’ve spoken.”

“In time, I’ll make it clear to you,
For now, your character I build anew.
I allow such problems to persist
So that you’ll help others too.”

“You are a special lump of coal,
There’s a reason for the storms.
When coal is put under pressure,
Eventually, a diamond forms.”

~B.G. Wetherby

Thanks, Jamie. I’m waiting on my diamond too…

Seeking Tranquility

This past Wednesday was a rough day. Emotional overload. Stress over work, whiggin’ out over a UOAA Conference planning meeting, experiencing trepidation regarding an upcoming event, uncertainty pertaining to personal matters, guilt about not being able to help some friends who are in need.
Thursday was a repeat of Wednesday, plus an unexpected, ackward phone call threw me for a loop (ever feel like you’re living in the movie Groundhog Day? )
So Thursday night, Jon and Jaidin headed off to church, and moi took a drive to the beach.
So glad I did… There’s something so grounding and peaceful about looking out at a vast body of water, hearing and seeing the waves lap at the shore. Watching the fog roll in off the lake, I literally felt all the “yuck” of the past two days being blown off of me as the wind danced through my hair. The surroundings were quiet…just the sound of the water and the gulls.
I sat there for about an hour, just processing feelings and embracing my emotions. I prayed for a little while and just opened myself up to hear from the Spirit. The sun was setting. I have a special relationship with sunsets…God speaks to me through their representation of an end to one day and the promise of new beginnings the next.

As I left, I felt almost tranquil. None of my circumstances had changed…but something in my soul had.