Reflections
As most of you know by now, I have been battling pneumonia for the past 10 days, and, as a result, have been reduced to a pretty sedentary state over that time. Good medicine and Kathy’s personal care have me feeling much better, and I plan to be back at Nativity on Sunday ready to celebrate Pentecost in a very special way (see details below).
The time at home has been rich in many ways, particularly in light of my propensity for constant activity. It has been a forced time of soul renewal that has reminded me of my(our) acute need to find space to think and pray about why I (we) do the things we do. I understand that such reflection is a developmental piece of being 74, but I think it is worth thought and prayer at any age.
One of the themes that has surfaced in my personal prayer is God’s desire for unity of all things and the movement in our religious pilgrimage toward ultimate oneness with all of life. My sermon on Sunday will speak to this movement. This morning, in my meditation time I came across the following reflections from Brian McLaren, a writer, former evangelical church planter, and Episcopalian from south Florida:
“This is my dream, and perhaps it is your dream, and our dream, together: that in this time of turbulence when worlds are falling apart, all of us with willing hearts can come together…together with one another, poor and rich, whatever our race and gender, wherever we live, whatever our religion or education. I dream that some of us, maybe even enough of us, will come together not only in a circle of shared humanity, but in a sphere as big as the whole Earth…
I dream that the wisdom of Indigenous people, the wisdom of St. Francis and St. Clare and the Buddha and Jesus, the wisdom of climate scientists and ecologists and spiritual visionaries from all faiths could be welcomed into every heart. Then, we would look across this planet and see not simply economic resources, but our sacred relations…brother dolphin and sister humpback whale, swimming in our majestic indigo oceans, with sister gull and brother frigate bird soaring above them beneath the blue sky. We would see all land as holy, and walk reverently in the presence of sister meadow and brother forest, feeling our kinship with brother bald eagle and sister box turtle, sister song sparrow and brother swallowtail butterfly, all our relations.
In my dream, the reverence when feel when we enter the most beautiful cathedral we would feel equally among mountains in autumn, beside marshes in spring, surrounded by snow-covered prairies in winter, and along meandering streams in summer. In my dreams, even in our cities, we would look up in wonder at the sky, and a marriage between science and spirit would allow us to marvel at the sacredness of sunlight, the wonder of wind, the refreshment of rain, the rhythm of seasons. At each meal, we would feel deep connection to the farmers and farm workers whose hands tended soil so that we could eat this day with gratitude and joy…
In my dream, we would know God not as separate from creation, but as the living light and holy energy we encounter in and through creation: embodied, incarnated, in the current and flow of past, present and future, and known most intimately in the energy of love.”
Others Matters of Interest
Pentecost Sunday-A Birthday Celebration!
God’s gift of the Holy Spirit that we celebrate at Pentecost enabled those first broken and confused disciples to become the ambassadors of the Risen Christ, carrying that message to the ends of the earth. This Sunday marks the birth of the Christian Church, and we will celebrate accordingly!
We will baptize the newest member of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church- Homer Blue Coody Pierce- hear the Pentecost story read in multiple languages, celebrate our Eucharistic meal of unity, and join together for a luncheon afterwards. (Entre will be provided, all others are invited to bring, sides, salads or desserts).
Wear red, if you can, to symbolize the fire of that Pentecost ( and to match the altar hangings!)
It will be a wonderful day.
Mission Committee Meets Tuesday at 6:00pm
The Mission Committee will hold its monthly meeting this Tuesday, May 21, at 6:00pm in the Salt and Light building.
Compassion Ministries Food Packing Volunteers-Tuesday @6:00pm
Thanks to those who have volunteered to help pack food boxes at the Compassion Food Ministries warehouse on Highway 7 north just across the county line (1301 Highway 7). The packing will take place at the warehouse on the north side of the complex. We will be partnering with First Methodist Church and the entire operation should take about an hour.
See you Sunday!
Grace and Peace,
Duncan
(601)260-1937
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