Resting and sleeping ~ there’s room for us all

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Pine Island Presbyterian Church

I sure don’t remember the name Eutychus as one of the Bible characters I heard about in Sunday School nor do I remember it from seminary.  But there he is in the book of Acts, sitting next to a window while listening to Paul preach.  Paul carries on for a while, a looong while, and Eutychus falls asleep and then tragically falls out the window to his supposed death three stories below.  Paul goes down to check on him and proclaims “do not be alarmed, for his life is in him”  and then returns to his preaching.

I thought about the bulb resting before growth (see here) and Eutychus sleeping through the sermon.  Neither is typically put before us as a model of upstanding and righteous faith ~ whatever that might be ~ but I’m venturing a guess more of us can relate to needing to rest or falling asleep during a sermon than we can to standing in front of a burning bush, giving birth at the age of 80 something, or traveling from country to country preaching the gospel.  These obscure stories about little remembered and often un-named folk in scripture remind us that there’s room for us all, even if we don’t feel as if we have our act together.

Lately Christine has been inviting us to lean into the darkness and unknown, Lucy writes of unresolved grief, and Karla ponders living authentically with grief.  I’m recalling an article I read several years ago entitled “The Freedom to be a Mess” (unfortunately I don’t remember the author nor the publication – maybe the title is enough of a message…)  Perhaps all this has to do autumn, with this season of changing and dying, leaves falling from the trees, geese flying south, and fields becoming barren.  It seems that in every direction I’m invited to let go, to surrender, to rest, to sleep – but hopefully not fall out of a window!, to stop trying to get it all figured out.  So I’ll follow the way of the bulb that’s resting, of Eutychus who sleeps yet still receives grace, and see what lies ahead.  

On the worship table, nestled in the basket, were these beauties:

This is the dried form of the “Money Plant” ~ it’s far lovelier in its dried form than when it’s fresh and growing.  It’s a wonderful invitation to surrender to the innate processes of life for beauty to come forth, which sometimes comes late in the journey. 

 

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Roots

2nd Sunday of Easter, Pine Island Presbyterian Church

Earlier this week I thought I was going to write about the songs we sang, the well chosen thoughts from the sermon, and how we use our breath.  But tonight I am drawn to the Pine Trees, sitting on the Table, that were given as welcome gifts to new members.  It has been the tradition of this congregation, named Pine Island, to give each new member a Dwarf Alberta Spruce tree as a welcome gift ~ a pine tree for members of Pine Island.  The words that are almost always printed next to the “logo” (I wish I knew how to copy and paste it here) are: Rooted in Faith – Branching Out in Love.

Sometimes the daily news is too much:  each day’s report from Iraq sounds much like the previous day’s report with civilians and military alike being killed; Darfur, Afghanistan, Palestine all have similar stories; downsizing and layoffs and embezzlement and fraud; and then, the tragedy comes close to home – 32 people killed in one place in our own country.  As we all pause, and pray, and wonder, and cry, I am drawn to the roots of the Pine Tree reminding us of our roots of faith. Roots that will somehow see us, collectively and individually, through yet another challenge.  Roots that call us to turn to the One who holds us all.  Roots that then give us courage to reach out in love in whatever form that takes in our corner of the world.

Rooted in faith, branching out in love, offering prayers for the grief stricken and burdened,   Cathleen

 

 

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