What Friends are For

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.” 

(Friedrich Nietzsche)

There are certain people in our lives who radically alter the course of our trajectory. My wife is one of those people to me. When first meeting Anna 22 years ago I could not have imagined the gift that her companionship would unfold to be. Anna married a man covered in rough edges, a person who did not know himself well and who was prone to impatience and stubbornness. Through these years her friendship has been God's polishing stone for my soul. She may not have been aware of it, but her gifts, and her personal challenges, have been exactly what was needed for my heart to grow. Many times she may justly have questioned why she was with me; I can tell you that her presence in my life has been the catalyst for much of my awakening. If I have evolved, if my being has known any metamorphosis, the price has been paid in great part by my beloved.

I suppose that's how it works - that God's hand reaches out to sculpt us by way of the people who share our journey. Family, friends, neighbors, those we love and those we loathe - God works away at our jagged edges, carefully chipping off the bits that are no longer needed, revealing the perfection of His love in His handiwork. The gentleness of our journey-mates can soothe the beast within, healing and nurturing our heart. Concurrently, the rough shards that make up the broken pieces of other's lives also teach us, hone us, grow us. In fact, the butterfly within the cocoon of our being will emerge only as we are purified by Love's encounter with all that humanity expresses.

“A friend is one that knows you as you are,

understands where you have been,

accepts what you have become,

and still, gently allows you to grow.” 

(William Shakespeare)

Slowly, carefully, I am becoming me, and in no small part due to the constancy of Anna's companionship. In the mirror of her love I have seen my worst and my best, marveled at my potential, and wept for the fool that I so often embody. And still that mirror bravely stands beside me to walk into the unknown of tomorrow. Is that not who Christ is - the one who stands beside us, within us, often carrying us, no matter what the path, no matter how steep, how rocky? Is the Love of Christ not a mirror to our soul revealing our sin, disclosing the wonders of God's imprint? Anna is Christ to me every day. Her hard days challenge me, her strength becomes my strength. 

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.

"Pooh?" he whispered.

"Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand.

"I just wanted to be sure of you.” 

(A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh)

The people in our lives are our strength - through their care and by way of their rough edges God teaches us, unfolds us, makes and remakes us. Take time this week to offer a word of gratitude to the people who have changed the trajectory of your life.

I leave the last word to the writer of Ecclesiastes:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down, a friend can help them up.

But pity the person who falls and has no one to help them up!

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

Working on the bits and edges with you,

Pastor Bill

A gentle touch

sands us

a smile

a kind word

smooths

the edges

beauty within

as

marble

chips away

God's hand

upon

our

being

Breathe

Be

Pray

[First published May 1, 2013]

Self-Control and the Power of Choice

"A person without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."

(Proverbs 25.28)

I'm going to cut down on how much sugar I consume. Or coffee. Or TV. Or... (you fill in the blank). I'm going to pray and meditate every morning. I'm going to go to the gym four days a week. I'm going to save more, tithe more, invest more. I'm going to be more patient. I am going to spend more quality time with my spouse, kids, elder parents... How many times in life do we make these little resolutions, these promises to self, with full intention of seeing them through - until the alarm clock goes off at 5am and it's dark and cold out and the gym seems much less important than keeping the bed warm. 

Being self-disciplined is challenging, it takes - well, it takes discipline. That's the kicker for me. I wouldn't mind self-discipline so much if it were just a bit easier. Problem is my mind keeps playing tricks on me. Take sugar for instance. With a family history of diabetes and a personal history of hypoglycemia you'd think I have good reason to cut back on North America's favorite addiction. So I say to myself - "okay. Today I'm not eating sweets. None; all day." And I'm good til I go on a pastoral visit and I'm offered a piece of oven-warm flapper pie and my mind says, "It's alright 'cause it's in the line of duty. You have to eat this pie." And of course, I end up in complete agreement with myself and I smile from ear to ear as that pie goes down so nice. 

Self-discipline. Within me is a rebellious two-year-old who does not want to be told "no," who will have his own way, who will throw an internal tantrum if his will is rebutted. It takes all of my awareness to realize that the often-subtle voice of this two year old does not have my best interests at heart. I experience life most richly when I exercise a liberal measure of self-discipline - not rigidly, but liberally sprinkled throughout the various pages of my personal story. When I make choices to eat well, to exercise my body, mind and soul, when I reach for the life-giving elements and away from toxic elements of life - then a tremendous strength pours through me.

The crux of the matter is choice. In his book, The Path of Least Resistance, Author Robert Fritz suggests that our days are guided by the primary, secondary and tertiary choices that we make. Primary would be like, "I choose to be healthy." Secondary would be, "I choose to exercise to be healthy." Tertiary would be choosing to go for a walk this evening. Each moment along the way will bring us to a "Y" in the path, where one road takes us to the fulfillment of our primary choices while the other sabotages our intentions. 

"For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,

but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

(Hebrews 12.11)

The apostle Paul was big on self-discipline. He recognized that walking the path of Love required Spirit-empowered choice and constant vigilance through self-discipline. Like me (and perhaps you) Paul knew that the rebellious two year old was a strong internal voice. He stated in the letter to the Romans, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Rom. 7.15). There's me - knowing who I can be, but falling short of the mark. But Paul does not give up on himself, or on us. He goes on in chapter 12 to say:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed 

by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is:

His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

(Romans 12.2)

In other words, through the power of disciplined choice we can keep that unruly two year old in line, and consequently make choices that allow our brilliance to shine through in world-healing ways. To be true to ourselves is a choice, and it takes tremendous will to realize that choice. It is a lie of the darkness, however, that tells us that we are trapped by our past, unable to grow, unable to choose Love. The work of God's Spirit is the cultivation of life-giving virtue within us: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Gal 5). We are not alone in this work for Christ stands with us to give us strength and encouragement. And in that light we have choices to make.

So choose Love; choose life. Each moment, as that two year old seduces you with toxic options, turn the other way and be well, and amazing, and beautiful and all that you can be.  This world needs you, because only you can do what you were born to do. Choose well...

I leave the last word to the Greek philosopher, Plato:

"The first and best victory is to conquer self."

Choosing Love with you,

Pastor Bill

the road not taken

wide and easily trod

is waiting

calling

whispering

and powerless

for your

heart

is

of God

Choose

this day

to

Love

Breathe

Pray

[First published April 24, 2013]

No More Darkness

“I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.” 

(John 18.12)

Push back the darkness.

With all your might, with the intensity of a thousand suns breaking into the blackest night - push back the darkness.

Why is it that we forfeit so much power to the darkness? You know how it is - some fool chooses to commit an act of vandalism and the community reacts by passing laws regarding curfew. A store experiences shoplifting and subsequently the owner harasses any teens seen standing around talking. A few hurtful actions push a community into fear mode and the war against... whatever... is on. Violence, in great or small measure, becomes the impetus for a rebounding flood of negative thought, emotion and action. All hail eye-for-an-eye as we walk around blind.

The recent (1)  bombing in Boston is a close-to-home example. A ripple of fear reverberated across the continent on Monday and the reaction will undoubtedly be stricter laws of some sort; increased vigilance, decreased trust.  Score: darkness 1, light 0.

Perhaps it is part and parcel for being human - that we let one act of hurt outweigh ten thousand acts of kindness and respect. Consider how many people walk into stores in North America every day, and not one of them causes any harm. In fact, many will hold a door open, pick up a dropped parcel for a stranger, give back miscalculated change... millions of acts of kindness every day. You'd think that the tsunami of positive reaction to so much goodness would wipe away the few acts of hurt that occur. But no; two thousand people walk into Walmart on a Saturday; one of them pulls a gun. Just one. The community responds as though the entire two thousand were criminals looking for a place to happen.   

Bah! Humans are crazy... but Love is crazier! I am convinced of Love for I have seen and experienced its healing power. There is some bad stuff happening in our world - lots of really bad stuff, globally and in our own back yards. But all that bad stuff clumped together and put on the scale is small potatoes compared to what God's Love is doing in and through us crazy humans. Around the world today, right now in fact, hundreds of millions of people are living the Love that they are. At this very moment the Spirit of Christ is moving within the hearts of billions. This very second acts of generosity, compassion, understanding and openness are beaming a brilliant light into our world. Jesus said, in Luke 17, that the Kingdom of God is within us (or among us, depending on the translation). What? The power, authority and healing of God's Kingdom is here, now - in you, in me, in her in him? Yup. 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” 

(Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches)

We don't have to let the few acts of violence dictate who we are. We don't need a war on drugs, a war on bullying, a war on war. We only need to be true to ourselves, to the Love that is woven into the fabric of our DNA. Our neighbor experiences a home break-in. We could react in fear and all buy security systems, hiding behind locked doors. We could - and score one for the darkness. Or, we could forgive, and realize that Love is brighter than the darkness, stronger than fear, broader, deeper and infinitely more powerful than any violence. We could choose to continue to trust and thrust fear aside.

Remember that Mid-Week Devotion last year on being a "nudger"?  One small random act of kindness nudges back the darkness. Remember the numerous times I have reminded us that we are made in God's image - that image shines through us and pushes back the darkness. We can, like frightened kittens scatter at the first sign of threat, or, like lions we can let out a roar that shakes the forest. That roar proclaims this a day of renewal, of truth, of Love running the score board to infinity. 

On Monday a few people, who have forgotten that they were created for Love, detonated explosive devices that reverberated across the world. Join me in sending a vibration out today that shakes this earth to its core - one built on gratitude, unending forgiveness and mercy; one that shakes violence to its knees. With every person you meet today let Love guide your words, actions and attitudes. Push back the darkness; shake the world.

I leave the last word to author CS Lewis

"Christianity asks us to recognize that the great religious struggle

is not fought on a spectacular battleground,

but within the ordinary human heart, when every morning we awake

and feel the pressures of the day crowding in on us,

and we must decide what sort of immortals we wish to be."

(Mere Christianity)

Pushing with you,

Pastor Bill

A dark place

crumbles

as

light

through a single crack

pours

in

You are that crack

Beam

breathe

be

“There is a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.” 

(Leonard Cohen, Selected Poems)

(1) [First published April 18, 2013]

The Plain, Old, Everyday Life

"It's not a bad idea

to occasionally spend a little time thinking

about things

you take for granted.

Plain everyday things."

(Evan Davis, BBC host)

The floor under our feet, the air we breathe, the pumping of our heart... we seldom think on these things - until they are in jeopardy or are gone. We walk miles upon this earth rarely considering the solid foundation beneath us, until an earthquake shakes our world. So much at play in the background that sustains life in quiet, subtle ways.

I once asked a woman who had been married 40+ years what a husband was (he was sitting beside her):

"A husband is someone you take for granted."

"Really" I say (with eyebrows raised in surprise)

"Yes - because his care and love are so constant, like the air I breathe, that I never think about it. He is always there for me, supporting me, loving me; I never have to worry about it"

Wow!

So much that gives us life and we give it nary a thought till we must do without it. April 24 will mark two years since my mentor died. Michael was one of those pieces of life that I took for granted. We did not get together often, however, when we did he helped me set my compass, reminded me who I was. Between our visits he faded to the background, and like air and sunshine and love, his presence in this world gave life to me even when I was not thinking about him. I always knew though, in the back of my mind, that he was there, and at a whim I could call him up or send an email and my bubble would return to center. But Michael died, as we all must do, and life goes on. 

Most, perhaps all, of this corporeal world is transitory - it crumbles, fades, and turns to dust over time. The people and the structures that we rely upon for support will some day be gone, and us with them. Not a particularly comforting thought, but it is a helpful reminder that while husbands and wives and mentors and all the other subtle-in-the-background pieces of life are delicious and important, they are not the source of life. All these rely on something older, greater, deeper; these, while life-supporting, rest upon a foundation that is unshakable, unending and infinite in scope and breadth - God's Love. 

"In the beginning God created..." Before all, the absolute "prior," the quintessential start - God's Love. Everything that exists stands upon the foundation of this Love; all of life draws its breath from this Love; our compass, our identity, our centered bubble, these depend upon God's Love. And this is good news for it means that no matter who dies, no matter what changes challenge us, we will endure, more even thrive because Life and Love always surround and suffuse our being.

I miss my mentor - and this is a good thing, for it reminds me to be aware of where I get my strength from. Michael, like so many in my life, was not the source but rather was a funnel, open to God's love pouring through him to me, and many others. I too am a funnel, as are you. We are not the source, rather, we stand upon the source and our Creator's Love pours through us to support, heal and endlessly recreate our world.

So give thanks today for all of the in-the-background pieces of your life that hold you up. Then, take a quiet moment to breathe, to listen to the whisper of Spirit, to feel the thrum of God's life pulsing through your heart. You are alive and Love pours into and through you. You are someone's taken-for-granted support. God is good, life is great, Love is who you are!

I leave the last word to Paul:

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our 

(Romans 8.37-39, NKJ)

In this life with you,

Pastor Bill

Relax

It

Is

In

God's

Hands

All is well

Breathe

Pray

Play

[First published April 10, 2013]

Be a Hero

"Hero recounts rescue of two girls from icy Edmonton river"

(Edmonton, March 31, 2013)

Good news for a change. Amazing news - a man and his dog risk their lives to save two little girls whose sled had slid down onto the river ice. With little thought for his own safety Adam Shaw pulled one little girl from the water, fell in himself, got out and, with help from his dog, pulled the second girl to safety. The lives of those two girls, their family and their friends will never be the same as a consequence of Adam's actions. What a gift to give - as the Gospel of John states, "greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15.13). How much more so when it is for complete strangers.

"Preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words"

(St. Francis of Assisi)

This statement, attributed to St. Francis, is a reminder that our actions are often experienced as the clearest proclamation of our heart. It is one thing to state that little girls in icy rivers should be saved; it is another thing altogether to be in the frigid water with them. What Adam did was a very pure and true example of living out the Gospel - that is, living and expressing faith through actions of healing and renewal. Perhaps our world needs a little less pontificating, a few less sermons, a reduction of lectures, and a whole lot more local heroes feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick or imprisoned... (see Matthew 25). As I've mentioned in past posts, the simple, day-to-day kindness and compassion that we exercise fulfills all that Christ asked of us (see Mark 12).

Such healing and re-creation can be experienced when each of us acts according to our abilities, in light of the need before us, with boldness and courage. Some of this renewal will be revealed in public ways, such as Adam's life-saving rescue on Sunday. Much of the wholeness of our world, however, will unfold in more subtle ways - building bridges through forgiveness, acceptance, and the growing of respect; recognizing our own prejudice and choosing to see beyond it; paying back evil with good (see 1st Peter 3). 

In light of the voice of the Old Adam/Old Eve, being a local hero presents some challenges. There will be times we will want to turn our back on the needs of others; sometimes it will be inconvenient to act out the Gospel, and some Christ-like actions frankly go against popular opinion and personal belief. But there you have it - that narrow path; if we are to be true to ourselves as creatures of God then we jump into the chilly waters, face the raging rapids and stretch our hand out to the weak, the vulnerable, the needy. 

So be a hero today: forgive someone, encourage someone, help change a tire, buy a cup of coffee, pull a child from the frozen waters of a swollen spring river... every act of kindness, seen or unseen, makes you a hero to someone :-)

I leave the last word to singer/philanthropist, Mariah Carey:

“when you feel like hope is gone,

look inside you and be strong

and you'll finally see the truth

that hero lies in you.” 

(Mariah Carey)

In the cold waters with you,

Pastor Bill

The storm swells

winds rage

waves pound

a light beams

into darkness

hope

strength

safety

God's light

shines

through

you

Beam brightly

pray

breathe

laugh

[First published April 3, 2013]

Falling Down .... and Getting Back Up

“You are so weak. Give up to grace.

The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore.

You need more help than you know.” 

(Rumi)

Have you ever been down on yourself, heard the voice of self-judgment whispering in your ear? It happens to me sometimes and I think, "what a useless lout am I!" Try as I might I am not as gentle or as patient or as self-disciplined or as strong as I want to be. I would like to be what I know I am capable of, but I have not grown to that place yet. Like a toddler  who can crawl and sees the potential for running and leaping and dancing, but after a few faltering steps falls to the floor. That's me. I know about running, leaping and dancing, but I have barely mastered crawling and standing. 

I need to be patient with me; that too is a challenge. Growing into who God intends for us to be is a slow and careful journey. It takes time for God's Love to sand down the rough edges, to smooth away the unnecessary bits; it takes time for experience to ferment into wisdom. Sometimes it seems I am more bits and less wisdom, but that is just the Old Adam talking, the unhelpful voice of the ego. It is always harassing me, telling me I am not good enough. That voice has forgotten about my roots, my origin, my source.

When I am berated by that dark inner voice I go back to the beginning of my story - way back, past my birth, past my parent's births - way, way back. To humanity's birth. There, in the womb of the world God breathed ruach, the Spirit of God's essence into humanity to give us life. Upon our being was imprinted the very mark of God for we were made in God's image. When I become despondent about myself, or about humanity and its ills I go back to Genesis 1 and 2. I go back to the beginning where Love says to me, and to you - "you are made like Me; you are intentionally created full of wonder, full of potential that you have not begun to explore... I look upon you and you are good."

I crawl, I stand, I fall. Again and again. But each falling is a learning, and God never leaves my side, Love's strong words of encouragement filling my ears, urging me to stand again, take another step. So I take a deep breath and go out into the world today. I'm only crawling, but even crawling is a wonder and I trust Genesis 1; I am made like God, full of the power of Love, full of creative potential, and desperately wanting to realize what it means to be a human being crafted by God's hands, filled with God's breath and powered by God's Love.

Falling sucks, but in the falling I am learning about being God's. I am learning about forgiveness, about being held in God's heart; I am learning about something beautiful within me that is slowly growing and glowing and unfolding. I don't know if you can relate to all this rambling, but if you've ever fallen you may understand how deeply we need to hear Love's voice giving us the encouragement to get up, try again, to believe in who made us and the awesome purpose that is our reason for being in this world. We are here to reflect God, to reveal Love, to be healers, builders, creators, renewers. Despite the dark voice, despite grief and disappointment, despite the pain of landing on my butt one more time - I choose to do my best today and to strive ahead, even with faltering steps.

To all you who have fallen,

You have my compassion.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist:

"When I consider your heavens,

    the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

    which you have set in place,

what is humankind that you are mindful of them,

    human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

    and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

    you put everything under their feet"

(Psalm 8)

Boldly standing with you,
Pastor Bill

reach up

a hand

reaches for you

a strong hand

holding you

steadying you

a hand

of freedom

safety

love

Breathe

walk

dance

[First published March 27, 2013]

Retail Therapy?

Here's a question I've recently asked myself: If I acquire "it" will I be happier?

The "it" could be anything - car, house, toys, finances, prestige... for me the current "it" is a replacement truck for our somewhat dilapidated Chev. Sure, it has 300,000kms and it's rusty and dented and the seats are worn, but it runs and it pulls our little Boler trailer and I don't really care if the dog jumps in and his feet are muddy. For that matter I don't mind if my feet are muddy when I jump in. 

So, would a new truck make me happier? Really? Deep-down happy? Would I be more at peace with myself and my world? Would I be kinder to my family, my neighbor, my world because I have a new "it"? 

Now don't get me wrong - I'm not saying we shouldn't buy new things. Money is a form of love and the free exchange of this love puts food on tables and is a part of healthy communities. And things do wear out and need to be replaced. And there are various things we need to live and thrive and grow.

My question is about motivation - am I buying stuff (or acquiring any other "it") to fill an emptiness inside, to soothe feelings of dis-ease, to fit in, to appear affluent enough to have value? If so, then at the end of the day I will go to bed still feeling empty even with a new truck in the driveway. Who we are is NEVER affirmed by what we have or do not have. The treasure of our being is an unchangeable gift from God; the outside world can neither tarnish nor enhance it.

Jesus said, "What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?" (Luke 9.25 - "The Message")


Yeah. We need enough, but after you have enough, then what? More simply does not make us happier. Studies have shown that the happiness factor peaks at "enough." Happiness, it would seem is about what we have on the inside and letting what is on the inside shine to the outside.


So, maybe I will replace the truck - because the old Chev is a bit shaky. But I know that the joy of my life comes not from shiny things on the outside, but from the brilliance of love on the inside!

Pastor Bill


If you were to

let go

of all

your things

you would be

no less

Smile and breathe

a deep breath

out...

and in...

and again

and give thanks

[First published March 13, 2013]

All Creatures Great and Small

Recent news stories about increases in animal cruelty reports by the SPCA provoked some thoughts about our relationship to the natural world and all of its creatures.

God blessed [Adam and Eve],

and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it;

and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air

and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

(Genesis 1.28, RSV)

I have a soft spot for creatures - hairy, scaly  slippery, feathery, I love them all. I love them to the point of feeling deeply anguished when animals of any sort are mistreated or killed "inhumanely." I recall an event from my childhood in which I was a participant in a community summer program at a local school. This was an "arts and crafts" day program of some sort and I was entirely enjoying the games and craft projects. It must have been a particularly wet summer as I recall there being an abundance of frogs about. I have always been fascinated with frogs and that summer found me enjoying their goofy antics with unabashed enthusiasm. So it was that some of the boys in the program noticed my interest in frogs and decided to have some "fun." They began hopping about, squashing as many frogs as they could land on. I was horrified - I could not make them stop, could not get them to see the beauty of these vulnerable little creatures. That moment is seared into my memory for it taught me that there are some who seem to take delight in the intentional wounding of the planet. I have never understood this inclination. 

As disturbing as that memory is, justification for such actions has a Biblical basis of sorts - Genesis 1.28.  It seems humanity took that one pretty seriously - subdue and have dominion.  The sad part is, the Hebrew words that were used and translated "subdue" and "dominion" are used only 23 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, all of them denoting subjugation, ruling or lording over the weak, violating or treading upon. If we look at humanity's relationship to creatures and to the earth as a whole we can find abundant evidence to suggest that we have violated, tread upon and lorded over the weak with unhindered abandon. 

Unfortunately, the verse quoted above from Genesis 1 is grossly misunderstood.  The 23 uses of the two Hebrew words in question occur after the Garden story and refer entirely to humanity's relationship to itself and to creation after its expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The harmony of Creator and created, of humanity to God and to the earth was broken. Consequently, our understanding of lordship and dominion was colored by fear for survival, and an unbridled lust for power and greed. To subdue and have dominion has evolved to mean only a relationship of unequal power in which the weaker (all other creatures and the environment) are mercilessly used for humanity's whim. 

This is not, however, the relationship that was present between God, humanity and the earth within the sanctuary of the Garden. In their original intent, the words (poorly translated) subdue and have dominion, described a lordship which reflected the kind of care that God has for all of creation. The New Interpreter's Bible commentary states, "the [garden] world was in harmony with God’s intention of shalom. A study of the verb ‘have dominion’ reveals that it must be understood in terms of care-giving, even nurturing, not exploitation.  As the image of God, human beings should relate to the non-human as God relates to them… subduing involves development in the created order… the task of intra-creational development, of bringing the world along to its fullest possible creational potential”.

The fact is, we have sorely misinterpreted our mission regarding creation. Our prime directive was not to trample it to our heart's content; it was to love it so that it could be all that its potential allows for. Humanity has been appointed Lord upon, not over, the earth. This role entitles us to live in communion with the natural world in such a way that the creative work begun by God continues through us. The use of technology, cultivation of the land, care of domestic and wild animals - all of this must be enacted in such a way that the earth thrives and grows into new ways of flowering, revealing and reveling in the glory of its Creator.

Genesis 1.28 is a challenge to all of us, urban and rural, to consider how we treat the world around us. A deeper understanding of this Biblical command reveals that we do not have authority to destroy the creatures and environment as we wish. Farming practices and urban lifestyle are obligated, by God's command, to nurture the whole earth through peaceful and loving intention. The implications of this command ripple through all parts of our lives - the production of food using GMO technology, the application of chemicals to the land, mining practices, oil production practices, urban sprawl, overflowing landfills, air pollutants... and of course the destruction of animal species for sport or commercial gain. What is acceptable, desirable, sustainable, truthful? Easy answers are not in our grasp. I do not judge our farmers or our city dwellers; thousands of years of misdirection have brought us to where we are and gentle, open conversation will be key to making changes that will bring us into alignment with the empowerment of Genesis 1.28.

We have but one earth, and one command to nurture this earth with all our heart. Begin today by loving humanity with your whole being. Then let that love flow out to the other creatures that fill your world. 

I leave the last word to King David:

"The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,

    the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it on the seas

    and established it on the waters"

(Psalm 24)

With you I struggle with the questions,

Pastor Bill

Sunrise

Brilliant light

floods the earth

a seed

germinates

a flower

blooms

God's glory

Earth's song

Humanity's cradle

Breathe

release

pray

[First published March 6, 2013]

Words for the Bad Days

"My grief lies all within, And these external manners of lament 

Are merely shadows to the unseen grief

That swells with silence in the tortured soul”

(King Richard II, Act IV)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Sometimes in life we feel things so deeply, so consumingly, that we don't know to whom we could express them. We swim in oceans of grief, anger, pride, fear, longing, hope... waters of turbulent waves breaking upon rocky shores. How do we possibly voice the magnitude and vulnerability of such emotion and experience? When we feel as though we are the only ones who have ever felt this way, who would possibly have compassion and understanding for our angst? This comes to mind this week as I reflect upon some of the voices I have heard in my wanderings: a breast cancer diagnosis, the death of an elder parent, fear for family safety, bone-breaking weariness... each story voiced from a heart heavy with hurt and uncertainty; I add my voice to theirs: To whom can we cry?

"Give ear to my words, O Lord;

give heed to my groaning.

Hearken to the sound of my cry,

    my King and my God,

    for to thee do I pray."

(Psalm 5)

There are 150 Psalms in the Hebrew Bible; 150 poems of praise, lament, hope, rage, love... each is a real and raw expression of humanity's need to cry out its human experience. All in all they are a poignant reminder that there is no inappropriate conversation with God. From the rage of the victims who scream, "may my enemies by like a stillborn child" (Psalm 58), to the praise of one who sees Love's glory in creation and cries out, "Praise him, sun and moon praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!" (Psalm 148).

In its piety, the Christian church has sometimes pigeon-holed its members to adhere to nice talk with God. But that is simply not who we are, or who God is. Love is the God of the redneck world, of the farmer's world, the east-coast fisherman's world, the teacher-after-a-very-long-day world, the nurse with an angry patient world... your world!; the world that sometimes shits on you and leaves you angry and frustrated and hurting. At this point you definitely don't feel like nice language will suffice and you may want to rail at the universe with words and emotion that nobody else will understand; nobody else but God.

The good news, the very, very good news is - the book of Psalms is the redneck/farmer/fisherman/teacher/nurse's official permission to be with God exactly as you are. On the most amazingly sunny "I can take on the world" kind of day the Psalms rejoice with you. When you are lost in grief, drowned in despair, consumed by the fire of rage - the Psalms speak your voice to a God that will not push you away or judge your heart.

Life is messy and it requires a faith that is equally messy; this challenge is met in the Psalms. Whatever you are feeling today, there is a Psalm that expresses it. Do a google search; name your experience, search for ("tiredness" for example) and the word Psalms, and you will be directed to a poem that is 2500 years old and as fresh as right now.

I encourage you in your day, whatever it may bring, with the reminder that you are not alone. Love surrounds you, holds you and receives your deepest cry.

I leave the last word to the Psalmist, who was having a bad day:

"Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him

For the help of His presence."

With Compassion,
Pastor Bill

Silence screams

The deaf hear love's refrain

God knows all

breathe

speak

love

[First published February 6, 2013]