Focus on New and Old Friends Pray, share chat 4/21/2021

 The focus today is making "new friends" and appreciating old ones.

1.  calming meditation

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IIbBI-BT9c4

2.   language of the Heart by Kathy Sherman

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CCiRALcHTbQ

3.  Narrative

Week Fifteen: Friendship and Grace

Making New Friends

  Richard Rohr 4/15/2021

I’ve known CAC faculty member Brian McLaren for many years; and I deeply admire his gift for making friends through his genuine curiosity, compassion, and unconditional presence to others. In this passage, he encourages us to build relationships outside our comfortable social and religious groups.

Christian mission begins with friendship—not utilitarian friendship, the religious version of network marketing—but genuine friendship, friendship that translates love for neighbors in general into knowing, appreciating, liking, and enjoying this or that neighbor in particular. . . .

Many new friends have come into my life . . . Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, New Agers, and others—including lots of atheists and agnostics, too. One of the most dramatic of those friendships began in the aftermath of 9/11/2001. Like a lot of churches, our little congregation held a prayer service. While praying, I felt a voice speaking, as it were, in my chest: Your Muslim neighbors are in danger of reprisals. You must try to protect them. The next morning, I wrote and made copies of a letter extending, belatedly, friendship toward Muslim communities in my area, and offering solidarity and help if simmering anti-Muslim sentiments should be translated into action. I drove to the three mosques nearby—I had never visited them before—and tried to deliver my letter in person. . . .

[At the third mosque,] I clumsily introduced myself [to the imam] as the pastor from down the street . . . I then handed him my letter, which he opened and read as I stood there awkwardly. I remember the imam, a man short in stature, slowly looking down at the letter in the bright September sun, then up into my face, then down, then up, and each time he looked up, his eyes were more moist. Suddenly, he threw his arms around me—a perfect stranger. . . . I still remember the feeling of his head pressed against my chest, squeezing me as if I were his long-lost brother. . . .

My host welcomed me not with hostility or even suspicion, but with the open heart of a friend. And so that day a friendship began between an Evangelical pastor named Brian and a Muslim imam we’ll call Ahmad. . . .

It's one thing to say you love humanity in general, whatever their religion; it’s quite another to learn to love this or that specific neighbor with his or her specific religion. So, do you have a Sikh neighbor, a Hindu coworker, a Muslim business associate, a Buddhist member of your PTA, a New Age second cousin? Invite them into companionship over a cup of tea or coffee. Ask them questions. Display unexpected interest in them, their traditions, their beliefs, and their stories. Learn why they left what they left, why they stay where they stay, why they love what they love. Enter their world, and welcome them into your world, without judgment. If they reciprocate, welcome their reciprocation; if not, welcome their nonreciprocation. Experience conviviality. Join the conspiracy of plotting for the common good together.

 

Brian D. McLaren, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World (Jericho Books: 2012), 223, 225, 226, 231.

4. Meditation Music

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hlWiI4xVXKY&t=1060s

5. thank you for being you

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PTDoRLdJ1kg

when words lighten up your feelings

 

and so we were at

the start of our zoom meeting

sharing covid sad stories

in our beloved country the Philippines.

struggling with the dreadful surge

of the covid virus. the pandemic. with no organized

way of distributing the vaccine it seems.

tales of relatives, friends passing.

then came time for the mass

celebrated by our ka jamer 65

class member bishop rolly.

readings read, gospel said

and then the sermon.

everyone felt the consoling

reassuring words of trusting the lord.

to remain hopeful. i felt it 

and so did everyone.

as ramon said at the end

perfectly described our experience

"nakakagaan ng pakiramdam"

it lightened up our feelings translated

indeed the homily did.

thank you bishop.

thank you mama mary.

salamat Jesus.

we trust  we believe. we are hopeful.

you will help the Philippines.

the filipinos and all.

 

We just came back from Orlando Florida where we stayed at the World Center Marriott Hotel, the biggest Marriott hotel in the world.  We attended the Dance Team Union Competition where my daughter Bettina's Point Park University Dance Team participated.  

The hotel is actually a resort with swimming pools, mini golf link, a golf link and other facilities. And of course it features various places to eat, namely  the Central Pantry, Sports Bar, Starbucks, Pool Side Restaurant and the Ciro Urban Italian Place.  In this latter restaurant, I tasted the best Bolognese dish from my husband's plate.  I had it again two days later.  

I decided when I came home to develop a vegan version of my new sauce craving.  I chose to use my reliable cauliflower walnut meat recipe as the meatless alternative to the ground beef used in the recipe.  Most vegan recipes utilize lentils but I will be demonstrating the use of the cauliflower meat for our Plant Based Pittsburgh group in May and I wanted to show that this meat alternative is versatile enough for Italian dishes aside from the Mexican type of dishes it is usually used  for.  I wanted to test that the spices used in the Cauliflower Walnut recipe will not detract from the Bolognese sauce.  I found out they enhance it! 

Here is the recipe I developed.  Enjoy.

Vegan Cauliflower Walnut Bolognese

• 1/2 recipe of cauliflower walnut meat (recipe below)
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 28 oz. canned diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup oat milk
• 1/4 -1/2 cup red or white wine (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a skillet and simmer till the flavors blend. 

 
Sprinkle with dry basil leaves  or fresh basil leaves.

Serve over pasta of your choice.

Cauliflower Walnut Meat

Makes about 5 cups

Adapted From the website Pinch of Yum

cauliflower florets from 1 head of cauliflower

2 pieces chipotle from can

2 cups walnuts

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (You can skip this step if not baking).  

  

Place all the ingredients in a large food processor. If you have a medium sized one, do it in two batches. Pulse till the ingredients are blended and the mixture is mealy in texture. Transfer the mixture into a parchment lined pan and spread the mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes and stir half way.  (You can skip the baking step).

 

This was my ooo lala cake I made for our Easter brunch. It was inspired by the one I saw in Facebook.  I made it easier to prepare by using dessicated coconut dyed green instead of piping green icing on top of the cake as the original recipe suggested. I did get my hands all green cuz I was ummm bit clumsy. Overall some friends when they saw the photos could not believe that I made it all by myself. It was that impressive. It really easy peasy to put together.

Anyway it was special times with my family.  We all got our vaccine shots and celebrating together in a relaxed manner for the first time after almost a year. A long time. Thank you Jesus.

My daughter's family posed for their yearly Easter photo in front of our house. And the two kids did the yearly riddle Easter hunt. We placed a dollar in each plastic egg.  They opened gifts brought by their Aunt B.  Then we ate the feast of steak, salmon, steamed asparagus and carrots, sausage casserole prepared by my daughter, Hawaiaan rolls and fruits brought by my other daughter and the Wow cake. Then we watched Sponge Bob the movie. Then I took a nap. I was happy.  We were all happy.  Christ is risen. Alleluia.

Here I am in my favorite pandemic outfit, my nightgown, proudly showing off my masterpiece.

My Easter Wow Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (or use any other flavor) (will need 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil and water)

2 cans cream cheese frosting (or use any other flavor)

1 package yellow peeps

1 package blue or pink peeps

1-2 cups sweet desiccated coconut flakes

green food coloring

1 package jelly beans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. 

Pour batter equally into the two cake pans.

Bake according to the time in the package.

Cool the cake.

With a knife, cut off a bit of the top of one cake to even it out.

Place this layer in your serving container and spread some of the frosting on top.

Position the other cake on top and generously frost the two layers with the

icing.

Place the peeps, alternating the colors, on the side of the frosted cake.

In a small bowl, place the dessicated coconut.  Add the green color to the coconut flakes till they are green.

Spread the dyed coconut on top of the cake.

Distribute the jelly beans on top.

 

Paula's Prayer Meeting 4/14/2021

 1.  Opening Song

Join in the Dance by Dan Shutte

2.  Narrative

easter pray share and chat 4/7/2021

The focus of the meeting is Easter.  Let us start with a sunrise meditation.

1.  sunrise meditation

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DrTeNDo-Mbo

2.  he is risen st Bernadette choir

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-MAeZb1WQJg

3.  easter prayer 

Let us pray

God made you and God made me,

He made the world for us to see.

God loves you and long ago,

He sent his Son to tell us so.

Jesus showed us many things,

To love and share and dance and sing.

To learn and pray, to help and care,

He promised he'd always be there.

He died but then came back to life,

Let's celebrate for he's alive!

Amen.

— Author Unknown

4.  Easter Hallelujah

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3NZEdHQaI

5.  Narrative

Thursday, April 1st, 2021 Holy Thursday

Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

From the Center for Action and Contemplation

Week Thirteen: Scapegoating and the Cross

The Wisdom of the Passion

 CAC teacher Cynthia Bourgeault invites us to consider the meaning of the passion from a wisdom perspective, not as a spectator watching what Jesus did, but understanding what each of us is called to do:

The passion is really the mystery of all mysteries, the heart of the Christian faith experience. By the word “passion” here we mean the events which end Jesus’s earthly life: his betrayal, trial, execution on a cross, and death. . . .

The spectacle of an innocent and good man destroyed by the powers of this world is an archetypal human experience. It elicits our deepest feelings of remorse and empathy (and if we’re honest, our own deepest shadows as well). . . . It’s been used to stir anger and scapegoating. It’s been used to fuel anti-Semitism, to induce personal guilt—“Christ died for your sins”—and to arouse devotion in a sentimental and even fanatical way.

From a wisdom point of view, what can we say about the passion? . . .  The key lies in . . .  reading Jesus’s life as a sacrament: a sacred mystery whose real purpose is not to arouse empathy but to create empowerment. In other words, Jesus is not particularly interested in increasing either your guilt or your devotion, but rather, in deepening your personal capacity to make the passage into unitive life. If you’re willing to work with that wager, the passion begins to make sense in a whole new way. . . .

The path [Jesus] did walk is precisely the one that would most fully unleash the transformative power of his teaching. It both modeled and consecrated the eye of the needle that each one of us must personally pass through in order to accomplish the “one thing necessary” here, according to his teaching: to die to self. I am not talking about literal crucifixion, of course, but I am talking about the literal laying down of our “life,” at least as we usually recognize it. Our only truly essential human task here, Jesus teaches, is to grow beyond the survival instincts of the animal brain and egoic operating system into the kenotic joy and generosity of full human personhood. . . .

What is the meaning of the passion? First of all, God wasn’t angry. Again: God wasn’t angry! Particularly in fundamentalist theology, you’ll often hear it said that God got so fed up with the sins and transgressions of Israel that he demanded a human sacrifice in atonement. But of course, this interpretation would turn God into a monster. How can Jesus, who is love, radiate and reflect a God who is primarily a monster? And how can Christians theoretically progressing on a path of love consent to live under such a reign of terror? No, we need to bury once and for all those fear-and-punishment scenarios that got programmed into so many of us during our childhood. There is no monster out there; only love waiting to set us free.

Cynthia Bourgeault, The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind—a New Perspective on Christ and His Message (Shambhala: 2008), 104, 105–106, 107. Emphasis in original.

 6.  how great thou art. by lauren daigle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p-hvI1nbS80

  https://m.youtube.com/ ?v=p-hvI1nbS80

 

an Easter vigil surprize

 

a friend was baptized.

didn't recognize. till later.

welcome. brought us joy.