Category: Meditation

Two Kinds of Crosses

Some time ago, when I was engaged in a period of intense discernment, a dear friend of mine, Bill Cherry, presented me with a small silver cross I can carry in my pocket. He told me, that God had led him to give me the cross and that when the reason becomes clear to me God will let me know to whom I should pass the cross along. He's given out hundreds of these crosses through the years and each one has its own special story.

The story of this pocket cross is not complete because the time to pass it along to someone else has not yet come. So it is in my pocket every single day, reminding me of several things. For example, whenever I reach into my pocket and touch this cross, it reminds me of my friend and the faith we share. My pocket cross is also a constant reminder that a lot of people around me are carrying crosses. Some of these crosses are visible. However, there are crosses that people carry in their hearts. The crosses of the heart are usually carried quietly, sometimes secretly, and on occasion they seem almost too heavy to bear.

During Holy Week, we will walk with Jesus in the Way of the Cross. As we do, we should remember that Jesus carried two kinds of crosses. One was visible, made of wood. It was ugly and heavy as he dragged it down the streets of Jerusalem toward Golgotha. The other cross he carried was even heavier. It was the cross of estrangement between God and humanity. It was a cross weighed with the sin of the world and the evil of a fallen cosmos. But Jesus carried both of these crosses with such courage and grace that today the cross is a symbol of hope and a testimony about life’s meaning and purpose.

I think my friend gave me the pocket cross because he recognized that I seemed to be struggling under the weight of a cross I was trying to bear. He wanted me to know the strength that comes from the Savior who carried a cross to Golgotha and transformed an instrument of death into a means of redemption. When I am thinking that I have a cross of the heart to bear, he wanted me to remember how to carry it as Jesus carried his, trusting in the divine power that is at work in me, which can accomplish more than I can ask or imagine. After all, God can do more with us than we can do with ourselves. That's what St. Paul is getting at when he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19-20).

P.S. Here's an inspirational poem entitled The Cross in My Pocket written by Verna Mae Thomas. The photo is of the actual cross I carry in my pocket, created by artist Jeep Collins.

April 14, 2011
Is there life after birth?

From the musical Show Boat we have the song, “Old Man River.” The words and music of this song combine to depict the sad plight of the black slave along the banks of the Mississippi. The depths of despondency and grief are vocalized in the lyrics: “Ah gits weary an’ sick of tryin’, ah’m tired of livin’ an’ skeered of dyin’.”

These words strike a familiar chord in all of us. The fear of death is a major psychological problem for humankind. As Sigmund Freud once observed, “In dealing with death, most of us are living psychologically beyond our means.” And, at the same time, the weariness of living presents people with problems. St. Augustine suggested that the fear of dying and the lack of zest for living are related. After the death of a very close friend, he became despondent and wrote: “Some incomprehensible feeling arose in me: both a loathing of living and a fear of dying weighed heavily within me.”

I am reminded of something someone said, “In this age, the important question seems not to be is there life after death, but, rather, is there life after birth?” There is an answer to both questions. In fact, the main theme running through the Bible is God’s concern that we be given every possible chance to enjoy life to its fullest – now, and in the hereafter. If we are to face death, we first have to learn to face life. And life – on the river of life – is best faced in communion with God.

During this Lenten season, we have seen this concern repeatedly in our Sunday readings. In no place is this more evident than in Sunday’s gospel in which Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45). Here we see Jesus’ humanity and divinity revealed in a magnificent way. By the power of the God of life, Jesus calls forth the dead man from the grave. If God can and will do this, can it be any more difficult or any less God’s desire to pour new life into us?

This message is central to the witness of the Church. After Jesus raised Lazarus, he turned to those standing nearby and said, “Unbind him.” The Church today continues to carry on the new-life-giving, liberating work of Jesus, loosening all sorts of bonds that cause weariness in living and fear of dying.

April 7, 2011
Be the light

At the Great Vigil of Easter, the Paschal candle will lead us with our candles in procession into the dark nave. The pews, altar, pulpit, and font are there in the darkness but we cannot see them until they are illuminated by the lights we bear. The darkness must surrender to the Light.

In an encounter with a man who was blind from birth (John 9:1-41), Jesus’ disciples saw someone whose blindness they assumed was punishment either for his sins or the sins of his parents. Jesus enlightened them by saying they were wrong on both counts. When Jesus healed the man they understood.

The blind man was accustomed to a world of darkness. When Jesus healed him, he could see for the first time. There was also an inner illumination; He understood that Jesus was the Messiah.

Other people didn’t believe it was the same person but someone who looked like him. Their point of view and frame of reference obscured their vision.

The criteria of established religion prevented the Pharisees from seeing and believing what was before their eyes. They suffered spiritual blindness. They were supposed to be enlightened, but this incident revealed them as “the blind leading the blind.” The man born blind had more vision than the Pharisees.

I remember watching The Christophers television broadcast as a child and a line from their theme song, recorded by Perry Como in 1952, "If everyone lit just one little candle, what a bright world this would be". The mission of The Christophers is to encourage people to use their God-given talents to make a positive difference in the world.

When our lives are illumined by the Light of Christ, we become lights. The Light of Christ shining in us disperses the darkness – as a parent saying bedtime prayers with a child, as a host providing Room in the Inn for a person with no home, as an ethical business person, as a friend giving encouragement.

In the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians, “Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light– for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true” (Ephesians 5:8-9).

March 31, 2011
Water From a Rock

I was fortunate as a child to spend my summers in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where our family owned a beautiful piece of property. One summer, my dad bought a building, which he intended to move onto the property where he would convert it into a guesthouse.

There was a problem. There was no water. The intended solution was to find a mountain spring that could be tapped but none was evident. Finally, my mother said to my uncle, who was there with us, “Do you remember when you found water with a dowsing rod on the farm where we grew up? Why don’t you try that here?”

My uncle admitted that he remembered not only that occasion but also a couple of other ones when he lived in the Texas Panhandle during the Dust Bowl days of the Great Depression. As a ranch hand, he found water for livestock that were dying of thirst. They dug wells, put in windmills, and saved the herd. He’d been reluctant to suggest this method of finding water because he didn’t want to provoke laughter about what was to him a very special gift.

He went into the aspen grove, found an appropriate tree branch, and fashioned it into a “Y” shaped dowsing rod. He then went to a damp area near the site where they wanted to position the building and proceeded to do what dowsers do. I tagged along because I had to see this!

The place where he stopped seemed as unlikely as anywhere else and was, in fact, a large boulder. He said, “There’s a spring under this rock. Dig here.”

In a few hours, the hole we were digging began to fill up with water and after a bit more digging the spring was opened up and water flowed. All the necessary paraphernalia was put in place and water was pumped to the house where a pump and tank were installed to provide pressure.

My uncle believed he could find water; so did we; and our problem was solved.

In the wilderness, God’s people found themselves in a similar situation – in a place where there was no water in sight (Exodus 17:1-7). They became thirsty and started complaining to Moses. They demanded water as proof that God was in fact with them. Remember, this is the same God who parted the sea, gave them quails and manna to eat, and provided smoke by day and fire by night to guide them. Yet they still weren’t sure their God was with them.

Moses took their case to God. God told Moses to take some of the leaders of the people and go on ahead of them. He was to take his staff with him and when he came to a certain rock he was to strike it with his rod and water would flow out for the people to drink. He did as he was instructed and God came through once again for his people. Water gushed from a rock to quench their thirst!

Moses renamed the place “proof” and “contention.” The way in which the experience has been remembered among God’s people is primarily through the name Moses gave it. It has always been associated with fault-finding and harness of heart. But it should also be remembered, perhaps even more, as an illustration of God’s abundance and grace. For God did not berate the people. He gave life-sustaining water. And, it is a lesson to remember when we are faced with problems of our own. It illustrates in a wonderful way how God wants his children to solve their problems. In every area of life, we are indeed saved by grace through faith.

March 24, 2011
Being sorry is not the same as repenting

I was especially moved by these words in the Litany of Penitence in yesterday’s Ash Wednesday service:

For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of
concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, Lord.

We've been praying that prayer for a long time! This prayer book was published in 1979, 32 years ago. That we’re sorry about our poor stewardship of creation is clear. That we’ve repented is not so clear, because to repent means to change behavior. Our sorrow must be strong enough to motivate us to make a change. However, as I lamented the sloth in my own green habits, I also noticed some signs of hope, some of which are fostered by the city in which I presently reside, Lexington, Kentucky.

Curbside Recycling ~ We have two cans, provided by the city. One can is green and is for household trash. The other can is blue and is for recyclables. We put paper, glass, plastic, aluminum, and a number of other items in the blue can and set it out by the curb every Thursday morning. A city crew comes by and picks it up. They take it to a place where the items in the can are sorted and recycled.

Bicycle Lanes ~ Lexington has bicycle lanes on roadways all over the city. They connect to some very nice bicycle trails. Cyclists ride them to work, to school, to church, and for recreation seven days a week. Motorists watch out for them and slow down. Unless otherwise posted, the speed limit in Lexington is 25 mph. In most other cities, it’s 30 mph. That 5 mph can make a big difference in an encounter between a passenger car and a bicycle. I don’t want to suggest that instituting bicycle lanes here was a simple thing, but mainly it took creative thinking, leadership, and application of some white paint on pavement.

Energy Saving Light Bulbs ~ Gay and I almost never buy an incandescent bulb anymore. The improvements in compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) and the number of options now available, the energy savings, and the availability make this kind of energy conservation a no-brainer! To make it even better, our local electric utility provider sent us some coupons that provided significant savings on the purchase of CFL's. We’ve come a long, long way from those fixtures with the “starters” my parents used in the 1950’s. But I am grateful for the example they provided. My dad was a homebuilder and he used fluorescent fixtures wherever possible. Lexington, like many cities, now has reasonable building codes that foster more extensive use of energy efficient lighting.

I am grateful to be living in a city where it easier to practice "green" habits. I feel that I've moved a little beyond sorry and am actually demonstrating some repentance in my care of creation. Thanks, Lexington, for fostering such a climate. Other cities can learn a lot from your good example.

A friend of mine was complaining about “tree huggers.” I confessed to him that I am a tree hugger and always have been. He pointed out that peoples’ livelihood depended upon the ability to harvest lumber from old forests in places like the Pacific Northwest and that the needs of people outweighed the needs of the Spotted Owls. I had to point out that human beings are endowed by the Creator with more options than the other creatures with which we share this planet. When God entrusted the stewardship of creation to humanity, it was because God had specially equipped us with cognitive resources not given to any other creature. We are supposed to be smart enough to figure out how to steward the resources of creation in a way that respects and sustains all life, not just humanity.

One of my Lenten disciplines is going to be to find more ways to be a good steward of creation, with or without the help of municipal resources. I want to be a contributing citizen of “this fragile earth, our island home.”

March 10, 2011
Seeing Things in a New Light

Isn’t it amazing what can happen in a relationship when one sees another in an entirely new light?

Being with my wife during childbirth was such an experience for me. I saw a strength and courage in her I had never realized was there and it was awesome to me. We were carried to a new level in our bond with each other through that experience. I saw her in a new light.

A silly incident disrupted a friendship with a person who was like a brother to me. For months we were estranged and did not speak. Then, a time came when we were both involved in an event from which neither of us could gracefully escape. He was experiencing a serious physical problem at the time and was walking in procession just ahead of me. I saw him take the arm of the clergyman who was walking beside him to steady himself as pain ran through his body. My cold heart melted and I felt enormous compassion and concern for my friend. The next day we had lunch and never again did we let anything interfere with our friendship. We saw each other in a new light.

A young man was assessed a stiff penalty after his third DUI offense. Someone close to him recog-nized what was happening and confronted him at the risk of their relationship. It was the most loving thing to do. She saw her friend in a new light and, because she did, helped him to see and accept the truth. He decided to remove alcohol from the position of supreme commander of his life.

Peter, James, and John were the inner circle of disciples. They probably knew Jesus better than anyone. That’s why he took them with him to the holy mountain. When they looked at him, they saw the shining glory of God enveloping him and they witnessed a metamorphosis. They recognized two other figures standing with Jesus; Moses the lawgiver and Elijah the prophet. Suddenly they realized something about Jesus they hadn’t understood before: Both the law and the prophets pointed to God’s Messiah and Jesus, their rabbi and friend, is that Messiah. Perhaps Jesus understood his mission in a new way as he heard the voice of God saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am well pleased – listen to him.”

After they came down from that mountain, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem and the cross. What he and his disciples had experienced gave them the new perspective to bear what lay ahead of them.

The Transfiguration is a story about transition. Anytime we see in a new light, something within us changes. We, too, need those epiphanies when God helps us to see people, places, events, and circumstances in a new light.

March 3, 2011
What do you worry about?

Jesus said, "… Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25).

On Sunday, I’ll be in a place where this gospel will be read to a congregation of people who have plenty of things. I wonder how the same gospel might sound to people in Haiti or Darfur or, closer to home, our neighbors in Appalachia or our Room in the Inn guests. People who really don’t have enough may have difficulty finding the good news in Jesus’ words.

Those who have enough and those who do not will perceive the message differently. But the message is the same: don’t be anxious about these things, instead, look beyond them to see God’s hand at work.

This passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount and part of Jesus’ challenge: life in the kingdom of God has different values. It includes the poor, the merciful, those who mourn. It includes our privilege and duty to bring light to the darkest places, to salt the world with mercy and justice. These words of Jesus, taken out of context, sound unrealistic to someone who is suffering. But seen in context, we realize that Jesus is reminding his followers of God’s love for everything and everyone God has created and encouraging his followers to focus on their lives as citizens of God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ aim is to disconnect the link between value and virtue. God did not send a hurricane to New Orleans, but God inspired thousands of compassionate followers of Jesus to help those who remain rebuild their lives. God did not send an earthquake to Haiti, but God moved the hearts of thousands of Christians to bind up their wounds. God did not drive people out of their homes in Darfur, but God led people to build schools for their children to restore their hope. God did not curse the people of Appalachia with poverty, but God blesses them with believers who help them repair their homes. In God’s kingdom, we know that God’s bounty often passes through our lives on the way to others who need it most. We who are blessed are privileged to bless others.

Now, on to Egypt, Syria, New Zealand…

February 24, 2011
Today

Those of us who are old enough to remember the 1960’s will recall how important a genre of music called “folk music” was in that era. One of the early folk music groups was The New Christy Minstrels, founded by songwriter/guitarist Randy Sparks in 1961. One of Sparks’ hit songs, recorded by this group in 1964, is entitled simply Today. Some of the words of this song came to mind as I reflected on the relationship between the past, present, and future.

Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I’ll taste your strawberries, I’ll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
‘Ere I forget all the joy that is mine, Today

I can’t be contented with yesterday’s glory
I can’t live on promises winter to spring
Today is my moment, now is my story
I’ll laugh and I’ll cry and I’ll sing

In this bit of poetry set to a lovely tune, Randy Sparks and The New Christy Minstrels reminded us to appreciate the present moment and cherish the joy of now. I once heard a preacher put it in a less poetic but equally effective way: “Yesterday’s gone. Tomorrow hasn’t come yet. Today is all we have. Use it!”

During a time of transition between rectors, our church is engaged in a process of reflecting upon the past and discerning the future into which God is calling us. As we do this, we want to remember that if heritage and hope do not inform the way we live today, we are destined to be prisoners of our past or disciples of our daydreams. Either way, we are disconnected from the present, which is the scene of the greatest reality.

A visitor to the Vatican was approached by a sidewalk peddler outside the walls. He was offering a hen, a very special hen, for sale. “This hen is a direct descendant of the cock that crowed when Peter denied the Lord,” said the peddler. “Yes,” responded the visitor, “but does it lay eggs?” Whatever the hen’s past or future, the visitor wanted to know if she was doing what hens do today.

Jesus joined the past and the future together in a new way. He is the intersection of the horizontal dimension of time and the vertical dimension of spiritual reality. He warned the religious leaders that their genealogy did not relieve them of responsibility for their present actions. Likewise, he warned the rich young man that good intentions, no matter how worthy, could not give him the eternal life he was seeking at the present moment. Addressing the crowd in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times…but I say unto you.” He said to the woman at the well, “The time is coming and now is.” Each step away from the past and into the future is dependent upon the spiritual dimension we refer to as “The Kingdom of God.”

Let us enter faithfully into this process of discovery and discernment so that this community of faith may be fruitful and vibrant in the here and now. And may we cherish the opportunity and the joy that are ours today!

February 17, 2011
Nurturing the Most Important Relationship of All

Think of the most important relationships in your life. Who are the people who matter to you and to whom you matter? How do you nurture those relationships? Do you routinely show up for meals with them? Do you communicate with them? Do you celebrate special occasions with them? Do you check in with them on a regular basis? Do you go out of your way for them? Do you feel a sense of responsibility to them? Do you delight in their company? Do you lavish gifts upon them to express your devotion? Do you tell them what they mean to you? What would your life be like without them? Do you ever take them for granted? Would it bother you if you drifted apart.

Does your relationship with God matter as much? How do you nurture your relationship with God?

One of the consistent themes of the Bible is God’s desire for a relationship with us. God went searching for Adam in the Garden of Eden. God appeared to Abraham and made a covenant with him. The first two commandments God gave to Moses on the mountain have to do with putting God first. God in Christ said, “Follow me” to some strangers and formed them into a community of friends and disciples. They and their successors called to others to follow Christ and join that community, the Church, where we continue to work on that relationship today.

God wants to be first in our lives and promises to transform all other relationships. In an attempt to express the primacy of our relationship with God, the faithful do things like give the first tenth of their treasure to God and worship on the first day of the week. Because God matters, we show up for meals, communicate, celebrate special occasions, check in regularly, go out of our way, feel a sense of responsibility, delight in God’s company, lavish gifts upon God, and express what God means to us through prayers and praises. Life would not be the same without God and we don’t ever want to take God for granted.

God matters to us. But even more important is the message that we matter to God! Of all God’s creatures, human beings come first. We are the apple of God’s eye. Because this relationship is so important to God, God shows up for meals, communicates with us, celebrates special occasions with us, goes out of the way for us, feels a sense of responsibility toward us, delights in our company, lavishes gifts upon us, and tells us we are beloved. We matter to God and God never takes us for granted.

    I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
    he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me.
    It was not I that found, O Savior true;
    no, I was found of thee.

    Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
    I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea.
    'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
    as thou, dear Lord, on me.

    I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
    of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee!
    For thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
    always thou lovedst me.

February 3, 2011
Blessed From the Beginning

At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew depicts Jesus with the crowds gathered around. Jews and Gentiles alike came up the mountain to hear him. His message was for everyone. The sermon opens with a series of eight blessings, known to us as "The Beatitudes."

The Beatitudes are not a set of rules for living. They are a set of blessings, declarations about the abundant grace of God that brings happiness to people with various virtues and in various circumstances. It is generally held that this blessedness or happiness is the character given to Jesus' followers as the free gift of God.

Look at those whom Jesus said are blessed: the poor, the sorrowful, those who hunger and thirst, those who suffer persecution. Where is the happiness in that? In the beatitudes, Jesus shows that life involves both success and failure and God is in it from the beginning. God’s blessing is not dispensed as a reward for our successes nor withheld as punishment for our failures. We live our lives the way we do not to earn God’s blessing but in grateful response to the blessing already given to us. If that is an epiphany for you, imagine how it must have impacted those who heard Jesus’ words for the first time on that Galilean hillside.

I am reminded of a woman I once heard about who walked the streets carrying a broom in one hand and a pail of water in the other. When asked why she carried the broom and pail, she would reply, "To sweep heaven out of the skies and to quench the fires of hell so that people might love God for himself." Love Divine has blessed us from the beginning. How can our response to such Love be aspiration for a reward or fear of punishment. Love prompts a loving response. Love is best answered by love.

This is the story of the cross, the story of our baptism, and the story of the banquet we celebrate at the start of every week. The Cross comes before us, Baptism comes at the beginning of our discipleship, and the Holy Eucharist is celebrated at the beginning of every week for the same reason Jesus' Sermon on the Mount begins with the beatitudes: We are blessed from the beginning.

To all kinds of people in all kinds of places and circumstances, the Beatitudes declare, “You are blessed. You are accepted. You are included in the love of God. Be at peace!” We don't have to prove anything to God because we are blessed from the beginning. The deepest hungers of life will be satisfied not by what we can do for ourselves or what others may do for us, but by the One who became the living bread and came to give us life. When we live our lives from that blessedness, we are a blessing to others.

January 27, 2011