Shining Spirit

This is the end of a beautiful day.
Sunlight grows dim and it's time to say
the evening prayer of humble praise,
a thankful word for all the ways
the Spirit of God shows mercy and grace,
calls us by name and gives us a place
at the Kingdom banquet with Christ as our host.
A time for us to brag or boast?
No, I've done nothing to earn my way,
all is gift as I hear God say:
"Come rest at the end of a beautiful day."

Morning arrives with flare and style.
Shafts of light probe for a while,
but then, in the blink of a sleepy eye,
light explodes across the sky.
Birds begin their joyful songs,
deer and antelope sing along.
All the creatures of God's good hand
rejoice in the light filling the land.
The wonder extends for endless miles
as morning arrives with flare and style.

But along with the joy, there is also pain.
Sometimes it seems that suffering reigns,
controls the minds and hearts of those
who give in to worry, their hearts simply close.
With clouded eyes that are not able to see
the path ahead, the reasons to be
thankful amidst the sorrow and pain,
the presence of Christ to heal and sustain
anyone who, in faith and trust,
knows the difference between should and must,
who stands his ground, extends her hand
to care for God's people throughout the land.

Yes, sometimes it seems like a futile fight,
but never give in, press on to The Light.
Evil and falsehood may have their way,
but there comes, in good time, a marvelous day
when light will chase all the darkness away
and the voice of God will be heard to say:
Fear not, my child, you are on the way
into the joy of this brand new day.

In the recent move from Manzanita, OR to Oro Valley, AZ, if I had lost my shoes or my watch or my favorite shirt, life would go on. Not a catastrophe. But, if I lost the little booklet called Password Journal, now that’s a different story. This would be a major event in my life. The journal holds all the top-secret codes and passwords that are meant to provide me with safety and security. Ha! There really was a day, grandchild, when we didn’t have passwords and layers of security to protect us from each other. But that changed when someone found a way to cheat his neighbor, or embezzle from the company. Passwords are necessary inconveniences in an increasingly insecure world.  Even in the days immediately following the resurrection of The Christ, followers were considered dangerous by Roman authorities and were sought out for punishment. Two examples of early Christian “passwords”. If you and I met, in those days, and you wondered if I might be a Jesus Follower, you would take a stick and draw one-half of the Fish symbol on the ground. If I drew the other half, then you would know that I was a brother.  Or, let’s say that you and I met on the street and somewhere in our conversation I would say: ”Jesus is risen” and I would wait for your response. If you replied “He is risen, indeed” I would know I could trust you as a disciple of The Way. I’m very glad we do not live in a society that forces the use of passwords among Christians. But not all cultures are like ours and many, many Christ-followers must worship and live very cautiously. It has been said that the Church was at its strongest when it was under pressure, when it cost something to be a Christian. That was a theme that ran through the teachings of Jesus. But what does it cost us today to follow his way? What sacrifices do I make day by day? The spiritual fervor that Jesus caused and we inherited does not lead to a country club setting but to “password” places where people suffer from injustice and inhumanity. Our calling is to go there with Christ and care for the needs of our neighbor. Anyone who needs is a brother or sister. Even if they don’t know the password.

In case you can’t read the stone in front of this massive California Redwood, it says: Grandfather Tree Age 1800 years  Height 265 Ft.  Diameter 24 Ft. You have to see it in person to believe it. The forests of Redwoods are testimony to the creative genius of Creation. Yet, the little Mesquite is as valuable, the sparrow and the droplet of ocean water. Be thankful today for the giants of history and for your personal encounters with all the wonders around you.  

The crashing plume of water is created by the powerful ocean rushing into a narrow canyon in the rock, perhaps 10 feet deep. The canyon makes a slight curve at the end and stops abruptly. The water has no choice. It slams into the massive rock and explodes upward, creating a sound like a bomb detonating. Then the water retreats and the rock remains, waiting for the next futile assault. Powerful is an understatement when describing the collision of water and stone. At low tide, when the ocean barely creeps onto the soft sandy beach, the rock canyon is exposed, revealing nature’s art hanging from its walls. Starfish of all colors have attached themselves to the walls, dark reds, pinks, almost purple ones create a gallery of living art. Several times I have walked to the end of the canyon, put my hands on the immovable stone that takes the ocean’s attack, then stood back to admire the artistic designs of starfish.

I give thanks for moments when I come, unknowingly, closer to the deep essence of life. I talk all the time, maybe too much, about seeing beauty, strength, power in the daily flow of life. I think recognizing those things is part of our spiritual journey. But, when you move beyond seeing into experiencing, from observing something to being part of it, that is a magnificent moment. Rare? Perhaps, but possible. Those opportunities flourish all around us. Even today, where you are right now, there is something waiting for your deeper discovery. Never close your eyes in night’s sleep until you have looked back over your day and said to yourself, and to God, “that was the moment.” When this kind of recognition happens once, it’s easier for the next time, and easier for the next time. By the way, you don’t have to walk in a rock canyon and see starfish to have this kind of encounter. It’s right where you are. Waiting for you. At the end of this day, may you smile as you fall asleep, knowing that you have lived. Knowing the fullness of Presence.

Affirmation one more time. Today we leave Manzanita and start the drive home. Yesterday when I was making my final trip through the little downtown, I looked toward the ocean and saw this. I knew instantly what was and what it meant. The speed limit along the main street is 20. Knowing how fragile and fast-moving rainbows can be, I went slightly over the speed limit, jumped out of the car, stood in the middle of the street and took picture after picture. I looked down at my iphone/camera to make a slight adjustment and when I looked up, it was gone.

Confirmation
Affirmation
Revelation
A signal to my soul
All is well

Aside from my wife, who is the most important person in my life, there is one item that will travel tomorrow under my close supervision and care. It is a red, three-ring notebook that contains thoughts, reflections, and poems written during our three-month visit in Manzanita. What follows here is the last page in The Manzanita Collection.

     Rejoice and Sing
 When all was said and all was done,
the last star formed, the moon and the sun,
there remained a void, a place apart,
something missing in the sacred heart.

The blessing of God touched creation's core
but there was, without doubt, something more,
something essential to complete the whole,
one last piece of creation's soul.

It was then that God created Music.

The sounds! O, the sounds that filled the skies.
Never before had angels cried
with joyful tears that spilled over the earth
in honor and praise of Music's birth.

The first gifts that Music bestowed upon man
were the pure, perfect notes of The Maker's plan.
No matter what the future may bring,
lift up your heart, your voice, and sing.

Glory to God! Let creation say:
this is a most remarkable day.
For when, in time, if plagued by wrong,
we possess the gift of sacred song.

Let the universe sing, let the cosmos rejoice
for we now can hear the heavenly voice
in the notes of Music's gifts.

    Sing today at the top of your voice!

One more day in the Magical Kingdom of Manzanita. Day after tomorrow we drive away from our three month adventure, known as winter on the Oregon coast. A store clerk gave me a funny look the other day and said: ”Don’t you have this just backwards? Most people go to Arizona for the winter, and you come here?” And I’d do it again. I’ve filled a large, red three-ring-binder with poems, reflections and prayers, taken hundreds of photographs (one seagull looks like another), lived rather spontaneously, which is somewhat new for me. I usually plan my spontaneity. The space, time, and place have allowed me to collect a book of prayers titled “Songs of My Soul” and to publish “Singing To The Mountain,” a small collection of poems. Sue and I have encountered some very interesting people, eaten a lot of great seafood, walked with the Spirit in ways not possible in the desert, discovered some things about ourselves and confirmed that we are very fortunate and blessed to walk the beach together for all these years. 

Yes, how thankful we are for the gifts of these three months. But you know what? It’s true. There’s no place like home. You don’t know how much you value something special until you don’t have it anymore. That’s why blessing each other right now, and often, is so important. The “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “Thank you” or “I’m proud of you” can never be said too much. This sabbatical to the sea, given and received as blessing, is an affirmation of The Source of all blessing. Among the many important statements in the Christian scripture is this: We love because He first loved us. The capacity to love, while inherent in our human makeup, finds its expression when we realize how much and to what depth we are loved. We are loved to love. We are blessed to bless. Maybe the fullness of life is just that: recognizing love received in order to give it away. May this day be such a time of awareness for you. Thanks be to God for the remarkable gift of this moment.

I could see this in the distance. I turned the car around and slipped through the downtown area as quickly and as safely as possible. When I got to the beach, I double parked the car, left the door open and dashed across the street, up onto a grassy dune and started snapping. A picture doesn’t do justice to the real thing. But, I have nothing to say about this. No comment, no commentary. I simply ask you to sit quietly for three minutes with this picture. When the three-minute timer goes off, ask yourself one question: ”What do I see in the picture that feeds my spirit, expands my soul?” Listen to the deepest part of yourself. All the other stuff can wait.

I’ve never been onboard a modern, commercial fishing boat, but I’m sure they carry highly sophisticated electronics and are constructed with safety in mind. Still hard work, though. Whether your name is James or John and you run a little family fishing business, or you’re the pilot of a high-tech vessel in the 21st century, fishermen learn their trade quickly or they face disaster. No one controls the big waters. Storms pop up quickly, tides rise and fall and a good fisherman is ready. You can see in the picture how close some fishing boats come to the shore, and that’s another danger area. The last thing you want to do is run aground and be at the mercy of the churning ocean. So, the pilot must know where that imaginary sign is located: “Danger Beyond This Point!”

That’s the life works, isn’t it. Knowing where the boundaries are, limits. Sometimes it’s “how far can I go?” At other times it is “how far should I go…how far must I go?” All depends on the circumstances, I suppose. You and I have been there, in that moment when faced with an ethical or moral dilemma, we make the distinctions, the choices to move ahead, stop, or retreat. Boundaries. Limits. Red lights, yellow and green lights. Ignoring them has consequences. The spiritual path we have chosen to follow, The Way of Jesus, calls us to live thoughtfully, compassionately, and often selflessly. Here are some signs along that path: *Love has no limits. *Think! Use the brain God gave you. *Peace requires an open mind. *Justice requires sacrifice. *Caution: Turn around and go the other way. *Be truthful in all things. 

Those signs and many more are inherent in the Gospel, the Good News, of Jesus. Fishermen in his time and today depend a lot on inner knowledge, experience. We call it wisdom. And so do pilgrims traveling The Way of Jesus. He is the Source of life’s fullness. He is the Sign Maker. So, if you find yourself faced with an opportunity, a dilemma, a moment of indecision, the first place to turn is into the heart and the mind of Christ. Knowing how and where and why you steer your ship gives you a pretty good chance of reaching your destination. Sail on. 

Yesterday’s posting ended with the suggestion that the Kingdom of God, according to Jesus, is not so much about “saving” as it is about spending, generously giving understanding, compassionate care, hope, love to all people in creation and doing so out of a realization of abundance. That is a function of the new alternative to the brutality and power of the secular kingdom. So, let’s pick up the conversation there.

Another reality about The Way of Jesus: it is not about measuring membership but is about mission. Perhaps you have experience in a church where adding members seemed to be the number one priority. The size of the church somehow signals the depth of faith of members, the skill of leaders. When Jesus talked about building, he meant building up the spirit, the soul of a neighbor or friend. Setting free from bondage will certainly increase one’s hope and change an outlook on society. And that new outlook might lead one to the mission field of your local neighborhood. People of The Way are not counting membership numbers. The are encountering suffering and responding to it as they do the work of God.

Also, in this alternative realm Jesus described, his teachings and demonstrations of love are the standards by which we interpret the scriptures. It’s not the other way around. We ask in a moment of urgency not “what does the bible say” but rather, in this situation what would Jesus do? Jesus is the standard by which we interpret the bible and circulate wonderful news around the world.

Final observation about the work and witness of The People of The Way. On behalf of Jesus they proclaim that Spirit always precedes functional systems. Prayer increases power as one dares to act in the name of Jesus. Spiritual discernment is essential when decisions have to be made. This, I believe, is one of the most important foundational stones of our faith. Systems that reflect integrity and justice are the results of spiritual preparation.

Kingdom thinking is not always easy, just as walking The Way with Jesus is not always simple. I hope these brief conversations have prompted you to some deep thought and new considerations of our calling to be His followers. Never be afraid to ask questions of traditions and practices. Be wary of communities that dismiss or deny spiritual inquiry because it has all the final answers. Kingdom thinking, when done with charity and honesty, opens windows and welcomes fresh breezes. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Press on.