My thanks to everyone who was willing to play this word game with me and inspire today's worship service.  It's wonderful to see the diversity in our community, as well as the similarities in thought and feeling. More on Mercy & Compassion next year, I'm sure.

If I say 'compassion' you think:

Essential
Love
caring for others
the feeling
To Love one another as you Love your family & friends
deep caring
caring
empathy
consciousness, light
Love
Love
Love
hug
fruit
empathy
love
Jesus
Christ has risen
kindness
Love
deep feeling heart to heart
caring
being able to perceive & put yourself in other's place
this word has been floating in my mind - so, compassion made me think of kindness
mercy, caring, love, kindness
Buddha
understanding kindness
reaching out to help someone
Love and interest
caring
Help
love & SAFE
Love
Love
relating to others, empathizing with others, deep love for humanity, sensitivity to others and surroundings
Healers, teachers, First responders

If I say 'mercy', you think:

Have some
Forgiveness
forgiveness
the action
merciful & mighty
elevation of another who may be faced with challenges
kindness
forgiveness
divinity, love
being sorry
forgiveness
kindness
forgiveness 
begging
hospital, angel of mercy
forgiveness
Jesus
...not justice
a change of heart
forgiveness
caring action regardless of previous action or behavior
have mercy on your soul
showing kindness/forgiveness to another
...and mercy gave me gratitude
forgiveness, compassion
sisters of
forgiveness with acts that reflect understanding
hospital/2nd, 3rd and 4th chances
love
Peace
Thank you
Love
Forgiving
being blessed, being given help and strength when needed, being 'spared'
Forgiveness, Parents/family, power

We were in Portland's Pride Parade this past Saturday. I took M&M, and it was great, the questions it raised in our family. There were a lot of dancing superheroes, in spandex, and platform heels, and mostly men dressed as women and women dressed as men - it's pretty fun to watch one's own children put their values about celebrating diversity to the test. It's pretty fun to watch what's happening inside my own head....It was a day to be proud of being at First U, and very proud to be living in Maine.

 

And, things are changing with regards to the equal rights that all Americans should have, and the puritanical male-female-either-or that it's time to leave behind with regards to our understanding of human sexuality, gender and love....Apparently, even the Boy Scouts are starting to march to a different tune in Utah:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/two-boy-scout-leaders-membership-may-revoked-marching-220431746--abc-news-topstories.html

The article ends with a very displeased Boy Scout of America spokesperson insisting that these Troup leaders "disobeyed": "It is unfortunately that these individuals chose to use a youth program to seek attention for themselves and to advance a personal agenda. When individuals inadvertently or willfully choose not to follow BSA regulations, we remind them of Scouting's policies and that to simply disobey a rule because you disagree with it is not an example to set for youth." That would be an unfortunate example to set for youth. On the other hand, if what you're doing is teaching youth that the amazing range of human diversity is no accident, and that to celebrate the true nature of other people allows room for your own soul to grow and bloom, and that, by the way, it's un-American, unconstitutional, and non-biblical to discriminate against people who are different than you, well then, that might be a really good example to set.