Shining Spirit

As children of God, we affirm:
that God, who is Love, created all and called it good,
that God is present with all of creation and that,
in darkness and in light, God is faithful;
therefore we, too, seek to be faithful.

That Jesus came to show us Love with a human face,
that he taught justice and reconciliation and suffered on our behalf,
and that through his faithful example, he embodies hope;
therefore we, too, seek to be people of justice, reconciliation and hope.

That the Holy Spirit guides and accompanies us,
that this same Spirit offers wisdom and discernment,
and that, when we are open, the Spirit can always find a way;
therefore we seek to be people filled with God’s Spirit,
discerning, loving and transforming our world. Amen.

(Daily Prayer for all Seasons, Church Publishing, pp 84-85)

Tough second shot!
Is that a 6-iron? 8-iron? Baseball bat?
Life can be pretty challenging, can’t it.
I guess that’s an understatement in the midst of
a Pandemic and political pandemonium.
And so I remind myself, and you, that what
seems like an overwhelming, unmanageable
challenge can become bearable, at least, when
we remember roots and relationships. Our
roots are planted in the courageous hope of
our faith demonstrated in the life of
Jesus, and our blessing in hard times
is in relationships with people who care,
love, and support. Friends. The One who
said “I call you friend” and the ones who
live in community with us and support us
in very practical ways.
Whatever your circumstance today,
be thankful for roots and relationships.
By the way, I think it’s a 3 wood.

I am a jigsaw Puzzleist.
I specialize in Puzzleology.
A year ago, I wouldn’t get near a puzzle.
Who wants to just sit there and look for the
backend of a cow or one piece of green grass
among hundreds? Well, I do now. It like creation
all over again. Let there be a red pickup!
Do you think… No, never mind.
Anyway, I look forward now to the challenges
and the pleasures of Puzzleology.
Some puzzle scenes are so lovely, so inviting
that I don’t want to tear them up, destroy
such a lovely creation.

What happened yesterday in D.C. was an
expression of strongly held values fanned
into flame and set loose on the community to
denounce and demand and even destroy.
Nothing creative, constructive or
compassionate about it. Destruction is a lot
easier than creation. Hours of painstaking
effort to build the puzzle. Ten seconds to
destroy it.

Here’s the point.
We have an ethical, moral and spiritual stake
in this puzzle creation called a nation-community.
This puzzle is never quite finished. Some pieces
are clearly in the wrong places, bad fit, and they
need to be changed. The picture is not finished,
maybe it never will be. It is certainly not perfect.

But, then, neither are the Puzzleologists. Working
together, recognizing that all the pieces are
different but essential, building something
beautiful by sharing resources, and exchanging
wisdom, experience, and insights will help
us create something wonderful, something
we can all claim because we built it together.
Out of a heap of incoherent confusion
comes a loveliness that appeals to us all.
Whatever your understanding about God,
may that Creative Force remind us that
community is better than confusion and
conflict, and that each of us who claim a
place in The Way of Jesus are bound by
spiritual principles and teachings that are
guidelines for personal and community
creation. Some people believe that God
continues to create and that we are
co-creators with the ongoing Sacred
effort. Well, in the Spirit of Christ,
let’s work on this puzzle together,
resolving our differences, valuing
each other’s insights, communicating
compassionately, sharing the effort
toward a common goal.

Yesterday is yesterday. It has no place
in the ongoing creative process of putting
together the pieces of a community. God
give us courage to be creative and
compassion to care.

May it be so. Amen.

Love your enemies
Do good to anyone who hates you
Pray for all who mistreat you
Offer your other cheek when slapped
Give your shirt to the one who takes your coat
Give without asking for anything to be returned
If you judge you will be judged
If you condemn you will be condemned
Forgive and you will be forgiven
Treat people the way you want them to treat you

So, this is the complete list?
This is what will be expected of me?
Just to be perfectly clear, if I sign on to
join you, can I start with the easiest one?
And tell me, please, which one would that be?

I see. Well, give me a couple of days and I’ll
get back to you. I’ve got some other options
I need to think about. You understand, right?
Can’t rush into these things.
Got to think things through carefully.
I’ll be in touch.

By the way, there’s not a beginner’s list, is there?
No, well, I just thought I’d ask.
So, like I said: I’ll be in touch.

You turn your back and they’re gone.
Those beautiful children have no
regard for time or distance. They live
to experience joy, they tumble and run
and jump until they come face to face
with explosive joy, and when they
do, they embrace her and make room
for her in the dancing circle.

You turn your back and they’re gone.
Where the rollicking joy?
Where the spontaneous embrace?
My child is woman.
My child is man.
They leave to meet the world,
to make a world,
and there in the distance
they look back, wave and
blow kisses into the air.

My prayer this day, Sustaining Love,
is one of grateful joy for all children
who wake this morning into this world
of wonder and worry. Help them to be safe,
to know love, to experience the day without
fear. Prompt them, Lord, to look back, wave and
blow kisses into the air.
I will leap and catch some as they
float by.
May it be so. Amen.

I hope you have a very good 2021! Be well!
Stay safe!
Keep the faith!
Surround yourself with hope!

Well, Christmas is over. Packages unwrapped. Christmas tree is laying on its side in the backyard, waiting for a ride to the grinder. The whole house has been “de-Christmased” so I think I’ll take a nap.

I’m a strong advocate of napping. My good friend in the chair has the right idea. She is an electric wire when she’s awake, especially when friends stop by for a visit. She runs and twists, slides across the tile floor, and then comes back for more. If I tried what she does, with that same energy level, you’d have to come visit me in the local hospital. High energy beings need restoring rest. Maybe you know one. Maybe you are one.

So I ask you to consider how your life is balanced or, I hope not, unbalanced. Balance is the issue. Some people take pride in having “too much to do”. Others are bored, even or especially in the pandemic days.
Is there a middle way between exhaustion because of too much to do and exhaustion because of not enough to do? And the answer is yes. It’s called a “balanced life”…a life that takes into account the genuine need for
rest and renewal (naps) along with a need to be creatively involved in activities that provide meaning and ask a measure of physical and mental involvement. Physical life balance, and Spiritual life balance.

So, how would you characterize your life right now, in these unusual days? Are you living on the extremes or in the center. This is not a new idea, but it’s a good one. Examine your days and see if you are living in either extreme. And, yes, it’s hard to know where the “center” is in pandemic days, but it’s there. And, yes, this same message is echoed not only in science but also in most major religions of the world. It is clearly in the Good News that Jesus brought. So, here’s the challenge. Look at a whole week, not just one day, and try to determine your “balance average”. Rest and renewal collaborating with creative involvement equals balance.

And if the exercise is tedious and exhausting, climb up in that big stuffed chair, close your eyes and take a nap. Happy Involvement! and Sweet Dreams. And may a sense of peaceful balance be at your center, the companion of the Abiding Spirit.

One of my favorite photos. So much to think about if you take the time to really look. So much spiritual blessing waiting for anyone who will use creative imagination and ask of the self: What does this photo say to me about my faith? See how many questions you can create after looking at the picture. List some of the insights about meaning that come into your mind. Look at the picture for one minute without being distracted, then close your eyes, let the picture remain in your brain and your heart while you speak words of prayer…prayer suggested by the picture you see.

Finally, imagine that you are walking along this path, following the light. You reach the top of the hill, pass the tree on the left, and there standing on the same path but previously unseen is Jesus. He invites you to sit for a little while, a couple of smooth boulders are just there and you sit together. What would you talk about?

May peace fill your heart, hope motivate your actions, and courage go before you.

When did he know? When was it clear?
Did Mary tell her son what he needed to hear?
Did she talk about shepherds who knelt in the hay?
Or Magi gifts left there that day?
As Jesus grew to be a man, did Mary take him by the hand
and tell him about old Simeon’s joy as he cradled that beautiful baby boy?
Or, Anna’s remarks that same special day when the crowd in the Temple
heard her say: Behold, our Redeemer is here!

When did he know? When was it clear?
Did he ever worry or stand in fear
that the danger was great
from the cruel Roman state?
Did he ever wonder about his fate?

He spent long hours in searching prayer,
wondered how much he could truly bear
of the venomous hate that dogged his way.
Did he have the courage to speak out and say:
Follow me and I’ll show you life!

There are no answers to these questions of mine.
I choose to believe that the powerful sign
heard as he rose from the Jordan’s flow
was exactly what he needed to know.
This is my Son; I set him apart.
Follow his way to your home in my heart.

What shall I recall about Christmas Day?
What feelings remain, what shall I say
when someone asks “Was it jolly and fun?”
Shall I tell the truth to everyone
or simply say: “Oh, yes, indeed!
My family and friends, we all agreed
that this is the way it should be.”

We should each cook enough for one or two,
polish all the silver, set out the new
holiday dishes, special glasses, too,
pick Christmas carols, one or two will do.
Type in the numbers to activate Zoom,
find a comfortable place in the empty room
and wave at Susie and Tom.

Beautiful faces fill the screen.
But, who is that woman? I’ve never seen
those purple pajamas and her long, blonde hair?
She looks bewildered, see how she stares
like she’s entered a room filled with alien life.
Do you think that’s Bobby’s second wife?
Or, maybe she got the wrong code.

Whatever the case, she’s welcome here.
We’ll laugh at old jokes, perhaps shed a tear.
“Raise your hand to speak. Un-mute, Uncle Ken.”
Technology’s great, but it’s no friend
to those of us who would much rather spend
the day together, and not pretend
that figgy pudding for one is fine.

Let’s all take a moment as we Zoom today
and pray that next Christmas we’ll have a way
to hug and laugh face to face,
that joy will fill this empty space
in my house and my heart, that touch will restore
the wonder of Christmas evermore.
Til then, raise your hand to speak.