What an Eagle, the Pope and a Woman With Cancer Have to Teach Us

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself Ex 19:4 NIV

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=43055&picture=dancing-duck

Dancing Duck

We had planned to tell Eagle's wonderful story this week. However, due to some unexpected and encouraging events, we have decided to postpone his story for about one month. All is well. Actually, better than well. Eagle will be baptized this coming Sunday at Fairfax Community Church. Dee and her husband will be in attendance.

So today is a post of inspiration and encouragement. 

A Broken Eagle

Elastigirl is a long time regular commenter on this blog. I find her to be both loving and encouraging and from the comments, I would say that most of you agree. (Hard nosed authoritarian types do not.They don't like me much as well.)  She has a particular knack for knowing when someone, or something, is getting a bit intense and intervenes in a unique way. "Tickle, tickle, tickle" never fails to make me laugh. I think see believes that Christians would get along better if they met over sloppy joes and hot fudge sundaes. Here is what she said: (Muff: This one is for you!)

This is very inspiring. Trust me on this one. Perhaps worthy of its own post. Will put a smile (if not a tear) on anyone’s face. Especially Muff ( I really thought of him)

Here is a link to the this remarkable story.

Freedom, the eagle, almost died. She was found on the ground, covered in ice and unable to stand or fly. She was in such bad shape that the veterinarian gave her little hope of survival. Jeff Guidry made her his special project, and in so doing, developed a remarkable friendship.

After much intervention, Freedom survived but was unable to be released into the wilderness because her broken wings were too badly damaged. Over time, Freedom and Jeff were inseparable. Then, Jeff was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkins lymphoma which is very serious. He began chemotherapy and was sick for a long time. Then he got the good news. He was in remission and here is the rest of the story. Get your tissues.

So the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her up, and we went out front to the top of the hill. I hadn't said a word to Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me and wrapped both her wings around me to where I could feel them pressing in on my back (I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she touched my nose with her beak and stared into my eyes, and we just stood there like that for I don't know how long. That was a magical moment. We have been soul mates ever since she came in. This is a very special bird.

Freedom used her broken wings to hug Jeff!  As you look at this remarkable video, think to yourself. How many people out there are broken and unable to stand?  Perhaps they are frozen in body and soul. They may appear a little fierce but, as this video proves, even the fiercest predator can respond to love if only we are willing to care.

Pope Francis Shows Certain "We Don't Believe in Doing Hospital Visits" Pastors What Really Matters

TWW did a post called Ed Stetzer and the Four Fence Posts That Define His Ministry.  He said something that other pastors, many in the Calvinista set, have said. He doesn't do funerals or make hospital visits. What appears to be the most important function of to these guys is the sermon. Some have even advocated that they need to spend 30 hours in sermon preparation for what they appear to think is the most important event of the week; their sermon. link.

One of the benefits this boundary has brought to our church is that we are very clearly not a pastor-centered church. I'm very upfront with my role to my church. I explain I can't do funerals, visits, phone calls, or meetings. This leaves the door wide open for our congregation to see areas of leadership where they are needed, and to respond accordingly."

He told his church when he got the call that he would not be available for frequent visitation, but in order to be hired, the church would have to give him 30 hours per week of uninterrupted study time and that he would not be frequently visiting his congregation. "If they are on their death bed, I will visit them…but otherwise, don't bother me…"

Time and time again, whenever real love is shown, it captures the imagination of the watching world. When was the last time a sermon, on the intricacies of the keys of authority or how to effectively shun, did the same? Mother Theresa attracted that respect. Here, Pope Francis hugs a man with neurofibromatosis link. Some of you may know of this disease due to a movie called The Elephant Man link which was based on the true story of Joseph Merrick. 

Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that disturbs cell growth in your nervous system, causing tumors to form on nerve tissue. These tumors may develop anywhere in your nervous system, including in your brain, spinal cord and nerves. Neurofibromatosis is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood.

The symptoms can range from mild to severe. I cared for one patient in which the tumors developed in her eyes and face,  became malignant and needed to be removed.The extensive surgery left her terribly disfigured and in pain. I knew a man in a church who was so afflicted that children would run away from him. The tumors can become infected and secrete fluid which can, on occasion,  be unpleasant to smell. In other words, many of these people are avoided by others and rarely have the joy of human contact. This is why this act by the Pope was so profound. This video, which has no sound, shows some of the pictures taken of this encounter. 


 

Dancing in the Face of Adversity

Many of our readers have been deeply hurt by authoritarian churches. Such churches often deliberately (or subtly) impose a "shu"n in which people actually ignored by their former church "friends." For many people, this is a pain that last a lifetime. And how those shunning churches love to watch the pain and suffering of the object of their actions. Through this pain, they gain power over their former members.

I saw this wonderful video and over the last week, kept coming back to it time and time again. Dr Deb Cohan is in OB GYN doctor with two small children. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed to have a bilateral mastectomy. She laughed in the face of her diagnosis, believing that a hospital can be a place of joy, support and healing. She dances to Beyonce's "Get Bodied."

Here is one account of the story along with a link to Dr Cohan's Caring Bridge account. Updated reports have Dr Cohan doing well after her surgery and recuperating at home.

 A courageous local woman has quickly gained online  fame after leading a flashmob scene in her operating room moments before undergoing a double mastectomy.

Dr. Deborah Cohan, an obstetrician and gynecologist, at University of California San Francisco organized the the six-minute dance  party set to Beyonce’s hit single “Get Me Bodied.”

In addition to her medial team, the mother of two encouraged others to dance to her recovery using the website Caring Bridge.

“I have visions of nurses, patients, my community members (and maybe a few surgery residents) transforming the solemn space of a hospital  into a vibrant healing ward,” she wrote on the website.

The venue of the video is in the actual operating room in which Dr. Cohan's surgery will take place within a few minutes. Dr Cohan is the lady in the hospital gown with a really cool surgical hat on her head. if you look closely, you will see an IV which as been inserted to begin her sedation. Oh yeah, one further observation, this particular flash mob appears to be made up of all women. I think this proves why they need women at conferences!

The comments have been wonderful. However, on one forum, an obviously "holy" Christian said she found this display irritating and suggested that Dr Cohan should have spent her time in prayer! Good night! She was laughed off the forum. One of my favorite life's quotes is by Ann Lamott link.

“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn’t seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” 

So, one day, if you have the strength (or can fake the strength) and you bump into one of those "shunning types", hold your breath, stick on a wild smile, and high five them as you Curly Shuffle or Moon Walk past their sober and self-righteous expression. It will really miff them off and you will have won.

Lydia's Corner: Song of Solomon 5:1-8:14 2 Corinthians 9:1-15 Psalm 51:1-19 Proverbs 22:24-25

Comments

What an Eagle, the Pope and a Woman With Cancer Have to Teach Us — 48 Comments

  1. Beautiful. It all really comes down to loving God and loving one another. Thanks for this post.

  2. Erik wrote:

    Beautiful. It all really comes down to loving God and loving one another. Thanks for this post.

    Very much agree! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what Christianity is supposed to be all about.

  3. Celebrity minister to lackey on seeing approaching sick parishioner: "Eww!Get these sick people out of here (ed) – tase him 'bro"

  4. JeffT wrote:

    Celebrity minister to lackey on seeing approaching sick parishioner:
    “Eww!Get these sick people out of hear – tase him ‘bro”

    Maybe not….if they gave huge money to the church, we’ll bring them to the front and lay hands on ’em….

  5. Re: Erik’s first comment: talk about abusive churches. I attended a church where the motto was “Love God, love people”. People started leaving, and when I would ask the pastor, he would say that they weren’t really a Christian, or they were having problems. Should’ve been my first clue. Then later, when a bunch of folks left (including myself) and someone asked him where all the people went, he said, “What people?” So though I think this is a good motto to live by, having it pushed by a lying, gossiping, narcissistic pastor makes it a phrase that’s still hard to hear.

  6. “So, one day, if you have the strength (or can fake the strength) and you bump into one of those “shunning types”, hold your breath, stick on a wild smile, and high five them as you Curly Shuffle or Moon Walk past their sober and self-righteous expression. It will really miff them off and you will have won.”

    This post made me bawl.
    I remember at the beginning of my ordeal feeling like that broken eagle. With the collapse of our world financially and spiritually, I curled up in a fetal position on the sofa and could barely function. It was a few months later that I discovered TWW, and another several months before I contacted Dee. I then jumped into the TWW fray and began interacting with all of you. It has been a life changing experience.
    I don’t think I’m yet to the point of high-fiving my shunners, but I am not nearly as afraid of them. And *that’s* worth dancing about.

  7. Oh, boy! Did we need this post!! Thank you!!!! Without hope, the heart fails. I choose hope, in spite of the dismal mess churchianity has made—- hope in the One who blesses sick men with eagle hugs, courageous women with the joy of music, Eagle of Fairfax with healing and renewed faith, and who says, “Come to me, for my yoke us easy and my burden is light.” Blessings to all!

  8. this warmed my heart in so many ways….thank you…I needed to read this tonight….Has anybody read Wisdom Hunter by Randall ARthur? About a “bible thumping”, sermon-preparing, legalistic pastor who becomes broken by a very tragic personal situation, and discovers the true heart of Christianity…it is highly recommended….

  9. debbylynn wrote:

    this warmed my heart in so many ways….thank you…I needed to read this tonight….Has anybody read Wisdom Hunter by Randall ARthur? About a “bible thumping”, sermon-preparing, legalistic pastor who becomes broken by a very tragic personal situation, and discovers the true heart of Christianity…it is highly recommended….

    I've heard of it and will check it out. Thanks!

  10. “If they are on their death bed…?” I would think that if I were sick and somebody with the Stetzer attitude came to see me, it would immediately put me on my death bed, don’t you know.

  11. Nancy wrote:

    I would think that if I were sick and somebody with the Stetzer attitude came to see me, it would immediately put me on my death bed, don’t you know.

    Comment in contention for best comment of the year.

  12. Former CLC’er wrote:

    People started leaving, and when I would ask the pastor, he would say that they weren’t really a Christian, or they were having problems

    I understand the trigger, and many can relate to that. I’ve been around similar, what I like to call “revisionist theology”. It is like a self righteous attitude that people who question or leave particular churches are not as dedicated to following Jesus. Leaders talk openly about “losing people to become healthier as a church” and “having to sacrifice for the common good”.

    But, we all really know that no one can say they love God if they are merciless or apathetic towards others. Jesus wept.

  13. Man – talking about pastoral attitudes…to this day, I am told, my former pastor labels anyone who leaves his church (yes, it is his, he says so) without his permission and blessing is deceived and needs prayer and avoidance…..
    ya….avoid them or they’ll tell you the truth….can’t have that…

  14. …and the story of the eagle made me cry, especially when you compared to those broken by the system….yes. We may be a little fierce and even prickly sometimes, but we have much to offer those who will listen.

  15. >Some have even advocated that they need to spend 30 hours in sermon preparation for what they >appear to think is the most important event of the week; their sermon.

    I don’t think we need to worry about the celebrity conference speakers spending 30 hours per week on sermon preparation. I have a couple of articles on my blog showing the boys using sermons over and over. Poper, er, I mean Piper, preached in Dubai this past week utilizing a sermon he has used since at least 2002. Grudem bragged while preaching at Mahaney’s church that he has 8-10 sermons that he has been using over and over for years. Mack Stiles used the same sermon at least 5 times this year, and Mahaney commonly utilizes the same lifeless sermons he has used many times before. This week at his conference with Mohler he preached from Psalm 100. He preached the same sermon at his runaway church plant in August. Nearly word for word!

  16. @ debbylynn: I have read Wisdom Hunter. It has special meaning for me because I have a dear Christian friend from Norway and have travelled to meet her family. THat is a man who gets it.

    Today’s church is filled with lots of men (primarily) who are telling us how to do Christianity properly. They are contributing to the “Nones” who are fleeing the church, even with the advent of what is being called “gospel centered” teaching. News flash: The gospel is 2000 years old and there is nothing new under the sun.

  17. @ dee:
    There is another reason to avoid hard and fast rules of men. We have the Holy Spirit!

    He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant
    not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in
    death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6
    (NLT)

  18. TW wrote:

    Poper, er, I mean Piper, preached in Dubai this past week utilizing a sermon he has used since at least 2002.

    I have linked to your post at the top of the home page and plan to keep it there for awhile. One of John Piper’s books, I forget which one, is merely one chapter out of another of his books and both are sold separately.

    True story: In a former church, a pastor gave a sermon, ending with a tearjerker “true” story. Except it was not true. It was a short fictional story taken from a Red Book in the 1950s. I emailed him. He said he was embarrassed since he had been told it was true. Some pastors apparently have trouble using Google at times.

    6 months later: I go into a different service time and there he is telling the same sermon with the exact same stupid jokes complete with raised eyebrows and inflections. Guess what? He repeated the same fictional story as the truth! He lied. He knew it wasn’t.

    I then told the lead pastor who seemed upset with me. He said “That is just a style.” So, I said “Its a style to lie and manipulate emotions, even after having been informed of your error?” He then said, “Well. you know I am going to have to talk to him about it.” I basically said “Ya think?”

    So, you wonder why people are leaving the church?

  19. An Attorney wrote:

    . We have the Holy Spirit!

    Darn straight! The way some of these guy preach their version of the Gospel appears to leave us at the Cross. They ignore the Resurrection and the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit. The way some of these guys preach, one would think the Holy Spirit is reserved for those in authority!

  20. TW wrote:

    Mack Stiles used the same sermon at least 5 times this year, and Mahaney commonly utilizes the same lifeless sermons he has used many times before.

    HUMBLY, of course. (chuckle chuckle)

  21. @ dee:
    Since Jesus taught no one has authority in the Kingdom, except God, that means that they are teaching something other than the Gospel, and are false teachers, wolves, and should not be followed or believed.

  22. muff — when I read & watched about the eagle named “Freedom” a few days ago, you came to mind. I remember some time ago you described your experience of connecting with the Great Spirit with watching an eagle do its eagle thing.

    This part from the story of Freedom really struck me (from linked webpage):

    Jeff Guidry relates: “I have had people who were sick come up to us when we are out, and Freedom has some kind of hold on them. I once had a guy who was terminal come up to us and I let him hold her. His knees just about buckled and he swore he could feel her power course through his body. I have so many stories like that.

    I never forget the honor I have of being so close to such a magnificent spirit as Freedom.”

    Muff, I have a better understanding of what you were talking about.

  23. @ TW:
    Preachers have always told “preacher” stories that are of questionable factuality. However, I think they are thinking about Jesus teaching using parables, which are illustrations that may or may not be about actual events, but are clearly truth in the different sense of actually teaching truth. The ones of most questionable veracity are those that have the preacher him/herself in the story, and the same story can be found in other sermons by other preachers. Kind of plagiarism.

    There is a way for a preacher to use any story, just do not tell it like it is truth, but as “It is like if a man . . ..”

  24. Hope you ladies are getting your yearly mammograms and doing self examinations for lumps/changes. Breast cancer is best treated when caught early.

  25. @ TW:

    CJ Mahaney is kind of like (ed. note)some diseases. Just when you think its gone…it comes roaring back! Yuck…

  26. OMG! So many awesome comments today. @Erik – thank you for reminding me that Jesus wept! I need to hear that myself.

    And @TW – “C.J.’s runaway church” – that might be the best offhand comment here.

    I won’t even comment about Eagle’s comment. :O Let’s just say it’s been a long day and this humor was good for my soul.

  27. Eagle wrote:

    CJ Mahaney is kind of like (ed. note)some diseases. Just when you think its gone…it comes roaring back!

    HUMBLY, of course. (chuckle chuckle)

  28. Real men cry when things get real, as in when mourning and sometimes when rejoicing. I teared up at my son’s wedding!

  29. Dee,
    You’re right, the story of Freedom and her human friend made my eyes mist over. I’m a lot like the tin woodman when it comes to stuff like that. The story points to what having ‘dominion over’ means in truth, and what it DOES NOT mean in codified religion.

  30. elastigirl wrote:

    Muff, I have a better understanding of what you were talking about.

    Thanks elastigirl! I appreciate that. In my own tribe (the Menominees of North Central Wisconsin), the eagle, the wolf, the bear and the turtle have great talismanic power. They are NEVER objects of worship, they are only venerated for their various attributes and qualities, much in the same way that Eastern Orthodox folks have a panoply of saintly icons which they revere. The Jesuits recognized this long ago when they brought Christianity to the region and incorporated it into a sort of quasi-Catholicism.

    I too was genuinely moved by Guidry’s narrative of terminal folks who were touched by The Holy Spirit working through Freedom. Only a sterile and stultified religion would claim that the Almighty has nothing to say to you personally and that you can only ‘hear’ from him by reading 66 codified books. I think Hamlet put it best:

    And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
    There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
    Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

  31. @ Muff Potter: and only a “sterile and stultified religion” would deny that the Almighty works through all of creation – very much including animals and birds. (imo, anyway.)

  32. @ JTerry:
    YES! Good practical exhortation to everyone! My mother was getting lazy about the selfie exams and hadn’t had a mammography in 5 years. She is having a call back for another full mammo and ultra sound on Friday for a mass found. And yes a mass, not all those other little harmless lumps of extra tissue that many of us get called back for. She has those too.

  33. @ dee:
    dee wrote:

    @ debbylynn: I have read Wisdom Hunter. It has special meaning for me because I have a dear Christian friend from Norway and have travelled to meet her family. THat is a man who gets it.

    Today’s church is filled with lots of men (primarily) who are telling us how to do Christianity properly. They are contributing to the “Nones” who are fleeing the church, even with the advent of what is being called “gospel centered” teaching. News flash: The gospel is 2000 years old and there is nothing new under the sun.

    Dee, so true……and so sad