Tonight we had our first “Virtual” Worship when members and friends of Presbyterian Community Church of the Rockies gathered together by video or phone for a Zoom gathering.
Denise and I attended worship via this platform with the good folks of St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Boulder, CO. It was a wonderful service and the Rev Jacqueline Decker Vanderpol, the pastor of St Andrews, offered a message of hope and community during these difficult times.
It also was a great help to Denise and I as we spent the day working up PCCR’s Evening Prayer. As Jacqueline said in an email, It’s a new growth experience! Definitely a brave new world.
It offered hope in the midst of the chaos which includes panic leading to toilet paper and anti-bacterial gel shortages to say the least! Sadly, we are seeing the worst of humanity in far too many places. The Church, Mosque, Synagogue, and other places of worship have the sacred duty to bring hope to the world and remind the people of the better way to live with one another in Peace (English), Shalom (Hebrew), Salam (Arabic), Shanti (Hindi), Pax (Latin), Paix (French), Bangan (Ojibwe)…
As we continue to navigate this new reality, these words of Thomas Merton came to my mind: You are not big enough to accuse the whole age effectively, but let us say you are in dissent. You are in no position to issue commands, but you can speak words of hope. Shall this be the substance of your message? Be human in this most inhuman of ages; guard the image of [humankind] for it is the image of God.
– Thomas Merton (Raids on the Unspeakable, Prologue)
May we journey together in love, mercy, hope, and peace.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
What a day it has been, Lord
Discernment, Decisions, Prayer, and Contemplation
I am thankful for the Session, Deacons, and Staff
After a long day, my eyelids grow heavy
So I lift this humble prayer to to you
Dona Nobis Pacem
Grant Us Peace
A wee prayer from the heart of your Padre…
After a long and intense day of discernment, discussion, prayer, and planning; our Session made the decision to suspend all Worship and programming for the time being as we walk through the Valley of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus.
These are indeed interesting and challenging times. Wading through so much misinformation and outright lies. Seeking to listen and do what is best for our church and community. We walked away from the meeting with a sense of confidence in doing the right thing. We also walked away with a sense of worry and concern for our community and those who are at risk.
Now we pray, we explore new ways of virtual worship and fellowship where we can “gather” safely to pray, worship, and support one another. After a long day at the church with our friend and Office Administrator sending out communications to the congregation and planning for the coming weeks; Denise and I drove into the National Park. God’s creation always has a way of calming and soothing the soul.
Tonight as we relax before the fireplace, I find myself in the midst of Thomas Merton’s poetry. His words speak comfort in the night and in the midst of troubling times. His words as he reflects on the beauty of The Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane and his Hermitage resonated with me, especially today.
“Song: Contemplation”
O land alive with miracles!
O clad in streams,
Countering the silver summer’s pleasant arrows
And beating them with the kind armor
Of your enkindled water-vesture,
Lift your blue trees into the early sun!
O country wild with talent
Is there an hour in you that does not rouse our mind with songs?
The boughs that bend in the weak wind
Open us momentary windows, here and there,
Into those deep and purple galleries,
Disclosing us the birds your genius…
In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton (p. 100)
May we find comfort and hope in the midst of the beauty and wonder of God’s creation.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a long day, Lord
It began with some good training as Stephen Ministers
The training also included wonderful table fellowship
The day continued with planning and preparation
A brief interlude of music to soothe the soul
An evening with my sweetheart and our puppy
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…
As churches around the country plan for non-traditional forms of worship without the typical sanctuary, pews, choirs, organs, and bells. Some wonder how can we ever worship without all of the typical parts of worship?
For me it is not such a stretch. I remember setting up worship in tents, dining tents, briefing rooms, and out in the open when I was deployed with the Air Force. Frankly all I needed was my Bible, possibly some singers to help the congregation sing off of the hymn cards I had in my deployment Chaplain’s Kit. We learned how to worship in unique situations and every time we gave praise and honor to the Triune God… Creator, Christ, and Spirit.
Today churches are looking at virtual worship using YouTube, Zoom, Facebook Live, and other platforms. It is a challenge, yet it is not insurmountable. The funny thing is… if we open our hearts to the Spirit’s guidance it is amazing what She can reveal to us.
So what does this worship look like? I came across Thomas Merton’s poem, “O Sweet Irrational Worship” (p. 42) as I was reading his book, Emblems of a Season of Fury. As Merton spent time in nature and in his Hermitage, his eyes, heart, and spirit were opened to such wonderful worship moments in the midst of God’s Creation.
“O Sweet Irrational Worship”
Wind and a bobwhite
And the afternoon sun.
By ceasing to question the sun
I have become light,
Bird and wind.
My leaves sing.
I am earth, earth
All these things
Grow from my heart.
A tall, spare pine
Stands like the initial of my first
Name when I had one.
When I had a spirit,
When I was on fire
When this valley was
Made out of fresh air
You spoke my name
In naming Your silence:
O sweet, irrational worship!
Oh sweet, irrational worship! May you guide us through these uncertain times. May you lead us as we seek to Be Still in God’s presence. May the Spirit help us to see our Triune God in new and refreshing ways. May you indeed guide us through the storm. Show us how to Be Still and know.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a long day, Lord
Yet it has been a wonderful day of ministry
Communion celebrated with two dear parishioners around their table
A time of laughter, stories shared, and bread broken
An evening of reading, reflection, and planning
Lifting our prayers for so many who are being impacted by COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)
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 first time Denise and I experienced Rut in the Rocky Mountains we were amazed! The “mating season” for Elk (Rut) is a sight to behold. In October of 2016, I was walking to my car when I saw the local herd hanging out in the churches open space. As I watched and was simply still with the herd, I saw this fellow. He was exhausted and trying to rest and regain his strength after going a few rounds with another Bull. Interestingly enough, the Bull he had been sparring with was not too far away from him. You can see him in the upper center of this photo.
This week I can definitely relate to the Bulls. Exhausted from emotional and spiritual work. Exhausted by the inundation of the updates concerning the Pandemic (COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus). In the midst of it all, we are trying to make good decisions that care for the most vulnerable in our congregation and community.
When you watch the news it quickly devolves into panic and fear mongering. In the flood of all the 24/7 pundits, you can quickly lose sight of the individual and personal nature of the world and life and struggle. I came across this quote from a letter Thomas Merton wrote to his friend and future biographer, Jim Forest. Jim wrote two books based upon his work with his mentor and friend. The first was Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton. The second was The Root of War Is Fear: Thomas Merton’s Advice to Peacemakers. As they discussed everything from Civil Rights to the Vietnam War to the Nuclear Arms Race, they took discussions from a macro level to a micro and individual level.
In the letter, Merton shared the following: In the end, it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything. (The Hidden Ground of Love: Letters on Religious Experience and Social Concerns)
Merton also spent a lot of time in the natural surroundings of the Abbey and his Hermitage. In those moments, he absorbed the beauty of God’s creation and the message of our interconnectedness with each other and the world.
My prayer dear reader is that such relationships can heal souls and draw all of God’s creation together. From our lips to God’s ear, may we pray.
This is especially relevant as we navigate these “interesting times.” Speak Lord, your servant is listening…
“God is already praying in us. Through lectio, we make ourselves available to join this unceasing prayer already happening in our hearts. God is the one who initiates the dialogue. Our practice is to make space to hear this prayer already at work within us.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD,Lectio Divina – The Sacred Art: Transforming Words & Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
How do you make space to hear God’s prayer already at work within you?
When we visited San Francisco in February, we were amazed by the water, the hills, the churches, and the architecture. The variety of cultural backgrounds and the food was incredible! Sadly, as we were walking through the city, we also saw how significant the homeless population is. When one room flats rent for thousands of dollars a month, we wondered how people got by. It was, to be honest, heartbreaking… so many sisters and brothers facing the elements and the cruelty of the world. As neighborhoods gentrify, people are forced out of their homes with nowhere to go.
Today I read the below quote from Thomas Merton and it brought our experience in San Francisco and other places back to my memory.
“The shadows fall. The stars appear. The birds begin to sleep. Night embraces the silent half of the earth. A vagrant, a destitute wanderer with dusty feet, finds his way down a new road. A homeless God, lost in the night, without papers, without identification, without even a number, a frail expendable exile lies down in desolation under the sweet stars of the world and entrusts Himself to sleep.” (In the Dark Before Dawn: New Selected Poems of Thomas Merton, p. 71, written in 1962)
Yes, written in 1962 yet sadly so relevant today. This destitute wanderer could be any number of our friends who are homeless. The destitute wanderer could be the massive number of homeless people around the nation and the world. This destitute wanderer was Jesus! In an earlier post, I wrote about meeting Jesus in a homeless camp in Mobile one Thanksgiving would have been recognized by Merton and we were writing 58 years apart! I Met Jesus in Tent City
My prayer for each of us, dear reader, is that we will indeed recognize Jesus or God in the face of everyone we meet… even the sisters and brothers whom society makes invisible.
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It has been a long but good day
Meetings, Ministry, Worship, Reflection
It has been exhausting yet rewarding
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…
