Oddwalk Ministries

Category: Justice

amazing, catholicism, family, friends, JesusJusticeJoy, Justice, ministry, music, prayer, reflection, scripture, YSP

Sometimes the Children Lead

Job 32:9 reads: “It is not those of many days who are wise, nor the aged who understand the right.”  Elihu, the son of one of Job’s three friends, is upset that his father and the other two have not adequately answered Job’s complaints nor have they condemned Job’s considering himself to be in the right rather than God Almighty.  So, it takes a child to point out the obvious — and sometimes this is still the case today.

Shannon wrote last week about Youth Sing Praise, at which I (Orin) was, on staff as assistant music director and accompanist, and also assisted at prayer.  Additionally, Youth Sing Praise Jr., a one day program for 6-7-8th graders met just on Saturday and prepared and sang that night a song from a musical I co-wrote for YSP a few years ago with my friend Bradley Behrmann.  While the song, “Why Must There Always Be Someone to Hate?” is sung in the show by Uncle Mordechai, the hero of the show is his niece, Queen Esther, herself likely little more than a teenager, saving the Jewish people from the first recorded attempt to exterminate them.

One of the reasons I remain active in various efforts at youth ministry is what I learn from them, particularly about my faith and, simply, how to just get along in the world.  May we all be willing, at times, to let the children lead and teach!

Without further ado, here’s the video of Saturday’s performance, shot by proud dad Shannon, who had two children in the group, including Noah, Godson of me and my wife, who solos on the first line of the song as well as a little later on. Enjoy!

announcements, catholicism, friends, good news, graduation, Jesus, JesusJusticeJoy, Joy, Justice, ministry, music, SLCC

Beauty, Truth, and Justice

One of my (Orin’s) other hats in life is as an assistant director for (and singer in) the St. Louis Chamber Chorus. Our artistic director, Philip Barnes, is celebrating his 30th season with the group this year, and Aquinas Institute of Theology (where I graduated from in 2008) awarded him an honorary doctorate this past…

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catholicism, JesusJusticeJoy, Justice, ministry, oddwalkia, Welcome

What In The World Is Going On In El Paso?

This week, we have a guest-writer for Jesus-Justice-Joy. We are so grateful that immigration attorney with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, Maryknoll Lay Missioner, and Shannon’s cousin, Heidi Cerneka, has graciously agreed to share a few thoughts from her experiences working with migrant people in El Paso, Texas.  I am Shannon Cerneka’s cousin, currently working…

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Facebook, family, friends, JesusJusticeJoy, Justice

I’m Trying

This week, the world of social media exploded over a scene that unfolded at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. This scene involved a group of teen March for Life participants from a Catholic school, a Native-American elder, and some group called the Black Hebrew Israelites. I would tell you all about, but most of…

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christmas, holiday, Jesus, JesusJusticeJoy, Joy, Justice, ministry, prayer, quote, reflection

The Work of Christmas

It’s a busy few weeks for me (Orin) right now, yet it is my week for a Jesus-Justice-Joy post.  In the midst of my busy-ness, occasionally my thoughts turn to why it is I am so busy, with a follow-up question of whether I see in all the things I do a building of God’s reign, or, if you like, am I going about the Lord’s work?

This poem, pictured, has been a dear one to me ever since I became aware of it some years back. As we are just two days past the Church’s celebration of Christmastide, I thought it appropriate to share with you all today.  May we all take a second to see if we are, in all we do, building a world filled with Jesus, with Justice, and with Joy.

 

catholicism, family, JesusJusticeJoy, Justice, ministry, prayer, reflection, scripture, technology

Out of Order

This one time, at work, there was this one photocopier. It worked great! It collated, stapled, scanned, everything I (Orin) needed it to do.

One day I arrived at work, at there was an “out of order” sign hung on it. Asking around, I learned that one of the “feet”, on one corner of the bottom of the copier, has broken, and without it, the whole copier leaned just a little bit in that direction.

“What does that matter?” I asked.

Well, I found out that if the copier wasn’t very close to level, it would put strain on the motor which ran the light across the glass, it would have trouble feeding the paper out of the drawers, the toner might settle in the cartridge, and probably a few other things which have since left my memory.

That is, if the copier’s “foot” was broken, the whole copier fell into disarray and couldn’t function, even if the only issue was that it leaned over an inch or so.

Consider this passage now from Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12:20b-26)

There are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it,so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Take some time to reflect today: which part of the body of Christ is suffering today? How de we all suffer because of their suffering? How do we ease that suffering? Hint: it’s not as easy as fixing a broken foot on a photocopier. Where are the issues, and how do we address them? Take it to prayer, and then turn prayer into action.