Sermon 9.27.15 Esther Leaps In

a nearly completed Leap by Wayne Stratz

“When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” Audrey Lorde

In such a time as this we are called to respond, but how do we know what matters to God? When I asked the youth on Wednesday night, the first response was filled with the uncertainty we may all have at times when we ponder what God wants us to do.

I mean, does God really want me to guide a flock of young students who have leapt into the high school? Originally all seven had entered an elementary program for students in need of emotional support? Now I am their homeroom teacher. Do I have a net to catch them if they fall? Who has the net if I fall?

The Jews were in exile. A story was written starring Esther, who was beautiful. Does a message from God exist in the only book of the Bible that does not mention God or even prayer? Exiled away from their homeland, fading away from their rituals, and forgetting about the God who loved them. Can we blame them?

Are we more concerned with retirement funds or feeding the hungry? Sports results or visiting the sick and lonely? Shopping and vacations or quiet moments talking with God? It is not hard to forget about God. No indeed it can be quite easy by a steady stream of patriotic observances, 24 hour news streams, sporting events, music festivals, entertaining websites, economic forecasts, and never ending sales events.

Are we Christians in a media exile?

Esther is criticized by some for not talking about God and for being a member of the king’s harem. She is a Queen of Persia, who hides her Jewish heritage. She has a close relative who appears in this story, his name was Mordecai. Mordecai had adopted his cousin when she was orphaned as a young girl.

As the story unfolds, things are not going well. The king has not called on Esther for over a month. A man with political power named Haman is building a large structure. A structure, which when finished, is where Mordecai and other Jews will be put to death. Mordecai’s failure to bow down to Haman had landed him with the death penalty.

Our country has a long history of attacking those who did not bow down adequately. Change the names and our history can sound like Naman’s hatred of the Jews in Persia. Native Americans who believed in homeland security, African Americans who dared to want freedom and rights in a land where they had been exiled, Pennsylvanian Germans during WWI who wanted their children to speak their language in schools. Immigrants every where face both the love of a welcoming hand and the anger flowing from the fear of our land becoming their land.

It is as true now as it was 2000 plus years ago, and as it may always be. Each wave of immigrants or exiles meets a rocky shore not sure of who they can trust.

Mordecai faced with his life coming to an end, does not call out to God, but instead Mordecai goes to the palace, what can he lose. Personally not much, but he risks placing Esther in the spotlight when he sends her a note.

Esther 4:14

^“For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”

Who have you turned to in your darkest moments? Would you turn to a family member or a friend with political power or turn to God? Hopefully both. Hopefully none of us will face a death penalty. Imagine the fear. But what of the family member we turn to? Would you risk your well being to help? What if a whistle blower came to one of us? Would we take up the cry for justice, or remain quiet to not take a risk in causing waves?

Esther has little time to save her cousin Mordecai and Esther has lost the King’s favor. Who knows when she will see the king? She decides to visit the king without an invitation. Her words upon this decision, “If I perish, I perish.” Imagine having this courage, if you were the one asked for help. Lose your job. Lose your life. Perish in the waves caused by your hope to create justice.

And what does a beautiful Jewish woman do when she illegally enters into the presence of the king; she invites him to dinner. He accepts and is falling in love again. Esther is beautiful and brilliant. She is a woman using the attributes she has to save human lives. For this her character has been attacked. She is bold and invites him to a second dinner while letting him know she has a favor to ask.

Haman is there, when the King, now fully smitten with Esther, asks her to please reveal her request. Esther rises up in defense of Mordecai and  and her people. Yes, she risks her life to save others when she calls out the evil in Haman’s heart. If I perish, I perish.

Haman is the one to perish. Mordecai is lifted up. Esther is revered by her people.

Where is God in this land of ours? What matters to God? The story of Esther is told during the Jewish festival of Purim. Food and Gifts are shared with one another and while sharing food matters to God, the last four lines of today’s passage is maybe the strongest message I see from God. Presents are to be given to the poor.

God is in this story. It is part of the continuous story of a God that provides and protects; and then expects those who have a surplus to respond in kind to those in need. Esther reminds us that praying and then waiting for a blazing bright miracle from God is not the only route. If I perish, I perish. We must act with a profound hope that it matters to God before we know if it matters to God.

For the past week I have been spelling out leap in glass. A large panel that appears to be complete, but the message is longer. Leap with the hope that a net will appear. Are you like me and want to see the net and know how strong it is before we leaps. I want to take safe leaps, but God hopes we will take chances. There is anxiety whether we leap or not. The anxiety does not decrease if we act, but the results can be so much better. In my Media filled exile, can I live the life I am called to live?

Pope Francis on teachers: These are educators “that encourage us to take the first steps in a new activity without having fear of the obstacles and the challenges to be faced; that spur us to surmount difficult moments; that exhort us to have confidence in ourselves and in our companions; that are at our side be it in moments of disappointment and loss, be it in those of joy and success.”

There are seven youth who will open my classroom door tomorrow morning. They start their day and end their day with me; and I question as to why they have been placed into my care.

How do I respond? Do I say, “I am too old for such a challenge? Why me? I can’t do this” Or do I say, “maybe the last 28 years were preparing me for such a time as this?” To be honest my brain is saying both.

In such a time as this, God will not be mentioned in my classroom. I do not pray with my students. We do not fast together during Lent. Is God there if the story about to unfold does not mention God? Where is my safety net?

Maybe I need to post this quote in my classroom:

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You must do the thing you cannot do?

In support of science: this fuels my teaching.

A satellite for all seasons : TIROS

 There was a time when weather was studied without satellites, then in April 1960 that changed. It matters that we know this. 

When we choose to elect politicians that do not want to fund science we go backwards in time. Would we want to be less able to know where a Hurricane will make landfall in 2034 than we do today because our weather satellites have aged out and we did not fund new technology using what science has taught us?

There is beauty and awe in understanding science that fills me deeply, and thus I am saddened when it is treated with disdain. Science needs to be judged but not dismissed. Maybe I am more sensitive. The more we care; the more we take offense. To be able to view a tree and respect its beauty poetically, theologically, artiscally, and philosophically is important, but so it is to understand a tree and be amazed by the beauty of how it functions to survive. In fact, the tree is better likely to be treated with care if we view it in as many ways as possible. I dig trees.

The trees that have survived centuries could tell us how scientific breakthroughs do not happen in a vacuum.  Copernicus, Galileo, Darwin, Curie, Einstein did not just turn science about, but led to changes in world views. If we do not embrace science, we just may be lost in the intellectual view of our time.

So I have a job to do. My students deserve to leave my room with the basic vocab, facts, and concepts of science; while also knowing that it isn't science if it cannot be proven true and also if it cannot be proven false. They deserve to hear fascinating stories about scientists and their process, while also learning how to read graphs and data. And they need to do some science while their at it.

They need to be literate enough to face a news feed filled with articles about GMO's, Climate Change, Energy Policy... and understand the article to make their own informed opinion.

There is not enough time.

But science matters. 

Sunset and discerning the use of time

watching the sunset at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville #1 by Wayne Stratz

I chose the evening and went out to see what would happen. These images (in chronological order) are the best of what I photographed when I gave myself over an hour to be with the ending day. Sunsets are fickle. How do the clouds pass into and out of the angle of the light? Who is to know what will transpire when one decides to watch the sunset.

I imagine a brick wall that my life is about to slam into. It is harsher than normal; this school year that is about to start. I don't have greater than normal dread of the students, the subjects, the paperwork, the colleagues, ... 

But the time and energy taken away to provide my students what they deserve had formed a wall speeding at my spirit, which more than ever wants to do art and the work involved in selling art. Maybe it was a summer of vacation time and half days that was barely touched by doing shows. Maybe going back to teaching felt like a relief those summers we did tons of shows.

So I want to make the most of my time, give my body and mind and soul restful moments; while be creative and being prepared to teach.

A well laid out schedule for each day of the week? Well I am not a big fan of planning so that is not the route. However, I have decided to commit early morning hours to writing Stratoz blogs, Nutmeg D blogs, and every Saturday morning a newsletter (sign up here)

But what about the rest of the weekend and my evenings, I imagine this: I arrive home from work and make coffee and sit with Margaret as I use my Trello App to make a checklist of priorities. It has been working. Today for instance: write a newsletter, laundry, a peace symbol commission, straightening up the clutter surrounding my chair of contemplation, reading about science literacy to inspire my first week in the classroom... and now this blog post. 

and rest, good food, prayer, music, and time with joyful souls. I guess I have a plan, and like the following sunset, it will be affected by forces beyond my control.

watching the sunset at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville #2 by Wayne Stratz

watching the sunset at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville #3 by Wayne Stratz

watching the sunset at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville #4 by Wayne Stratz

watching the sunset at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville #5 by Wayne Stratz

Hope for a New School Year: 9.2.2015

Hope: Clearly immersed in a rainbow by Wayne Stratz. Purchase on ETSY

Hope was being put on a test run. How would it go to make a panel using our newly favored font? How would clear class work? I like it and learned about the process. I can go deeper into my understanding of making a word design because I examined this one.

Today marks my continuing life as a teacher that began on a winter morning in January 1987. Like everything else, my improvements over the years have depended upon someone examining my classroom (students, supervisors, myself). I have to examine the good and the bad and see my role in both.

Two years ago I sat through one of the better inservice moments of my life. It taught me about the Collins writing program, which I have utilized in my classroom. But I want to use it in a deeper way this year. That is my hope for improvement. I see conversations in writing with my students, which begin with a simple prompt to begin a class but leads  to all of us developing our writing skills and into a deeper understanding of science. We will see.

As always I hope to create a joyful classroom where both I and the students want to hangout. I hope to lead students into great discussions on science and to guide them into the creation of our gardens.


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Horticulture Update: 5.13.14 Spring Blooms

Daffodil Bud exuding yellow

Azalea Blooms

Redbud blooming on tree planted by a student

 

One of my favorite tulips

 

Blue bells never fail to surprise me as the plants arise from under a Dogwood surrounded by azaleas

 

 

The A to Z challenge: moving on and returning to N

The other night I took the 26 cards and moved on

1. I got the 26 randomly chosen names from my work phone extension list and sent out a rambling email to those I were going to gift the cards to the next day. The hope was to explain the project.
2. I realized I had placed "N" by two names, but had only drawn one card. So make that 27 names.
3. I placed the cards into the mailboxes at work.
4. I answered questions by those puzzled by the rambling email.
5. Realized one person chosen was a student teacher who is no longer at the school.
6. Told the second "N" that I had messed up.

If you have followed this, you may remember I had been shocked to find that I had no jazz when I got to the letter, N. So last night I once again listened to the Lewis Nash CD I bought for the A to Z challenge. And here is the doodle:

 

Ten steps to start a work day

1. Arrive early, who wants to race one's students to the classroom.
   
2. Park on the opposite side of campus, walking is good.
   
3. Turn on your computer.
   
4. Put lunch in fridge and jazz on the stereo.
   
5. Log into the computer.
   
6. Grab a handcrafted mug and walk up a hill.
   
7. Visit a friend or two.
   
8. Fill the mug with coffee.
   
9. Walk down the hill.
   
10. Check emails and plants.

 

My Horticulture Classroom. Update 3.17.2014

Moments in my horticulture classroom, update 1.24.14

 

 

 

 

Wordlessly celebrating the plants we care for at school

Thoughts on testing my teaching

My students have many a river to cross and on top of that my PA Dutch grammar can baffle the average student. With that said, I can write tests that all will fail or tests on the same material, which all the same students will get A's. Too often us teachers see tests as indicators only on what students have learned. They are also an indicator on how the students were taught. If a question baffles many, then I need to try to teach the material differently or as a friend told me recently ~> ask the question differently.

My students would not be in my classroom if their only problem was test taking. I see this as my goal - to show them that a classroom can be a place that is not traumatic. So why fail them and have them leave feeling the same way about school. The other day in my bio class, I joined them at our communal table. I sat down at their level. I looked at them and said, "You have had a marvelous quarter. You have completed everything I have asked of you in and outside this room." It was the truth, however, I couldn't have said it to all my chemistry students.

"So now I need to see what you have learned in the past nine weeks. I really don't care if you have learned everything. I do care that you allow me to see what you have learned so I know how well I have taught you. You all have earned a fine grade from me. Don't fear this test." Then we reviewed.

The cool thing is this ~> when they are proud of themselves, I can be proud of myself.

Today my horticulture students were given a boatload of flowers and told to create something beautiful. They passed.

 

The Differentiated Instruction of Playing Jazz in a Horticulture Classroom

I often have jazz playing inside my classroom. The other day I was listening to the Esbjorn Svensson Trio when the end of 7th period approached. I Thought about the next group of students and decided something a bit mellower was in order. I checked out my jazz stash and went with some Mel Torme.

It worked well.

Unfolding Outward From a Quercus Alba ~ the interconnections of a Pennsylvania forest

Every year we are asked to place something on a table and/or wall to celebrate learning in our classroom. So last week, my students entered my room to see Quercus alba written in the center of a large piece of paper. I told them I had an idea. I told them it wasn't that clear.

And so it happened. We discovered the ecology of a forest in Pennsylvania.

I said ~ Tell me organisms that connect with White Oaks.

They began to tell me things ~ Humans, and many others eat the acorns. Gypsy Moths eat their leaves. Great Blue Herons nest in them. And the forest unfolded.

What shelters? What eats? What parasitizes? What competes?

I would say ~ choose this or that organism? Find me five connections.

If they told me something general like, frogs, then In most cases I would tell them to find me one living in Pennsylvania. If I wanted a connection between two organisms, I told them to search one out. We discovered new organisms and strange connectors.

I need to do this again.

 

D is for Dreaming Doodlin Dude ~ The A to Z of One Word Messages

My Fit is orange and overflowing with jazz

Maybe it is time for a Dream mosaic.  Sounds much more my style than a Goal mosaic.  So what is my dream.  Well that would be the day I am retired from teaching and can focus on transforming my doodles to glass art. 

For now, I am glad that my classroom tends to be joyful and is far from a nightmare.

Here is a doodle from the dreaming dude.  I created this for a mandala drawing contest at my school ~

Doodle in the round by Wayne Stratz

Lent is over, will the news begin ~ Commuting with Bruce Cockburn's Pacing the Cage

So do I go back to the news? Mainly do I go back to listening to NPR on the way to and back from work? I am not sure I want to.  I do miss aspects of it, but can I get that in other ways.  So tomorrow, we will see.

My final commutes during Lent was with Bruce Cockburn and the song which struck a cord was Pacing The Cage from his Charities of Night CD.  The opening image is powerful to say the least.  

Sunset is an angel weeping

Holding out a bloody sword

No matter how I squint I cannot

Make out what it's pointing toward

But then these words really got me~

I've proven who I am so many times

The magnetic strip's worn thin

And each time I was someone else

And every one was taken in

Powers chatter in high places

Stir up eddies in the dust of rage

Set me to pacing the cage

 For 26 years I have taught and been judged worthy to teach another year.  The schools have changed. I have changed. The supervisors have changed.  And yet I must do it again this year.  My supervisors get a quick glimpse of me.  Swipe my magnetic strip. And the system continues. 

I understand pacing the cage.  I have seen it in caged tigers, students in my classroom, and tonight in myself as I was finishing up an IEP.  I call it caged tiger syndrome. I briefly thought I had deleted a lot of an IEP from the online site. I paced the cage ready to face my supervisor.  So I called a colleague, who stopped the pacing, well most of it.

So my student said, I hate when my dad plays gospel bluegrass

... So off I went to the deep back corner of my storage closet and I started looking at the Bluegrass CD's I had placed back there years ago to make room for jazz at home. And there I found Ain't no Grave Can Keep My Body Down on a Tim and Mollie O'Brien project. The jazz flowing through my horticulture class stopped.
I tried to tell the student it was Zombie bluegrass. But he was not buying that for a moment. However, I made it up to him Friday afternoon, when I let him play a Rush CD. Which took me back 35 years or so.

RevGals Five ~ Sneaky and other thoughts

numbers 15 to 21 in my
Wisdom Series

this Friday the Revgals take us here ~ 

Who knew it was the Second Friday of the month?   

Thank goodness something reminded me, but my apologies for the late post.  I have been busy getting ready for Blizzard Nemo (really, 24 inches in Boston?  Why on earth don't I have a snow blower???) and pondering life transitions--oh, but enough about me.  

How about you?  

1) What is sneaking up on you, and what have you been 

thinking about? 

Mosaic Woman and I will have our first show the first weekend in March.  Three weeks to the Owen J Roberts show.  Are we ready to get started again?  We are ready for the chocolate cake served in the cafe.  

2)  What will you have for lunch today?

Lunch was typical for me.  Peanut Butter and some tasty jam on whole wheat, yogurt, and corn chips.   

3)  If you were to get snowed in for two days, and you need to hunker down, what essentials and treats would you store up?

Water for sure.  How about some bread and pastries from some local bakeries.  I think we could survive. 

4) Tell me a story about one awesome thing you have experienced in the last couple of weeks.

At school my students and I experimented with taking a variety of ways to takes cuttings from a begonia.  It worked successfully no matter which way we did it.  The most amazing ones were the ones we placed in water.  One leaf on a long stem.  When we fished them out this week, the roots were nice to see.  But the ring of tiny gem like leaves emerging from the stem right above those roots was a splendid sight indeed.

 

5)  What is your favorite office supply to splurge on? (now 

THAT is random, right?)

Sharpies, which I used to design my coloring pages.

digging science and how plants call out for help

I dig leaves that call out for help
and shadows
taken by
WayneStratz
via
his home garden

Today I taught a rather diverse set of classes all the same material, just used some different techniques along the way, but hopefully now all the students know that plants don't just sit there and take it when a caterpillar slobbers all over it.

Looking for super powers ~ Southern Fried Science inspires this week's homework

I came across this blog post that matched five organisms with comic book characters who have the same super powers.  The creature in the video is one of the five, which character can do this?

Thought it would be a fun homework assignment.  If anything I want my students to be amazed by life and learn the state assessment vocabulary along the way.

So here is the homework, after reading the blog post and answering some questions about those organisms.  Come on people, really the life form that emerged from Chernobyl, check it out.  Here is the part I hope to see some creative juices flowing, even if it doesn't flow from all of them. 

1. pick out five comic book heros and/or villains and find an organism with the same super power.  
2. choose a character and imagine up an organism that has the same power.  Write a paragraph describing the organism.  Or draw it and label its power.
3. find an organism that can do something which the average human cannot do and imagine a comic book character.  Write a paragraph describing the character.

I Dig Slime Molds

Photo by Lorraine Phelan

There are a few types of slime molds in this world.  I spoke of one years ago as an undergraduate.  I was discussing entropy at the time ~ how things tend to fall into chaos.  They spend their lives as individual cells but when motivated to reproduce they form into one collective being and work together to make spores.

The other type which I spoke of today can have millions of nuclei in their one celled slimy body, which allows them to do some advance thinking like figuring out the fastest way through a maze.  Think of all those nuclei communicating like all those neurons in your brain.  Cool stuff, which is why ~ I spoke of them today in my bio class and that always makes me happy.