During these challenging times for our communities, state, nation, and world faith has been something that is being tested and transformed. In a conversation I had tonight with a friend, we discussed how these times are terrifying for the church yet also transformative. With church buildings standing empty and pastors preaching from the pulpit in an empty sanctuary or from an office or from home, I believe this is a moment for the Church to transform itself. Too often the Church is thought of by parishioners as the building. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is a meeting place for worship and other gatherings, the true church has no walls.
In the age of technology and the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus, the Church is being forced to think outside of the box. As Dickens said, these are the best of times and the worst of times. The tragedy of so many people dying from this virus and the growing number of deaths among the Medical Professionals and First Responders, along with employees of business that are key and essential can be overwhelming. Life is essentially being redefined and one wonders what it will look like, post-pandemic (whenever that might be).
In our discussion we talked about how our faith is being challenged and even transformed. Our prayer is that post-pandemic we will see a transformation in the faith and the actions of individuals. Instead of a divisive, and fear/hate filled response, perhaps we will see more compassion, understanding, and mutual cooperation amongst people and countries. I know that my own faith is being tested as I walk with our congregation and so many others through this dark valley. Platitudes never really worked for me and they sure as all heck don’t work now! We are in the midst of the messiness of life and God is meeting us there to walk with us and guide us through.
The Spirit continues to challenge me and comfort me at the same time with Her guidance and wisdom. Despite the incredibly hectic schedule of additional virtual worship opportunities that are planned, virtual meetings where decisions have to be made, and the approach of Holy Week in this time of uncertainty, I have had a few occasions at night (if I can keep my eyes open) to reflect and to read. The past few nights all I have managed to post is an evening prayer.
Tonight’s conversation and my readings from Thomas Merton’s No Man is an Island I began to reflect in silence. Merton says the following in his forward to the book: In a world where every lie has currency, is not anxiety the more real and the more human reaction? He continued to reflect on anxiety, life, and transformation for several paragraphs. The next quote speaks to me of hope and a transformation of life and our way of thinking. For it seems to me that the first responsibility of a{n individual} of faith is to make {their} faith really a part of {their} own life, not by rationalizing it, but by living it. (pp. xiii and xiv)
Perhaps we are being challenged to make faith more than doctrine or theology or discussion points in a debate. Perhaps we are being called during this time to re-evaluate our faith and put it into action. St Teresa of Avila said that Christ has no body now on earth but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks compassion into the world. Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good. Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world.
In this time of challenge dear reader, may we seek to integrate our faith in a deep and meaning-filled way by living it. And may we truly embrace Teresa’s challenge to be the hands and feet of Christ. Through it all the Spirit will guide us with Her gentle wisdom and compassion.
“In his Rule, St. Benedict wisely writes that ‘always we begin again.’ I have found these four simple words to be of endless comfort in my own journey, a gentle reminder that I am called to recommit myself to the spiritual path again and again.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD,The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
When was the last time you began anew?
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A long and exhausting day, Lord
Filled with Zoom meetings, Worship and Worship preparation
Emails and phone conversathins
Now, as we fall exhausted into bed
I don’t know what to pray
Yet even my deepest sighs are heard and understood
To you, Lord, I lift the prayers of my heart
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a long day, Lord
It has been a day filled with emotions
It has been a day of ministry and fellowship
It has been a time of reflection
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
Every Lord’s day since the beginning of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic has been “interesting” to say the least. Denise has worked through frustration with our less than adequate internet and computer issues as we seek to put together meaning-filled worship for our Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies family and others who have joined us for worship.
Every day we hear about more tragic losses in our state, nation, and world. How does one see hope in this wilderness?
As I shared the message tonight from Psalm 130 and John 11:1-45, I tried to focus on hope in the midst of darkness and despair. I tried to focus on how our Good Shepherd promises to walk with us through the Valley of the Shadows. This dear reader is what we need to hear and focus on today. This needs to be our focus in the days and months ahead of us.
I find it ironic that we are discovering what it means to be cloistered as Merton and his fellow monks were. Even thought our cloister is different from theirs, we have a common bond. As the challenges of this world crash down upon us, we seek refuge and strength through the one who calms the storms. These are challenging times, dear readers. So in the midst of it all, I find comfort in these words from Merton.
Our real journey in life is interior:
it is a matter of growth, deepening,
and of an ever greater surrender to the creative action of
love and grace in our hearts. — Thomas Merton in A Road to Joy.
May we grow deeper into a relationship with God and with one another. And may we walk with each other (even as we keep a safe social distance from each other) through this challenging time.
When I was deployed in 2005 to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan and Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in Uzbekistan you really felt like you were in the middle of nowhere. I sometimes wonder how we got out of there without any significant (at least as far as I know) medical issues when there were signs like this around K2! I well remember returning home to Grand Forks Air Force Base after that tour and feeling like I had returned to paradise!
Whether I am thinking about K2 or the wilderness that Jesus found himself in for forty days and nights, or the current wilderness that we find ourselves in as we self-isolate to try and keep the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus from hitting, it can be overwhelming. To be honest, I sometimes find myself exhausted and drained of energy. There are so many questions that cannot be answered and the future is truly unknown. At times like this people often wonder who or what to turn to for answers or hope.
In this environment, the voice of the Psalmist takes on new meaning in our lives. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! (Psalm 130:1-2). First of all, I can imagine Jesus praying these words as he spent those forty days in the wilderness. I can also hear the voices of Mary and Martha crying out to God as their brother Lazarus died. How many times down through the ages have God’s children cried out in anguish and despair. Yet the Psalm doesn’t end on this note of despair. As we continue to read we see a transition from despair to the hope that sins are forgiven and that the soul still waits for the Lord. It ends with the proclamation of hope and assurance. God’s steadfast love and power are with us!
We proclaim with the Psalmist and with Jesus himself that even in the midst of the darkness, the light of God’s love shines. David M Bailey, a singer/songwriter who was the son of renowned theologian Rev, Dr Kenneth E. Bailey, invited people to join him as he fought a GMV IV Brain Tumor for 12 years. The majority of the albums he released were during his fight. His lyrics speak deeply to me and continues to speak to so many others today. In his poem, “When” he says the following:
But if you should stumble and fall down on the ground
and you look in all directions but see no one around
it could be that everybody else has fallen too
and as much as you need them somebody else needs you
So rise up, my friends, and welcome this new day with a
shout
cherish every second and drive away the doubt
Walk right through the shadows, I promise there’s a way
Then find out why the good Lord’s given you another day
As I look to the unknown future, I have a choice to make. I can either live without hope and slip into depression and despair, or I can look around and see the light and love of God’s presence. This can even happen in virtual worship as a community of faith gathers around their computers via Zoom to worship and fellowship together. As the banner on our website says: We are open in our new virtual setting. All are welcome!
May you find such hope, presence, light, and love as we walk through this wilderness together. May that light, life, presence, and hope be felt by every first responder, medical team, workers in the grocery stores and other essential services, as we walk through the Valley.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Lord, what a long and full day
We began the day by taking a 5K walk
Meeting preparation
A successful Session meeting
Not just meeting but sharing this journey together
A long afternoon and evening of worship preparation
Thank you Lord, for my sweetheart and partner in life, faith, and ministry
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
“We might think of spring as the season of the breath and the Spirit. It is the season of awakening connected to the Hour of dawn and the sun’s first breaking over the horizon. It is the time of spreading wings and taking flight. Spring heralds a blanket of blossoms covering the fields and invites us to remember our own capacity for flowering.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD,Sacred Seasons: A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year – A Self-Study Online Retreat
What great awakening is arising in your soul during spring? What breezes are blowing through you?
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a day of much needed Sabbath rest
Yes, a little bit of church business was done
The majority of the day was spent relaxing
As we settle in to the marathon pace for the duration of the Pandemic I am thankful
Thankful for the opportunities to connect with dear friends
Thankful for the support and encouragement of so many
This new reality is stretching us all
The blessing is that people are beginning to realize that Church is so much more than the building
Now as my eyelids grow heavy
I lift this humble prayer to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
We finally were able to take a Sabbath day of rest today. As I watched the snow fall gently and cover the trees and rooftops of our neighborhood, I found a sense of beauty, wonder, awe, and peace. I continue to read reports from around the globe how people are actually breathing cleaner air and actually hearing the sounds of nature.
Why is this happening? Social Isolation drastically reduces the number of vehicles on the roads. This reduces the amount of pollutants being belched into the atmosphere. The reduction of traffic noise increases our ability to hear the sounds of nature. With the reduction in traffic on the road heading into the Rocky Mountain National Park, we can actually hear the birds singing and squabbling. Normally when we open the windows or go onto our back patio, we only hear the traffic beginning early in the morning and continuing into the evening.
While much is still scary as the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold; we are also beginning to see small pockets of beauty, grace, mercy, and love reveal themselves. We still have a long way to go before we can exit this tunnel, but as Jesus said, The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5)
As I read Thomas Merton’s words from A Book of Hours, I was reminded of the necessity of slowing down and soaking up the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. One lovely dawn after another. Such peace! Meditation with fireflies, mist in the valley, last quarter of the moon, distant owls—gradual inner awakening and centering in Peacemaking and harmony of love and gratitude. (Dancing in the Waters of Life, p. 250)
As we continue to Shelter-in-Place, worship and meet virtually, and try to limit the bombardment of news and speculation all around us; we will continue to listen, open our hearts to the Spirit’s guidance, and pray.
My prayer is this, dear reader—may the Spirit speak, may She comfort and sustain, may She lead us through this wilderness into the dawn of a new day.
