The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
It was a powerful and intense morning of worship
The Spirit was very present!
A wonderful afternoon/evening workshop
Exploring the Gift of Wonder
Spending time with a dear friend and mentor
Meeting new folks and worshipping together
What a day and what opportunities
Lord, thank you for this day
Thank you for your guidance along the labyrinth’s path
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 invitation to live life with more slowness, simplicity, and attentiveness is a rich gift in a world driven by speed, consumerism, and distraction.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
We attended a wonderful workshop this afternoon in Broomfield after this morning’s powerful worship service. Our friend and mentor Christine Sine who created the blog GodSpace Light was the facilitator. The workshop was about her book The Gift of Wonder. We had a delightful evening with the other participants and have the good fortune of hosting Christine for two nights in Estes Park.
On the drive back up the mountain she asked us what we do to recharge our spiritual batteries. We talked about contemplative walks and contemplative photography as two disciplines which feed our souls.
The more I think about it though, a deeper answer might be our need for Solitude. Denise and I are both Introverts. While we spend a lot of time interacting with other people in our ministry, solitude is what renews us. Sometimes when we are walking or hiking in the Rockies we will go for long stretches of time without speaking. We are very present with each other but often silent. Instead of lots of conversations, we walk together with our cameras keeping our eyes open for those special God-Moments we encounter in the Park. The picture above is from a simple walk to the car when we left church after working all day on Lenten worship plans. The below picture is from a slow, contemplative hike we took when we literally stumbled across this fellow taking a siesta.
First I saw his antlers out of the corner of my eye.
Next we saw him enjoying a snack. He knew we were there (at a safe distance mind you!) but was perfectly content to hang out with us. I swear he even posed for us!
Have you ever seen such a face? ❤️❤️
Yes, he stopped, posed, and then slowly ambled away after 45 minutes!
That was 45 minutes of awe-inspiring wonder in God’s creation. As Christine says, it was a gift of wonder!
Solitude is truly defined in many ways. A Monk who lives a good deal of his time in Silence might bring one image to mind. A couple walking in the mountains quietly and then spending time with a Bull Moose obviously brings another image to mind.
What is common to these images is the fact that God’s children are all nourished by their experiences in Solitude. Thomas Merton often went exploring on his walks with his camera in hand. He would also write about these experiences in his journals. He met God in the solitude of the woods near his beloved Abbey. He also has his famous vision of humankind’s interconnectedness on the busy corner of Walnut and 4th in Louisville, Kentucky (Thomas Merton’s Mystical Vision). Merton has been teaching me a lot lately. Today it was connected to the question about recharging our Spiritual batteries which Christine asked us in the car.
As I was reading (Merton’s little book, Silence, Joy) before settling in for the night, I came across this quote which spoke to my heart.
Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it. (p. 61)
Solitude can be easily discovered if our spirit is open to listening. The way that I find best to do this is to heed the advice of the Psalmist… Be Still and know… without such times of quiet and restoration this Padre’s well runs dry. With it, I am nourished and sustained.
Be Still and Know…
Be Still…
Be…
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
A day filled with driving and sharing stories
A wonderful meeting of Presbytery
A time of fellowship with colleagues and friends
A new Pastoral candidate approved for ordination
A time of reflection and worship preparation
An evening with my sweetheart
Thank you Lord, for this day
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…
On New Year’s Eve we watched the Moon as it made its slow journey across the night sky. As I watched the moon and reflected on the year closing and the year ahead I was reminded of the one constant in our lives. The presence and love of God. As we consider our Baptismal calling, may we never forget the one who promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age.
In the opening verses of Isaiah 42 God says the following through the Prophet: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. (Isaiah 42:1-4) The prophet was, of course, speaking of the one to come to restore Israel… the Messiah… God’s anointed. What is intriguing to me is the fact that God is not promising some major military figure or some sort of King or Emperor.
The one to come would certainly bring forth justice to the nations. However it would not be at the tip of the spear or the edge of the sword. This Messiah won’t be the noisiest windbag in the room. This Messiah will be so gentle that bruised reeds will be safe and a candle that is having trouble staying lit will not be extinguished. Everyone is waiting for this new teaching. It will be the teaching of the Law–Love God and Love Neighbor. It will be the teaching of Micah–Do Justice, Love Kindness/Mercy, Walk Humbly with God. That will be the teaching and the life of the Messiah according to Isaiah. Who will this Messiah be? If not the conquering warrior or the mighty ruler, who will it be? This Messiah will be the exact thing that the people need but in a far different package than they expect the Messiah to be.
As I think about this passage from Isaiah; a song from Handel’s Messiah comes to mind. For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the Government shall be upon his shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The song lyrics come directly from Isaiah 9:6. It is the last descriptor that catches my eye and my imagination. The Prince of Peace… not a mighty warrior but one who will establish and uphold his Kingdom with justice and righteousness (from Isaiah 9:7).
This leader will be a far cry from the leaders who control by threats and the sword. This leader will be far different from one who insults, ridicules, and belittles others. This leader will bring a whole new way of living to this weary world. In fact, this Prince of Peace will tell his followers that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword! (Matthew 26:52)
With all of this in mind, when we turn to the Gospel reading from Matthew about Jesus’ baptism, I can’t help but wonder if John thought of this prophesy of Isaiah’s. Jesus comes to the Jordan to be baptized by John. John immediately realizes that he should be the one asking to be baptized by Jesus. After all, he had just proclaimed that while he baptizes with water for the repentance, one who is greater than he will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with Fire. As Jesus approached, John immediately recognized the one whom the prophets had foretold. His name shall be called–Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
With his baptism, Jesus began his ministry on earth. He began to teach a radical new way of living as a person of faith. It was the way of peace… a way so different from the way of the world. Saint Francis of Assisi would later write of this way of serving God.
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is error, the truth;
Where there is doubt, the faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Dear reader, I believe that this is our calling as Christ-followers. This is the calling of our Baptism. A calling to be different from the world. A calling to be light shining in the darkness. A calling to beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. A calling to challenge “the way things are” and to live and teach the way of Peace. For me, it is time to remember my own baptism and what God is calling me to be and to do in the building of the Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. A Kingdom of Love, Justice, Mercy, and Peace. May the Lord indeed make us instruments of Peace.
“We are each called to deepen our capacity to behold the wonders of the natural world and to expand our capacity to love God’s creation. This love isn’t a distant, observing love, but one that calls us to enter deeply into the heart of nature and discover ourselves as an integral part.”
— Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, The Self-Study Online Retreat ~ Water, Wind, Earth and Fire: Praying with the Elements
The sun has set and the Vesper Lights flicker and glow
Denise and I have both enjoyed a time of study and reflection
We have enjoyed another day in the beauty of your creation
It has been a time of contemplation
It has been a time of exploration
These are the moments that revive our spirits
Then we spent an evening with very dear friends
A person who has friends who are family is truly blessed
Thank you Erin and Nadine for an evening of music, laughter, stories, and love
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…
Forgiveness is a cornerstone of the Christian faith. In the Lord’s Prayer we pray forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Depending upon your particular denomination debts/debtors is replaced by trespasses/trespass against us or sins/sin against us. In addition to this prayer, Jesus had more to say about forgiveness.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.–Matthew 6:14-15
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.–Matthew 18:21-22
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”–Luke 6:37-38
Of course the ultimate example of forgiveness is found at the foot of the Cross when Jesus forgave those who had judged him in a kangaroo court, then beaten and tortured him. He also forgave the ones who were about to execute him.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” –Luke 23:34a
As I look upon the world today and as I look into my own life, I see a tremendous amount of talk about “getting even” or retribution… our state and federal prison system (and immoral for-profit prisons) are about retribution instead of rehabilitation or restorative justice. We are also in the middle of yet another conflict where words and missiles are exchanged in a tit-for-tat escalation. Unless reason and sound judgment arise, we will be in yet another global conflict.
Below is a quote that is attributed to Mahatma Gandhi which summarizes his philosophy of nonviolence. His philosophy in turn, greatly influenced Howard Thurman, Martin Luther King. Jr., and the American Civil Rights movement. — “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” Yes, these words strike right to the core of the matters before us today.
The quote that actually started this exploration and reflection for me came from Thomas Merton’s little book, Silence, Joy. In this particular chapter titled “Some Words from the Desert Fathers” Merton shares quotes from the early Desert Fathers. “One of the elders was asked what was humility, and he said: If you forgive a brother who has injured you before he himself asks pardon.” Forgiveness is tied directly to humility. This humility or humble spirit is the polar opposite of humiliation which we see a lot on the world stage today.
In his writings and explorations, Merton shows us how we can learn a lot from our spiritual ancestors about faith and life. In my own life and studies, I have learned much and continue to learn from the Masters. Whether it is Jesus, Gandhi, Howard Thurman, Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Daniel Berrigan, or Martin Luther King, Jr.; we can learn a great deal and be challenged in our own thinking and actions.
As I reflect on my own life and actions, the picture at the top of the blog makes sense. The footprints of various birds on the sand at Perdido Key in Florida represent the many influences in my own spiritual journey.
They can also represent my life with all of its ups and downs, failures and successes. Forgiveness… as the tide washes away the prints in the sand, so does God’s forgiveness wash away our sins. In my own life and in the world today, we sure do need a more loving, caring, and forgiving way of living.
Thank you dear reader, for taking the time to read and reflect with me. My prayer is that this transformation will grow until the words of the prophet come true: He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.–Isaiah 2:4
May it be so dear Lord I pray.
A very powerful blog, Jake!
If you’re trying to please God, I really wish you would stop. That’s not what real love looks like. It’s just people-pleasing on a cosmic scale. And people pleasing misconstrues love as a transaction….
Read more at https://jakeowensby.com/2020/01/10/love-is-not-a-transaction/
