Of Snow and Resurrection

 

Easter Sunday:  Pine Island Presbyterian Church

A  few years ago at Christmas time I pondered the weather ~ wishing for snow instead of rain ~ and was reminded that God does not need the ideal conditions for Love to be born.  That seems in part having to do with the gift of grace but that’s a thought for a different day.  As snow fell this past Friday, lots of snow, at least ten inches of snow…

      

I pondered again how God works in wondrous and mysterious ways in less than ideal conditions.  Most of the people I spoke with recently had hopes for pleasant, 30 something degrees on Easter, without a pile of snow.  Certainly all those who planned Easter Egg Hunts in city parks for Saturday morning had hoped for spring-like weather, without a pile of snow.  And this morning, instead of standing on a hillside, watching the sun rise on this Holy Morning, I stood in my backyard and watched the moon set behind the trees, just above the crystal white blanket of snow.

I was reminded that this cycle of life and death and new life is so much larger than our individual lives, that it is lived out within the natural order of things, and that it is inner resurrection, hope renewed and revived within the human soul, that can happen regardless of the weather outside.

There may have been snow outside but our Table and Worship space inside reminded us of this inner beauty.

 

And we heard the story once again of the resurrection, of life and love having the last word, of hope rising up in what certainly was less than ideal conditions.  We sang of hope within us: “Because You live, O Christ, the spirit bird of hope is freed for flying; Our cages of despair no longer keep us closed and life denying.”

   

And, “Break the bread of new creation where the world is still in pain…Drink the wine of resurrection, not a servant, but a friend.”

May hope, may the persistence of love,

rise within you and around,

even in the midst of less than ideal conditions,

for our God is a God of great mystery!

Alleluia!!

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Of Lament and Darkness

It lies deep within us.  It’s been with us for ages and ages.  But over time lament has become muffled.  Silenced.  Forgotten.  Repressed.  It was acknowledged in the days of Sarah and Rachel, by the voice of the Psalmist, by the women at the foot of the cross.

A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.

We live in a culture that tries to hide the uncomfortable and anguished dimensions of our lives.  But this is a necessary part of our lives.  The book “Circle of Stones” asks questions such as these:

“How might your life have been different, if, as a young woman, there had been a place for you…when you had feelings of darkness?  to be with you in your darkness, until you spoke out your pain and anger and sorrow?  …you learned to no longer fear your darkness, but to trust it?”

To sit with such questions one has to first give darkness permission and voice.  To acknowledge its rightful place in our lives and our souls.  That can be darn scary.

 Last night at the Maundy Thursday Service there was simple, beautiful, deeply moving song.  Her voice filled the room in a hauntingly beautiful way that reached in our soul.  Touched us deeply.  Moved us to tears.  Reminded us that lament is part of our story and the Story.  Offered a safe place to enter our darkness as we remembered the One who has gone before us and entered the darkest of dark.

                                           

What language shall I borrow  To thank Thee, dearest friend,

For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?

 

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“Love so amazing”

                                  

“What wondrous love is this…”

                                                        

 “Sorrow and love  

flow mingled down…

Love so amazing, so divine,

                         

                   

Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

                                

May you journey fully, completely

with the Holy One, the whole one, this week,

moving every closer to the Fullest Gift of Love Possible.

 

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Hospitality ~ Creation

 

In this season of Advent, the theme at Pine Island Presbyterian Church is Hospitality.  So in this space I’ll wonder on screen with words, images, and verse how hospitality may be offered… to the stranger, to ourselves, to the Holy One, by the Holy One.  I’ll begin with Creation ~ looking for signs and ways of hospitality, welcoming, new life…

The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light…

                                    

“Let earth receive her King…

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains, repeat the sounding joy.”

     

 

…and a branch shall grow out of his roots.

      

 

... by the tender mercies of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us…

                            

                           

“Love the guest is on the way.”

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It’s Still About Thyme

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Pine Island Presbyterian Church

It still seems to be about thyme.  Pine Island’s beginnings go back only thirteen years, when a group of folk gathered for prayer and study to discern if there was a call and need for a congregation in the Mattawan area.  The core group met faithfully for many years.  Three years ago the “Pine Island Fellowship” was charted as an official congregation.  And today another important milestone took place: the congregation called its first Installed Pastor.  That’s Presbyterian lingo for permanent, regular.  It was a strong, joyful, unanimous affirmative vote.  Evelyn has been the Designated Pastor, serving the congregation half-time for two years.  Now she will serve two-thirds time, another encouraging move forward.  It’s taken thirteen years to arrive at this day.  It’s all about living in God’s thyme, and about in whom we put our faith more than how much faith we have.

Our congregation is offering prayers of deep gratitude and thanks for this milestone in our life together and for the gift of our own “Installed” and appreciated pastor.

May you have your own reason, however big or small, to offer a prayer of thanks this week.

 

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Thyme and Trust

 

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Pine Island Presbyterian Church

 

It was on Croyden Ave, in front of the apartments, while NPR was telling that General Musharraf had made a decision about general elections, as I was driving to Ann’s where I would get a ride to worship, that this thought just washed through and around me and I felt at peace:   things   take   thyme, their own thyme, and they do so for reasons we may never understand.  I’ve been here before  but this thyme there was a deep, deep acceptance.  Look back in history – humanity can take a long thyme to make significant changes.  Forty years of wandering in the wilderness.  Two thousand years and we’re still trying to grasp the essence of Jesus’ life and words.  The many years it can take for a single family, congregation or community to make healthy changes.

                                              

Then in worship, we hear of the prophet Haggai, in the context of the temple having been destroyed, trying to bring some good news to the people, saying on behalf of the Lord, “Once again, in a little while…”  In a little while in the eyes of the Creator can be a very, very, long thyme in the life of humanity.  Things take thyme.

                       

So, I give myself permission to slow down some more.  Rest some more.  Let go some more.  Trust some more.  Wondering if I’ll slow down so much I will come to a complete stop.  If I’ll then puddle up in the recliner.  And then to trust yet again, that in God’s thyme, new life will arise from the puddle.

               

“Faith is mostly about trust and knowing who to trust.”  These were the words of hope I carried with me from Sunday.  Like the unfinished building on the Worship Arts Table, life is a process, and, thank goodness, we’re not in charge.  We can make choices, we can seek wholeness and healing, but ultimately it is God who provides the growth.  In God’s good thyme.

                           

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Room for One More

Sunday, November 4

Pine Island Presbyterian Church

The circle was widened and one more was included into the story this past Sunday.  Two Sundays ago we were invited to consider Eutychus‘ place in the circle of God’s love.  This time it was someone more familiar: Zacchaeus.   He hangs out in a tree, thinking he’s disguising himself but Jesus sees him anyway, calls him by name, and says he wants to spend time with him.  With him – the corrupt tax collector.  One more unlikely soul is invited into the circle of God’s love.  We may or may not be corrupt but there’s likely a part of ourselves, however small, that we’re not proud of, and we too are called by name and invited into the circle.

     “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name…

      Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name?

      Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?

      Will use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around…”

      (from hymn: Will You Come and Follow Me)

You too are called by name and included in circle.  Who else will you invite?

 

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Letting Go, Holding On, Reaching Out

Reformation Sunday, October 28, 2007

Pine Island Presbyterian Church

On this day of remembering our roots it was both the music we sang as well as the words we heard that spoke to my heart.  The hymn, “Faith Begins by Letting Go”, text by Carl Daw, a new one to me, speaks of the tension of living a life of faith both as individuals and as community:

                          

Faith begins by letting go, giving up what had seemed sure…

Faith endures by holding on, keeping mem’ry’s roots alive…

Faith matures by reach out, stretching minds, enlarging hearts…

                                        

I’ll let the words speak for themselves and let you find your own invitation in these words: are you called to let go, hold on, reach out…

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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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Bloom wherever, and I mean wherever, you are planted

 

Sunday, October 14, 2007 at

Pine Island Presbyterian Church 

                   

Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile:

build homes, plant gardens, become family. Sing the Lord’s song in this foreign land.

In essence: bloom where you are planted.

                                              

But what if, and I may start sounding like the Israelites,

what if this exile is in the form of illness or broken relationships,

depression or financial woes, grief or despair?  These too are foreign lands. 

Why would I want to bloom in one of these God-forsaken places? 

How am I to sing Your songs here?  Give me reason to recite a Psalm of praise

or a song of gladness and then I’ll consider singing Your song.

                                                 

Then, when I’ve finished ranting and raving,

I once again hear the still, small voice:

Be still, and know that I am God.

In the midst of exile, in the depth of depression, in the pain of illness,

in the agony of brokenness and being broke, in the darkness of grief

 ~ I am still God. 

I have not forsaken you.  Ever. 

Stop for a moment and consider what you do have control over:

Your own soul.

The work of your hands

– and this is about desire and intent,

not quantity or accomplishment.

The song in your heart

– and if it’s lament, then sing it as if you mean it,

they are also my songs.

                                                   

So maybe you’re not exactly blooming, putting out beautiful blossoms

and fragrant petals.  Maybe instead you’re putting down roots that

are reaching deep into the soil of My grace.  Or maybe you’re resting. 

It may seem as if nothing is happening, no growth is taking place. 

But the growth is up to Me, in My thyme. 

Bulbs need thyme for the growth to happen within. 

And rest is necessary, sometimes for a very long, long thyme. 

Rest in My love, in My Sabbath care. 

Your welfare is ultimately within My love. 

 

 

 

Blooming, or rather resting, in the darkness…

 

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