Skip to main content

Faith and Punctuation

THE FIRST PORTION OF THIS POST IS FROM THE UCC SUNDAY BULLETIN PRINT OUT. THESE IDEAS ARE NOT MY OWN I JUST LIKE THEM AND I'M NOT MAKING MONEY ON THESE THINGS.  MY THOUGHTS WILL FOLLOW.

"God is still speaking! God is a god of thunder and wind and rain. But we also know that God speaks in a still small voice whenever and wherever hearts are open and there is a cry for justice. That experience of a still speaking God, addressed by our denomination's identity materials, has given the United Church of Christ an unusual brand: the comma! Of course, that comes from the Gracie Allen quote, "Never place a period where God has placed a comma."

The good news is we are not uni-punctuational. Just as Elijah experienced God in a new voice on that mountaintop, there is more than one punctuation mark that might express how we feel about this still speaking God.

The question mark is always a faithful witness to every question we ask from the heart in our seeking and wondering. We express joy and emphasis with exclamation points, and parentheses embrace us, not as an afterthought, but as an included part of the story. There's the greater than mark, which calls us all into communities that make us part of something larger than ourselves.

We are the way we communicate; we are how we express our best thoughts and hopes as the church of Jesus Christ. We are Christians looking ahead to a new century unfolding before us.

In this new century, God will have more surprises, more punctuation and more evidence of the genuine promise and hope that the Gospel offers all of us.  There is no definitive period after hope. It is always an expression of what is yet to be, even if seen in a glass darkly. We're not just commas anymore."

MY THOUGHTS

Forever, the sign of Christianity has been the cross.  But, I love the fact my church uses punctuation to symbolize things too.

I LOVE punctuation.  I love sociolinguistics, if I were to go back and get a second bachelors degree it would be in sociolinguistics.  I am a fan of slang, punctuation, emoji, and just the general evolution of our language.  I think its important. I am thrilled that my church feels the same.

There are a few more punctuation marks that I would like to briefly talk about, because they hold special significance to me.

The Ampersand.  The Ampersand reminds us that you can be more than one thing.  It reminds me that I CAN be a writer, a librarian, a friend, a girlfriend & more. I don't have to be just one thing.

The Semi-Colon.  The Semi-Colon tells us not to stop, but to take a breath, and move on.  To end one thing, and then start something new.

Punctuation goes beyond grammar.  Beyond what we learned in elementary school.  And I'm glad that its not just me who thinks so.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Even a "Writer with a Day Job" is still a Writer

One of the things I have an issue with is introducing myself as a writer.  When I have small talk, people tend to ask "What do you do?" And I would say "I'm a student" or "I work at the library" or "I work in a copy & print shop." But I would rarely say (and still rarely say) "I'm a writer."   Why is that? I've published 2 sets of poems. I've published an essay. I've had 4 soon to be 5 short stories published. Won 2 writing contests. And I've even self-published a book! Not to mention my BA in writing. I've done WAY more in the writing world than I have the library world and yet I am never shy about saying "I just finished library school." or "I'm working on becoming a librarian." Again I ask: Why is that? I think it has to do with worth and respect.  In introductions I jump to what gives me a paycheck, what pays the bills. That's what I "do...

Book Review: The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

Okay there are so many places I want to take this post, and I'm not sure where I want to start, so I'll just start with cover art and a quick summary of the book: This story focuses on the adventures of 5 Americans on an uncharted island.  It starts during the American Civil War, where 5 northern prisoners of war decide to escape by hijacking an air balloon. After flying through a storm for several days, they finally land on some unknown island. They name it "Lincoln Island" as tribute to their president, Abraham Lincoln. The five are able to sustain themselves on the island, producing fire, pottery, bricks, nitroglycerin (!), iron, an electric telegraph (!) a cliff side home, and even a seaworthy ship. Throughout their time on the island, there seems to be a deus ex machina at work, delivering chests of goods and rescuing them when in danger. Eventually, they find out the secret of the island and the gifts. Captain Nemo.  Yes, that Captain Nemo from 20,000...

Freaky Flash Fiction Friday: "Form B"

Form B "So, is this treatment going to be painful?" Moira asked. "There is a very mild discomfort." Dr. Webb said, leaning back in his office chair. It creaked under his weight. "Some say it is like  slight burning sensation." He smiled. "It's nothing you have to concern yourself with." Moira had been seeing Dr. Webb for the last 6 months for treatment for her eczema. She had spent thousands of dollars on other doctors, creams, and homeopathic remedies all to no avail. Dr. Webb had contact her on a web forum. She was part of a message board community for people with skin conditions. He told her that he could cure her. And he had. His method was a combination of medicated baths, pills, ointments and even meditation.  Her skin was glowing. She couldn't remember the last time her skin was this clear.  Today was her final session. A heat treatment. She wasn't sure exactly how it was supposed to help, but Dr. Webb had ...