Words to Live By

Last Sunday's sermon was what is probably the annual, 

"You thought you couldn't buy your way

into heaven? ?  Well I'm here to tell you that you can" sermon.

The problem with those kind of talks is that those who get the message already give generously of their money and time.  It just makes them feel guilty so they double their efforts and eventually just burn out.

It goes right over the heads of everyone else.

Anyway I burnt out years ago so I let my eyes drift around the beautiful old church.

A teen age girl was slumped a few pews ahead of me - way too young to care about much other than her own changing body.

Suddenly, because I wasn't listening and didn't notice, it was time to stand.

The girl heaved herself up.

And that's when I got my sermon from God the Mother for this week.

For thus I say unto you in huge letters across the back the girl's hoodie were written these words:

Shut Up and Dance.

***

What We Have Done

"Wake Up, Mother and See What We've Done"

oil pastels on paper

The Anglican Church has asked all churches across Canada to ring their bells for the missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Those damn bells should ring every frickin' day all day long until we get some answers.

Farewell to a Priestess

In this image a woman is forcing the cranky travelers in the second boat forward 

with the power of her mind.

It seems my guess that the church would leave me 

this time around before I left it was true. 


Last Sunday our Priestess announced that she is 

retiring.


The sorrow was profound. And I, who 

have been there for such a short time, was sad.


In fourteen years she has taken a moribund church, 

(many parishioners kicking and screaming), into a 

new era of drums and social justice.  


And now she is tired.  


The picture I did last Christmas called "By the Power 

of My will" seems to illustrate what she did perfectly.


Some women are born leaders.



More thoughts on this turn of events later.


***

Finding Mrs Yahweh

Oil pastel from 2014.  
'Bird of Pray'

The fecundity of the Great mother who is always birthing.



Yahweh needs to join a dating service for single deities.  






***

The Sojourner

The Sojourner

oil pastels, June 2015

When it comes right down to it, we are all sojourners.

Christians Huntin' Down Them Witches

I have a feeling the church will leave me this time before I leave it.

I had supper with a group of women from my new parish last night.

I overheard an outraged woman tell the people around her that

her neighbour had a Wiccan wedding.

"Oh that isn't Satanism," I piped up, figuring that what she was

thinking.

Her angry eyes turned to me and she spat, 

"It's WITCHCRAFT!"

I swallowed my moussaka before I replied mildly, (without 

thinking) "And that would be a bad thing??"

And Bob's your uncle, four weeks into it and I have an enemy.

This could be a very short-lived blog, Debra and Martha!!

:)

'Do This In My Name'

I don't believe the number of believers has changed 

much since I was a kid in the 1950s.

I do believe that the number of people who feel 

socially obligated to go to church has dropped 

significantly.

With so few attendees today a good church is a busy 

place.  

The Anglican church I have started attending has a 

free lunch for the hungry every Sunday. Parishioners 

take turns cooking, serving and cleaning up. 

The churches in the area all take turns providing free 

breakfasts for the homeless every day of the year.

They collect food donations every week  

and the group that I am going to join makes up 

packages of ingredients that make a wholesome, 

filling meal, (recipe included) for the local food bank.

No proselytizing, mo judging, no one is turned away.

They just get up early and do it.

I have my issues with the Christian church but this 

isn't one of them.

Pope Mary Littlebear

Residential schools.

Missing and murdered aboriginal women.




If we wake up tomorrow and the Pope says, "Oops, sorry.   Of course women can be priests.  As a matter of fact I'm stepping aside in favour of Sister Mary Littlebear."


That will be the day I'll believe we are really addressing these issues.


***

Just Keep On Going

Forgiveness.

What the frick does THAT mean??

I've never really understood how I'm supposed to 

feel inside if I practice forgiveness 

- which I don't try to practice anymore by the way.


Last month I was blindsided on the phone by a dear 

friend I've had since I was a small girl.


I suffered through two days of screaming phone calls 

and messages that hit so far below the belt I was 

curled up in a ball with my hands over my head.


Then she went on facebook.


*** 

When I was a young woman and a fellow I was 

dating died in a car crash my mother's advice was, 

"You just keep on going."

In the face of unbearable tragedy 'you just keep on 

going'.


And that is about as close to 'forgiveness' as I'm 

going to get.


I just keep on keeping on.

Girl Eats Boy

This image from 2014 is called 'Song of Creation'.  

It shows the Great Mother birthing the Trinity at the 

time of Creation.


Which is problematic because the Trinity is a 

Christian God, three times masculine and 

misogynistic. 


Why would She do such a thing?  


But maybe I'm wrong.


Maybe She is about to devour it and this is an 

image of the first great Cosmic Eucharist. 

Judging Caitlin

'Judge not lest ye be judged'.

Well right. 

With that thought in mind I have to tell you that I 

have been totally creeped out by the recent photos 

of Caitlin Jenner.

Her idea of what it means to be a sixty-five year old 

woman makes my skin crawl.

I suppose what really worries me is not Ms Jenner 

herself, but the adoration of the camera.

The cries of, "How brave she is!"

But getting old requires bravery.

And evidently being able to see 


the colour of the soul 


under the story written on a sixty-five year old face 

is a skill the very rich have been denied.

***