In this reflective conversation, Christine Sine and Forrest Inslee discuss the journey of the Liturgical Rebels podcast over the past year. They explore the diverse voices and perspectives that have been featured, the challenges of engaging an audience, and the personal growth that has come from hosting the podcast. They also look ahead to the future, emphasizing the importance of feedback and the need for new theological perspectives in a changing world.
Takeaways
- Christine reflects on the podcast accomplishments and highlights of interviews with artists, poets, and theologians over the past year.
- Forrest praises Christine for her commitment to podcasting.
- Diverse voices are vital for rethinking faith practices.
- The concept of a playful God challenges traditional views of theology.
- Audience engagement and accessibility of terminology are discussed as ongoing challenges.
- Christine emphasizes the need for feedback from listeners to improve the podcast.
- Future episodes will explore the liturgical calendar and indigenous worldviews.
- The conversation touches on the importance for spiritual growth of adapting traditions to different perspectives and cultural contexts.
- Christine expresses a desire to help listeners reconstruct their faith in meaningful ways.
You can find out more about Forrest Inslee at Earthkeepers Podcast and Circlewood
It’s the end of the first week of Celtic Advent and I hope that by now you have prepared your sacred space and reoriented your thinking towards this Advent journey. I am delighted at how many of you have sent me images of your altars and comments on the readings. Some talked about how necessary an extended Advent seems this year, not just because of the turmoil and uncertainty caused by the U.S. elections, but also because the secular culture now begins its consumer bombardment, at least here in the U.S., at the beginning of November. To set our hearts in the right direction and resist this pressure to buy and consume is not easy, but the sooner we embrace this unfamiliar path the more likely we are to follow it. You might like to check out Kreg Yingst @psalmprayers who is posting daily on Instagram poems and woodcuts that relate to the daily reflections in the book.
One of the things we talked about at our community meal on Monday night was the importance of stories like those I tell in Celtic Advent – Following An Unfamiliar Path. The Celtic tradition is alive with stories that combine truth and whimsy so that they lodge in our brains in a way that helps us make sense of our own stories. Many of these stories were carefully passed down by trained storytellers who helped to shape the beliefs and actions of those who listened. It’s amazing to me that these stories can still impact our lives and inspire us to deeper levels of commitment to Christ and to a way of life that reflects his values and teachings.
Alongside Celtic Advent, I am also reading Kelley Nikondeha’s compelling book The First Advent in Palestine. She comments that some call the land of Palestine the fifth Gospel because the land reveals much about the life of Jesus. She contends that “the more we see the political and economic landscape and the land itself, then, as part of the narrative, the more relevant the advent story will be to us now.” This is a fascinating and important book for all of us to read. Another one you might like to consider is Drew Jackson’s God Speaks Through Wombs a very powerful book of poems that I used last year. If you missed the episode on Liturgical Rebels Poetry as a Spiritual Practice with Drew Jackson it is well worth listening to in conjunction with reading his book.
You might also like to check out the Celtic Advent playlist I put together a couple of years ago on Spotify. Listening to music is a great way to enter into the season.
In my Meditation Monday – Following A Dream, I moved a little away from Celtic Advent to share with you an important phase in the history of my life – the development of the property on Camano Island that Tom and I owned and then deeded over to Circlewood. One of my friends commented – “you really are like the Celtic holy wanderers. You too have wandered and allowed God to lead, often unsure of where you were heading.” It’s true and has been both the challenge and the deep reward of my life. I hope that my story encourages you to step out into the unknown and follow Christ down an unfamiliar path.
Last Friday I shared about preparing my Sacred Space for the Advent season. I am more convinced than ever that having a space that helps us focus on the changing liturgical seasons can help ground our faith in important ways. Lilly Lewin also focused on Celtic Advent in Freerange Friday – Let A Little Light in With Celtic Advent I love her question “where have you noticed signs of light this week?
Today we published the 21st episode of Liturgical Rebels and the last episode for this year: A Year in Review. Forrest Inslee, who helped me launch the podcast and interviewed me in the first episode helps me look back at what was accomplished this year and forward to what I hope accomplish next year. I thoroughly enjoyed this episode as Forrest is good at asking me hard questions I like to ignore. I am looking forward to a fresh start in January next year. If you have comments, questions or advice about Liturgical Rebels I would love to hear from you.
Hold love close,
Do not let it go.
Let it flow from you, through you, in you.
Let it permeate your being
With the beauty and goodness of God.
Let it plant seeds of light and life,
Build bridges not walls,
Encourage unity not fragmentation.
God’s love resides in every action,
Every atom, every part of creation.
It holds our world together.
Share it freely every day.
Love
Christine Sine
by Christine Sine
My apologies for not posting this yesterday. If you want to be able to read my posts in a more timely fashion I suggest you sign up to follow me on Substack
Have you ever had a dream that took a lifetime to fulfill? Or perhaps a dream that got stuck halfway to completion? Or even a dream you gave up on then suddenly saw it burst into life. That is how I have felt with the dream God gave Tom and me for what is now becoming Circlewood village.
Last week I shared about the privilege of having the first building at the village named after Tom and me. Afterwards I realized that many of you have no idea of what this means and why it is so much of an honour so I thought this was a good time to share some of the history as it is part of what sparked my interest in Celtic spirituality.
The Mustard Seed Village – Unfolding a Dream
My husband Tom always had an interest in community living and spent much time in the 1980s visiting communities around the world. After his first trip to Iona, Scotland in 1982 he was particularly inspired by the Celtic Christian tradition and their emphasis on a faith that seemed to impact every area of life. When we were married in 1992 we visited Iona together and I too was inspired by this Christian tradition and since then have read everything I can lay my hands on about this tradition.
In 1989 Tom purchased 40 acres of undeveloped land on Camano Island north of Seattle, WA with the intent of building a retreat centre that captured some of the spirit of a 6th century Celtic monastery.
In 1991 Tom held the first of what would become annual guided prayer retreats on Camano Island. This began as a morning retreat held at the Camano Island State Park a couple of miles from the land that he had purchased.
In 1996 an acre of land on the property was cleared of alder and a well dug.
Unfortunately, because the land was still unoccupied most of the time, this clearing was soon taken over by local dirt bike riders who used it as a racing circuit. It also became a common place for people to dump rubbish.
In 2004 we held the first Celtic retreat on the land itself. Participants helped reclaim the land by demolishing the dirt bike track and clearing away the huge rubbish piles that littered the land. For the first time, a number of us camped on the land Friday and Saturday night. This was initially to help with set up for the event but eventually became a more integrated part of the program which enabled us to participate in morning and evening prayers as well as the more extensive program on Saturday.
Because of our desire to connect the retreat to the land, at this first retreat we actually built an altar and surrounding booth from branches we collected. We then decorated it with leaves, seeds and other offerings gathered from the property. This was the beginning of a wonderful tradition which over the years resulted in the building of a sturdy altar that we decorate each year from leaves, seeds, branches and fruit gathered from around us.
In 2004 we set up the first prayer trail. This was so popular that the following year we set up 2 more trails and at our final retreat in 2016 we created yet another trail that circled the property. We marked these trails with prayer signs, some of which we painted with beautiful wooden calligraphy as a project at the retreats. These were appreciated not just by our retreat participants but also by neighbours sometimes take advantage of these trails as a quiet place to walk.
In 2007 we set up a labyrinth made from branches collected on the land. One of our Friday tasks from then on was gathering branches to reconstruct the labyrinth always expressing the hope that one day there would be a permanent one on the land. In 2007 we also cleared an area for a gathering space, a cathedral amongst the trees. This provided an outdoor chapel and sacred space separate from the general clearing.
Our annual Celtic retreat was always kid friendly, with afternoon creative projects they loved participating in, but in 2007 we incorporated a more formal children’s program into the Saturday program. It was so much fun to have 50 – 60 people of all ages celebrating the land, praying together, being creative and enjoying each other.
Tom and I had a clear vision for the land and the establishment of a village where people could learn a more sustainable way of life, but we always struggled to raise the money to make that village a reality. By 2010 working with architect David Vandervort, we had a plan for the land and in 2012 we finally began work on the first building. I will never forget the excitement over the next couple of years of seeing the logs delivered, watching the concrete slab laid and then the beams were raised. Finally the walls and roof were added and the highlight of it all was in 2015 when the beautiful circular windows were installed.
Then disaster hit. The building was vandalized and the windows shattered. This happened twice and the second time the windows were not just broken but completely pulverized. We too felt shattered. That year at our Celtic Retreat we created a practiceat the beginning of the retreat in which we incorporated the shattered glass into our altar. It was very meaningful but did nothing to assuage the ache in our hearts at what had happened.
The following year, our 25th retreat, turned out to be our last. Tom and I realized after the vandalism that we did not have enough time and energy in our hourglasses to complete the project and began praying that God would provide someone else who had both the vision and the energy to complete what we had started.
Miraculously it seemed, through a mutual friend Forrest Inslee, we met James Amadon who carried a similar vision for a centre where people could learn to live more sustainably and put ecological concern at the centre of faith. So in 2017, under James’ leadership, Mustard Seed Associates soon became Circlewood and the village was re-conceived as Circlewood Village. Circlewood has continued the work on Camano by establishing a 30-year forest stewardship plan, updating the site development plan, and continuing to host retreats and learning events on the land.
A couple of weeks ago the first building, now almost complete, was dedicated and much to our surprise was named the Sine Center for Ecological Learning. Tom and I are delighted. The dream that we thought died in 2016 has risen from the ashes and is now thriving. Under the able leadership of James Amadon and his Associate Director Forrest Inslee who also hosts the Earthkeepers podcast, it has grown and become part of a growing, global movement. Its mission “to accelerate the greening of faith.” We all feel that this ministry is more important now than it ever was and Tom and I are proud to continue to support this wonderful project.
Welcome to Celtic ADVENT . It begins tonight… 40 days before Christmas to prepare for the arrival of Jesus the LIGHT. Are you ready to start the journey towards Bethlehem? You might not be ready tonight, but you can begin this weekend any time. Our world feels really dark and heavy these days/ We really need the LIGHT of the World at this moment in time.
How are you feeling the darkness right now? Talk to Jesus about how you are feeling.
Where have you noticed signs of LIGHT this week? Make an actual list of all the signs of LIGHT you’ve experienced….the moon, a child playing, a baby smiling, a beautiful tree or bird, a call from a friend.
How do you need the LIGHT today? Talk to Jesus about this.
ADVENT Centerpiece
ACTION : Light a Candle and take a few deep breaths. Quiet your heart and Let the Holy Spirit whisper to you as you consider these passages. Let the Lighted candle remind you of the Light of the World.
PSALM 112
1 Praise the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever. 4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous. 5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. 7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. 9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor, their righteousness endures forever; their horn[c] will be lifted high in honor.
10 The wicked will see and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
JOHN 1: 1-14 FIRST NATIONS VERSION
1-2 Long ago, in the time before all days, before the creation of all things, the one who is known as the Word was there face to face with the Great Spirit. This Word fully represents Creator and shows us who he is and what he is like. He has always been there from the beginning, for the Word and Creator are one and the same. Through the Word all things came into being, and not one thing exists that he did not create.
4Creator’s life shined out from the Word, giving light to all human beings. This is the true Light that comes to all the peoples of the world and shines on everyone. 5The Light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it or put it out.
6-7Into the wilderness of the Land of Promise (Judea) came a man named Gift of Goodwill (John). He was sent by the Great Spirit to tell what he knew about the Light so everyone could believe. He was not the Light but came to speak the truth about the Light. 9The true Light that shines on all people was coming into the darkness of this world.
10He came down into this world, and even though he made all things, the world did not recognize him. 11Even his own tribe did not welcome or honor him. But all who welcome and trust him receive their birthright as children of the Great Spirit. They are born in a new way, not from a human father’s plans or desires, but born from above—by the Great Spirit.
14Creator’s Word became a flesh-and-blood human being and pitched his sacred tent among us, living as one of us. We looked upon his great beauty and saw how honorable he was, the kind of honor held only by this one Son who fully represents his Father—full of his great kindness and truth.
JOHN 1: 1-14 THE MESSAGE. The Life-Light
The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.
3-5 Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him. What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.
6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
9-13 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.
14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
What is God’s Word for you today? What is God speaking you about today? Use the psalm, and/or the Gospel as your inspiration. Write, Journal, or create in Art, or Just BE with Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to inspire you!
READ the passages again.
What speaks to you today? What is the Holy Spirit highlighting for you?
What do you notice from the passage that you didn’t notice before?
What do you wonder about? What questions come up for you as you listened to the passage?
Here are some of the questions that come up for me from this passage:
What keeps you and me from recognizing Jesus, the Light? How do we get so caught up in what we think Jesus is about that we miss who he really is?
If Jesus is the TRUE LIGHT what is the FALSE Light or Lights? What does false light look like? Why are we so easily attracted to false lights? Like success, and riches, comparison, social media, power, etc?
Creator’s Word became a flesh-and-blood human being and pitched his sacred tent among us, …I wonder what this Sacred Tent looks like…how do we create Sacred Tents for others…places of welcome, hospitality and safe refuge?
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
How can you go be the LIGHT in the world?
How is Jesus inviting you to be his LIGHT in the world this season of Advent?
scott erickson
“John writes that the Word (the Christ) gave life to everything and everyone. And then this Word’s life(JESUS) brought light to everyone. Another way to say it is there is a Giver of this life. And then the Giver of this life joins that life and His life brings light to all life. Don’t get lost in the metaphor! Put simply, the function of light is to help us see more clearly. Jesus’ life helps us see our own lives more clearly…..May you rest in the peace that the darkness can never extinguish the light that has been given you. ”
Scott Erickson Honest Advent
How do you need to see your life more clearly right now?
JOHN 8: 12
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”“The Light shines into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it or put it out.”
JOHN 1: 14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
How do these verses give you hope? In this season of Advent, how can you practice “moving into your neighborhood” like Jesus does? What would that look like practically ? Actions? Ask Jesus to show you.
How can you bring LIGHT to others and shine God’s love to all you meet? We all need God’s help right now with this! Remember that you are God’s child and you are God’s Beloved.
LISTEN to Two songs that are bringing LIGHT to the world for me!
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord God
, Help us to see your LIGHT and Help us not to be afraid of the darkness.
Help us to slow down and prepare our hearts.
Help us to wait and take time to be with you.
Teach us to contemplate the wonder of God with us.
Teach us to know the presence of your Spirit.
Teach us to bear the life and Light of Jesus and live out your Kingdom. Today and Always.
In your Name, Amen. (adapted from Ray Simpson, Lindesfarne)
“May you rest in the peace that the darkness can never extinguish the light that has been given you”. Scott Erickson Honest Advent
BOOKS I Recommend for ADVENT this year:
Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path by Christine Sine
Honest Advent by Scott Erickson
Celtic Advent: 40 days of devotions to Christmas by David Cole
God Speaks through Wombs: Poems on God’s Unexpected Coming by Drew Jackson
If you are looking for a creative way to engage God this Advent, create a Sacred Space Prayer Experience for your friends, family or entire congregation! Celebrating the Incarnation or the Advent Experience called Waiting
Saturday was one of the most beautiful days of my life. Surrounded by friends and colleagues, Tom and I were honoured by the people of Circlewood, as we celebrated the dedication of the almost completed first building of Circlewood village on Camano Island. Tom and I poured a lot of time, energy and resource into this land over the last 30 years, meeting regularly on the land for Celtic retreats, digging a well and getting planning permission for this building. Some of you may remember that 7 years ago the building was vandalized and the windows smashed. The death of a dream that took the stuffing out of our sails.
It was very emotional to visit the building now with new windows installed, electricity and water connected and an almost completed interior, the beginning of the realization of a new dream rising from the ashes of the old. We did not expect however that this first building would be named after us. It is now The Sine Center for Ecological Learning and will become a place dedicated to the greening of faith. It is our strong belief that in the future we will need more such sites at which people of faith can learn more about an eco-centered theology and a sustainable way of life. We are privileged to be a part of this movement.
On Monday Circlewood published a podcast response to the elections and our growing concerns for earth care. In this urgent no-frills episode, James and Forrest offer thoughts on how we might care for ourselves AND how we can persist and persevere in our calling as earthkeepers.
Change is in the air. You don’t need me to tell you this, but I am sure that like me you need help on negotiating that change. There is no better way to prepare for change than to begin Advent early this year and join with me and groups all around the world who are celebrating Celtic Advent together. Rest, relax, refocus are some of the words I read as I look around social media this week and I think that celebrating Celtic Advent is a great way to experience all three. This week I am reconfiguring my sacred space to help me focus throughout the season. I have pulled out my Celtic Advent wreath, some of my Celtic crosses and other Advent symbols and am busy tidying my desk and arrange the new objects. I am also using Mary Fleeson’s Inspired: How To Manual for Creating Scrap Weavings as inspiration for a project that I can embark on throughout Advent. And of course, I will be reading Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path each day, because to be honest when one is writing a book it has a totally different impact from when one uses it as a devotional. I also plan to post a special series of spiritual reflections and practices prompted by the ideas in the book and others that I read in conjunction with it. This special series will be available to paid subscribers only so I hope you will consider supporting this venture in this way. I really appreciate those who continue to contribute to my ongoing work. It makes a huge difference and I am excited about the new endeavours it will make possible next year as well, including another year of Liturgical Rebels podcast episodes.
In Meditation Monday: – Tips for Navigating Change, I posted some other suggestions on how to cope with the upcoming changes we will face, and for all of us, whether we are pleased or despondent about the U.S. election results will face changes, and most of us like to resist change. Negotiating those changes will be challenging. I hope these suggestions help.
On Godspacelight, in Freerange Friday Lilly Lewin posted an inspiring post Freerange Friday: When All Else Fails Bake Cookies in which she shares her experiences of baking cookies and then sharing them around her neighbourhood. On Wednesday we posted the 20th Episode of Liturgical Rebels and the last in our series on Celtic Spirituality, a delightful interview with David Cassian Cole who inspired my own journey into Celtic Christian Spirituality. I hope you have enjoyed this series which is a great preparation for Celtic Advent and a lead up to our celebration which begins on Friday.
As Celtic Advent begins, my Gratitude season is ending, culminating in American Thanksgiving next week. If you are looking for prayer and ideas for the season you may like to check out the following posts:
My favourite Thanksgiving Prayers
As I mentioned last week we are rapidly approaching the end of the liturgical year too and the last Sunday of the year (November 24th this year) is Christ the King Sunday is well worth checking out.
As we walk through this very challenging season I was reminded of this prayer from a couple of years ago that keeps revolving in my mind. I feel is even more important today:
Love is God’s language,
May we learn to speak it fluently.
Love is God’s culture,
May we learn to live it joyfully.
Love is God’s image,
May we learn to mirror it faithfully.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
by Christine Sine
This last week was a challenging one for many of us. For some it meant rejoicing and affirmation of deeply held beliefs, for others despair and grief over unwelcome changes. Whatever our beliefs, these next few months will be a time of transition and transitions mean change. They are always challenging, sometimes painful. They can turn our world upside down and often help us clarify what is important and of value to us. Underneath it all, we crave stability and tend to resist change. We want to hold onto the familiar and the comforting. The leeks and garlic of Egypt, all that sustained us in our past lives, beckon us.
Ironically, change is one of the few constants in our world. Like the sunset above, there is little constancy in the world around us. It changes from moment to moment, day to day, season to season. In this context we embrace and welcome it. Yet in our lives it unsettles and often disturbs us.
The changes in our lives are usually marked by deliberate steps we take that say life is going to be different this is how I will step into it. Sometimes these are voluntary steps, at other times we feel they are forced upon us. Jesus marked transition times with unexpected and sometimes radical actions. He heralded his move into adulthood (at the age of 12) by staying behind in Jerusalem to ask questions of the religious leaders (Luke 3:46). He inaugurated his ministry with 40 days in the desert (Luke 4:2) and he marked his transition towards the cross by a deliberate and determined walk towards Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Jesus knew when it was time to say “life is going to be different in the future” and he knew how to prepare for those changes.
We are about to transition into a new season – in the church calendar from ordinary time to a new church year – Advent is coming fast, for those of us who celebrate Celtic Advent that begins at the end of this week. I am getting ready for that change by redecorating my desk and of course preparing to read Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path
Many are also transitioning into new stages in their lives. Some are leaving school to start new jobs. Others are moving across the country or even across the world.
We are also getting ready for the changes that a new presidency will bring not just to the U.S. but to the world. Some face these changes with fear and trepidation, others with rejoicing and delight. Whatever the changes we face transitions often make us feel insecure, uncertain, anxious about circumstances we cannot control. They are never easy. How do we prepare? How do we make the most of this new season and the impact it has on our lives and those we care about?
Transitions require us to identify the stability points that will not change.
The place to start as we face transition is not with what is changing but what is not changing. What are the stability points that provide anchors and keep me strong throughout change?
Part of what I have reflected on over the last few weeks is the foundations of my faith in the goodness of a loving God who cares for all creation not just the humans on our planet. I believe God has a tend heart towards the marginalized and abandoned. This is the bedrock of my life that I know should not change. I need the security of knowing that not everything will change. I need to be able to stand firm in my faith as well as in my important relationships.
Question: What do I need to hold onto that will strengthen my faith and beckon me towards God’s love?
Transitions require deliberate steps towards change.
It is easy to settle into the familiar patterns of the past and not consciously work towards the changes God wants us to make. Routines provide comfort for us and when they change we are often disoriented and destabilized. Suddenly there are lots of new options out there for us. We don’t know what we should be doing. Some of the new options look scary. Their unfamiliarity might be intimidating. It is easier to look back and criticize or grieve over what we are forced to leave behind than to look forward and live in expectation of the new. Deliberately working towards change is a very important and at times painful journey for us.
Question: What do I long for that I should be letting go of? What is God challenging me to grab hold of that I am reluctant to grasp?
Transitions require the creation of new boundaries and new rituals.
When Tom and I stepped down from the leadership of Mustard Seed Associates we embarked on a major remodel in our house. As part of that remodel I moved the desk in my office so that it is not longer the focal point of my space. My corner became primarily a sacred space and only secondarily a work space. It was part of the transition, part of the establishing of new boundaries and new rituals. It provided a new environment for both of us to work in and encouraged us to establish new practices and new priorities. Over the seven years since then my refocused space has become a haven for me a place that reflects both change and stability.
Then we went on a major trip for our 25th wedding anniversary, taking 6 weeks off to travel Europe, visit some of our favourite people and places and set boundaries around what had been and what was to come. We both came back refreshed, renewed and ready to start on new things.
Question: What changes may be necessary in your physical environment to prepare for the spiritual changes ahead?
Transitions require space and time for dreaming new dreams.
Transition time is busy time. It is easy to fill our days without really thinking about the future. Sometimes the dreams that moved us towards transition seem to get lost in the process.
We need to take to time to breathe, to sit still and reflect. Clearing our calendars for a season, going on retreat, taking time to allow God to renew and refocus us is essential. Tom and I will be going on retreat just after Christmas to reflect on the past year and look forward to the coming year. As many of you know this is something we do every six months. It helps keep us oriented on what really matters and equips us to weather change in the best ways possible.
Question: What space is necessary for dreaming new dreams for the future?
Transitions require companions for the journey.
As part of my transition away from Mustard seed Associates, I engaged with a new spiritual director and a life coach to help me move into this new season of my life. I also read a lot and sort the counsel of a broad array of friends and wise counsellors. I had lots of ideas that I thought were from God but realized I could move into the journey God had for me without help. Some of those ideas were lost and will never be fulfilled, others slowly came to fruition. I am at a similar transition place now, not just because of the U.S. election but because of other changes in my life and family. One of my friends told me very bluntly recently “Don’t take on another project without seeking my advice.”
We all need companions who can walk beside us, as well as those who can guide and help direct us into new seasons of life.
Question: Who are the companions and advisors that help you through transition?
Transitions cannot be rushed.
When I go through major transition season I always hope for a brief, sometimes painful phase and then pray everything will settle down again without too much hassle. However I know from experience that transitions usually take months if not years. It is easy to get impatient, to try to redirect what is happening, to give birth prematurely. This is not a season to hurry through. The season between conception and birth is essential and even after that there is a long and sometimes slow season of growth until maturity.
Question: How have we tried to hurry or redirect the transition process and tried to give birth prematurely?
What is your response?
Maybe you are not in a major transition time, maybe it is only the brief transition of changing seasons, but I am sure that the next few months holds some form of minor transition that require the same kinds of questions I am asking. Perhaps you are starting a new school year. Or you may be preparing for a new liturgical season. Or, preparing for the coming of winter or summer depending on which hemisphere you live in.
Sit and reflect on the transitions in your own life. What is God saying to you at this time that could help you through the days ahead?
By Lilly Lewin
The presidential election of 2024 is over. It’s’ been a week. A heavy week. I have had anxiety and dread about this election since January.The tense division, the us verses them mentality, the anger, the verbal hatred and the threats of violence have kept many of us on edge and living in the land of anxiety. I’ve been envious of my Canadian friends as they only have to endure 50 days of an election season. Thanks to our process here in America, we don’t seem to ever get a break. And I detest how much money is spent on adverts and promotions for a campaign. I think often how we could solve so many problems here…hunger, homeless, etc with the amounts of money raised for campaigning. When one short commercial on TV has a 3 million dollar price tag, I know we have lost our way.
Last week I was truly dreading the election. I didn’t have anything to say for freerangefriday…I just felt numb. But over the weekend God changed my heart and I realized I needed to change through action. I realized that regardless of who won, I was called to love my neighbors so I decided that I would put some love and light out into the world in the form of Chocolate Chip Cookies. We have had several new people move into our neighborhood and I hadn’t met them or welcomed them yet. In Pre-covid times I did this a lot, but I’ve been out of practice making cookies and meeting the neighbors. So on Sunday I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies with dark, milk, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I walked next door and met the new family who just moved in with their 5 month old little girl. I met the new neighbors who moved in behind us who have young adult daughters. I reintroduced myself to the young woman who moved in a couple of doors down who was dog sitting for her parents. Then I headed down the hill.
Last week we had an altercation in our neighborhood whatsapp group that worried me. One person made a snide remark about the new family that moved into the old duplex at the bottom of the hill. This made me really interested in meeting them. I had noticed that they shared both sides of the duplex as the kids went in and out. I had noticed while walking the dog that they had laundry hanging outside. Not usually a normal thing in our neighborhood as everyone has a clothes dryer. The new family in the duplex is amazing! They are refugees being resettled by the UN. They have only been in Nashville for three weeks. And only two weeks in our neighborhood. They accepted my cookies and welcomed me into their home and served me tea. I got to meet the kids and we had a fun time figuring out words and translation together. I asked the kids if they liked art because it didn’t look like they had much to play with yet. They said yes so I returned later in the day with a basket filled with art supplies, bubbles and books.( Having a garage filled with experiential worship gear is a real plus! ) We talked about their need for jobs and for a washer and dryer. I called a couple of neighbors and we are going to see if we can get them some appliances. This was all on the day of the election! Meeting these wonderful people who have been through so much brought me both hope and joy.
On Election night our thinplace house church met and shared communion together. We shared poems, scripture and songs that are bringing us peace and hope right now. We have people who vote differently but we are able to love each other deeply. We prayed Psalm 146 together and listened to (lectio diva) Mark 12:28-34 . Take some time to read through the passages and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
Psalm 146
146:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
146:4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
146:5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
146:9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
146:10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
MARK 12: 28-34 ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
MARK 12: 28-34 FIRST NATIONS TRANSLATION
28One of the scroll keepers overheard Creator Sets Free (Jesus) opposing the Upright Ones. When he heard the good answer he had given, he asked him, “Which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”
29“The first and greatest instruction is this,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered. “‘Hear me, O tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), there is only one Great Spirit and Maker of us all. 30You must love the Great Spirit with your whole being—with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’
31“The second instruction is like the first,” he added. “You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves. There is no other instruction greater than these.”
32“Wisdomkeeper,” said the scroll keeper with a smile, “you have answered well and spoken the truth, for the Great Spirit is One and there is none other except him. 33To love him with your whole being—with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart, and to love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves—is far greater than all ceremonies and offerings we make to the Great Spirit.”
34When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) heard the scroll keeper’s wise answer, he said, “You are not far from Creator’s good road.”
After that, no one dared to ask him any other questions.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
What are you feeling today? Talk to Jesus about where you are. There are no wrong answers or emotions.
Consider you neighborhood, work, school, etc. Do these places change according to who won the election? Why or why not?
What about the people in your neighborhood, work etc? Do you change how you love them according to who won the election?
Sit with the Gospel and the Psalm and the other scriptures that have been shared and let Jesus speak to you. What do you notice? What does the Holy Spirit Highlight for you?
A Prayer of Confession. From The Book of Common Prayer, Seabury Press, 1979
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
How can you get to know your neighbors? Who might need some cookies to brighten their day? How can you practice loving God and Loving your neighbors …even the ones who don’t look or think like you in the days ahead?
PRAY FOR AMERICA
We are in need of healing as a Nation.
Our country is divided and there is much pain & fear.
There is much anger and hostility.
And too much Us vs Them.
There are layers of brokenness and systems of evil and oppression that have deep roots.
How do we bring the Love of Jesus into all of this?
How can we be people who bring HEALING, who bring LOVE ? As Followers, Disciples of Jesus, who are about BLESSING how do we bring HOPE to our neighbors and our neighborhoods?
ASK GOD TO SHOW YOU
Hear this Benediction and Prayer of Protection for your spirit , for you to hold above all things your identity as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Rev Jes Kast
When others hate, may you love.
When others curse, may you bless.
When others hurt, may you heal.
When others divide, may you unite,
When others rage, may you calm.
When others deny, may you affirm.
You are a servant of the Light
You need not to be afraid of the darkness.
God strengthen you to carry on with your work and faithfully live who you are in Christ:
Love for the stranger, Love for enemy, Love for neighbor. AMEN
Based on a prayer by Steven Charleston, Native American Theologian and former Episcopal Bishop of Alaska
Seek joy in God and peace within; seek to rest in the good, the true, and the beautiful. It’s the only resting place that also allows us to hear and bear the darkness. RICHARD ROHR
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