all words and photos © by June Friesen, scripture from The Message translation
National Parents Day is a day that encourages people to honor their heritage, particularly their parents. One may ask or even wonder, why do we have to set aside a special day to honor parents. So often in today’s world and particularly in America we often fail to appreciate the value of having good parents. Then one may ask: what does a good parent look like? What may be some characteristics that they practice? Some may even ask – aren’t all parents good? Do not all parents care for their children?
The first photo is my one set of grandparents. I remember how my grandmother made time for me. She would include me in baking some yummy sugar cookies which we decorated with all kinds of sprinkles. Another favorite activity was coloring at her house. She always had cool colored pencils she let me use as well as a large box of 48 crayons. And she would patiently sharpen the crayons as they wore down so that it was easy to color inside the lines. There were times too when she sat down with me and colored. By her investing time with me and making me feel special I grew in my love and appreciation for her and often would make special little things for her. My mother and father also made time for doing some special things with me and for me. While we worked hard on the farm there were still fun activities that were included like day trips and picnics especially on Sunday after church as well as some vacations from time to time to visit people.
In today’s world it is hard to be a parent as there are so many demands on one’s time as well as energy. It is often hard to find the time or opportunity to make special times for parents because of our mobile society. So many families, ours included, find the parents living often hundreds and or thousands of miles from their children and grandchildren. So it can be challenging to make days like today be particularly special for one’s parents. And yet so often just having a friend or two that one can share with can be the most helpful support. When our children were young, we spent time together with them doing special things that they enjoyed. Some of those things were going to the Farmer’s Market and a favorite treat was cheese curds. We lived only about an hour drive from Niagara Falls and they not only loved picnicking, but also watching the water thunder over the rocks to the depths below. As well, they loved watching the ships being lifted and lowered in the locks at the canal(see photos below). Going to the apple orchard and picking up windfall apples, going to the maple tree farms in spring and watching the sap drip into the buckets, then gathered and processed into maple syrup were a few of their favorite outings. These were times we set aside so that our children knew they were the focus of our attention and we embraced doing some of the things they enjoyed. Today our sons are adults and we still choose to make memories with them as well as including our daughter-in-law and granddaughters. Just this past Christmas we were all together and our sons made us feel special as they made it possible for us all to be together. I cannot emphasize enough that when we choose to make family time important it becomes the seed that grows into something that is carried on and reproduced from one generation to another. We have also chosen to keep these memories going with our granddaughters and have done some special things that have included them. In turn as they are now teenagers they are already thinking of ways to make things special and honoring their parents as well as their grandparents.
God created parents in the beginning of time. While there are not a lot of stories included in the Scriptures about parents and children, we do find somewhere there was special mention given to how the parent/parents cared for their children or a child. I think of the parents of Moses who hid him from the Pharoah. I think of Hannah who taught her son well and then encouraged him to become a helper at the Temple. And there was also Mary who cared for Jesus until he became old enough to be on His own. We do not read much in the Scriptures about how the parents may have been honored yet God instructed His people including you and I to honor and respect our parents.
Hebrews 12: 4-11 … have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off big-time, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
I included these verses from Hebrews as it emphasizes that as we train our children they will grow in respect for us, and I might include that it will also include respect for other adults as well. Then it links how this respect will translate into our relationship with God as well. In the Scriptures it talks about God being our Father and when we grow up with a home where we are taught to respect and honor our parents and other adults it will spill over into enhancing our relationship with God.
EMBRACING THE GIFT OF LIFE
One may ask – how can I embrace this gift of life that I have?
How can I really say ‘thank you’ to my parents?
For some it may be a struggle
And for others it may seem to come so naturally.
As one moves through life from beginning to the end –
There is the time of full and complete dependency upon another –
This is where one’s parents fill a vital role
As they provide food regularly that is readily digestible for our age,
They provide shelter from the harshness of the climate at times,
They provide opportunity to learn how to develop relationships,
They help us learn how to properly care for our bodies in all aspects –
Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
They help us learn how to protect ourselves from harm and danger,
They also help us to get the education needed for life in this world and beyond,
Education of our minds so we can make a difference in the world
As well as provide for our needs by using our abilities and talents for good work.
Today let us be encouraged to say thank you to our parents –
For some of us, our parents are no longer here on earth,
But we can still express our gratitude to God for His blessing to us,
We also can let our children, family and friends know the great impact our parents had on our lives and the world.
For some of us our parents live thousands of miles away,
But we now have phones and computers with video chat
Allowing us to do what is called ‘facetime’ –
What an incredible opportunity to honor parents and grandparents from afar.
There is the gift of blessing –
Something that is often missed in today’s world,
But I challenge us today –
Send a prayer of blessing first to God for your parents –
And then drop a text, an email, a phone call –
And let them know –
How thankful you are that they have blessed you with life
As well as raised you and gave you wings to fly and make a difference in the world.
Happy National Parents Day –
Bless the world with your life – and receive the blessings gifted to you today for being the best parent you can/could be. Amen.
Enjoy A Sacred Summer
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In the Lectionary this Sunday, the Gospel Reading is Luke 11:1-13 where the disciples of Jesus want him to teach them how to pray. They have seen Jesus do a lot of praying on his own, but now they too want a way to pray. So Jesus gives them a way to pray that we now have as the Lord’s Prayer.
Before you read the passage, consider who taught you how to pray? How did you learn?
My first memories of prayer are at bedtime: “Now i lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to Keep, May angels watch over me through the night, and help me do, what is right. AMEN” The version that my husband remembers included the line “if i should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take.” YIKES! That’s a bit scary if you are a little kid!
What are ways that you enjoy praying today that may be very different from how you were taught?
My favorite ways to pray these days include praying for my neighbors and my neighborhood as I walk my dog Jake, and praying while I make my coffee and unload the dishwasher in the morning at my Coffee Prayer Station. And most of you know I love praying with my coffee cup too!
coffee prayer station
Did you grow up praying the Lord’s Prayer in church? What memories do you have of the Lord’s Prayer?
READ the Passage a couple of times in each version …what do you notice that you haven’t seen in this scripture before today? What does Jesus say about how to pray?
“Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
So he said, “When you pray, say,
Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”
Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’
“The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’
“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
“Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open.
“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?” LUKE 11:1-13 THE MESSAGE
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” LUKE 11:1-13 NRSV
Do you feel like it’s easy or hard to ask for what you need?
Do you feel like it’s easy or hard to keep asking for something in your prayers? Are you like me and feel like it’s not ok to just keep asking for the same thing? Jesus seems to say it’s TOTALLY FINE to keep asking. What do you notice comes up for you in this?
“This is what Jesus told them when they asked him to teach them to pray. Pray like kids at Christmas, knowing that you are loved, knowing that you will be heard, knowing that your parents are longing to bless you! And let your confidence, your trust and your excitement grow in the asking! Be persistent, if you like! -not in the nagging manipulation of someone wheedling his own way, but just in the excitement of a child asking “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”” Dr Ken Baker.
How do you feel about prayer after reading this quote by Dr. Ken Baker? I really love this image of prayer! Praying like kids at Christmas knowing that I am LOVED!!!! READ THE REST OF HIS POST HERE
What are you knocking about or seeking for right now? What door do you want/need to be open? Talk to Jesus about this!
Knock and the Door will be Opened
PRACTICE :
Find some BREAD or a bagel/roll…. pray with the Lord’s Prayer
Give us this day our Daily Bread…Consider how Jesus has provided for you this week. Take time to be thankful.
Forgive us as We forgive others …How do you need to be forgiven today? Ask Jesus to forgive you.
Now consider who you need to forgive. Take some time to pray for that person or people.
Take time this week to pray against the evil in our world.
Pray with the Lord’s Prayer from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer
Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, Source of all that is and that shall be, Father and Mother of us all, Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world! Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us. In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. From trials too great to endure, spare us. From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and for ever. Amen. –The New Zealand Book of Prayer | He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa.
When you make your toast or have a sandwiches this week, remember to thank Jesus for his abundant provision. When you knock on a Door this week, know that Jesus is opening doors for you and wants you to pray with the hope filled spirit of a little child! You are greatly loved by a God who hears you!
Pray with your Toast
LISTEN to the Lord’s Prayer in Song:
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
It seems so far away, and yet “Christmas in July” can be a time to plan ahead for the upcoming season of Advent and Christmas. Check out the many resources Godspace has to offer in our shop!
Editors Note: Each Thursday in July we are having an Artful Julybilee – a celebration of art through the exploration of our current theme. We have many talented artists and authors and will be featuring several each week culminating in a booklet at the end. Come explore the facets of what it means to be Living as Christ Lived: Towards Justice, Love, and Peace for All Creation through the lens of art. You can find Part One Here: Towards Peace For All Creation and Part Two Here: Towards Love For All Creation. You can continue on to Part Four Here: Living As Christ Lived or go straight to the beautiful compilation booklet in our shop – free to download!
Featured image: A painting of the Aireys Inlet Lighthouse by Evelyn Heard
The Lighthouse
by Evelyn Heard
The Aireys Inlet Lighthouse on Australia’s Great Ocean Road has always been a favourite of mine to paint in different mediums.
A lighthouse has two primary functions: to warn passing ships of danger; and to serve as a navigational aid for the same ships. The light not only illuminates the surrounding area, it also alerts others of an unmoving source nearby. In the same way that a lighthouse can help a ship find its bearings when traversing uncertain waters, so there are times when others cross our paths for a brief moment, but find some assurance in our presence, our words, or a simple affirmation.
But it is also important to remember that lighthouses need to be maintained. For continuous service, they need care and attention, though there may be a long time when its presence seems irrelevant, it needs to be ready for that unforeseen moment of a passerby … a reminder of an important need in our own lives, never more possible and necessary than the times when we consider ourselves redundant, or irrelevant.
Take some time to reflect on the impact our presence in the world makes to those passing by … and consider what (or who) it is that we look to that keeps us feeling safe, nurtured and guided along life-giving pathways.
John 8:12 Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”
Prayer
Lord, we see so much turbulence around us. Some anticipated, whilst there is much that came upon us unexpectedly. We thank You for providing us with a source of light and guidance through such times. Whether the sun is shining or the storms are circling around us, continue to remind us that Your light will never go out. Remind us that our own light can be a source of peace and hope to those we come into contact with. Remind us to tender our own resources in this journey, not knowing when we might be called upon to guide another through uncertainty.
Light of the world, you have guided our paths thus far. May Your light continue to illumine our pathways. Amen
5:00 Am
by Laurie Klein
5:00 a.m.
“Then the moon will be abashed …” —Isaiah 24:23 NASB
Awash in crimson light,
my thoughts drift
eastward, over the sea:
it’s midafternoon
in Ukraine. Unspeakable
din. Smoldering rubble.
Heart-rain. Thin stammers
of soil, where peril stalks
every neighborhood and
women on twig feet
scavenge mementos of home.
God forgive me, I itch
for the braided smell
of rope, the oiled pulleys
of not my war, the weighty,
black velvet swing
of a curtain I can close—
such is my appetite
for relief, my beggared
capacity to take in
the news, God help me,
to abide: trusting, helpless.
Ruler of Night: The ruins. The wrenching cries of your children. And I am so tired of catastrophe. Mea culpa, I distract and neglect and self-protect. Forgive me. Transform my dread for this world into compassion that overflows into action. Amen.
The Grieving Heart
by Lilly Lewin: “‘The Grieving Heart’ Mixed medium piece inspired by my prayers for healing for this broken world and my heartbreak and sorrow over the division, violence, racism and suffering in our country and our world. And inspired by the continuing suffering due to the pandemic.”
What’s in your heart today?
Mine?
So much sadness
So much heartbreak.
I need healing, We need healing.
We need the hope of love that heals.
We need to harden not our hearts today, but lean into love!
We need to receive Love!
Loving our selves so we can
Love our neighbor!
Believing we are loved so we can love rather than judge and hate!
Asking God/Jesus for help because we cannot do it on our own!
Asking God/Jesus to help us love, especially to help us love our enemies in the midst of everything!
Learning just how hard it is to listen in order to love!
And loving those we don’t understand or who are so different! Help us to Love!
Help us to Love Anyway!
Help me Jesus! Help us Jesus!
You are our only hope … you are Love!
Amen
A Good Neighbor
by John Birch
A few weeks ago, I began looking a little closer at the familiar story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, to see how it could form the basis of a Bible study covering broad areas such as justice, faithfulness, fairness, and love. The parables that Jesus told were always intended to be more than just stories with a simple message. They were for taking away and pondering over, looking at the detail and seeing how they might speak into life and faith. This one is a case in point, with a badly injured body on the road, ignored by a priest and Levite for reasons of fear or religious observance (becoming unclean touching a dead body), and helped by a Samaritan, an outsider to the Jews and perhaps the unlikely hero of this story. And that’s nice, the outsider becoming the good neighbour.
But the story doesn’t end there. This good neighbour not only treated the injured man at the scene but took him to the nearest inn and cared for him overnight. Then he gave the innkeeper the equivalent of two days wages for a working man, asking only that he kept an eye on the patient until be returned, whereupon he would reimburse any additional expense.
Now to me, that’s the crux of this parable; the being there, showing compassion, making sure this injured man might have time to fully recover. This is indeed a good neighbour, and that’s how I like to think of him, not as an outsider, the Samaritan, but simply as a good neighbour. Here was someone who knew the value of life and love. It was a natural, generous, possibly even sacrificial outpouring of love that Jesus described. And that speaks deeply to me of the way I interact with people in the small Welsh town where I live, and the bigger world where my more distant neighbours are struggling because of injustice, conflict, poverty, hunger, and so many other issues.
What does it mean to be a good neighbour?
Show me Lord, how to love
my neighbour. Not the one
I get on really well with,
go for a drink and enjoy
time out with. Not the one
I see at church each week,
and sees the world as I do,
generally. Not the one
who lives along the street
with whom I share my thoughts
about the weather with.
Show me Lord, how to love
the neighbour I avoid, the one
I struggle with, whose views
and outlook on life I disagree
with, whose lifestyle seems
so different to mine. Show me
Lord, how, as you loved others,
including even one such as me,
so I can hold out these hands
of friendship and love to all
who in your eyes are neighbours,
your children, truly loved by you.
Two Seas
Celtic Prayer Cards include 10 prayers inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick or contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition, along with prayers by Christine Sine and beautiful imagery crafted by Hilary Horn. Celtic Prayer Cards can be used year-round or incorporated into various holidays. Available in a single set of 10 cards, three sets, or to download.
by Tom Sine
Before the Covid Pandemic abruptly arrived, mainline Protestant and Catholic churches – including a growing number of evangelical churches – were experiencing a slow decline in attendance. Particularly of the generations Gen Y and Z, the under 50. Since Covid arrived, Pew Research estimates a surprising 30% decline in church attendance. Church leaders report they are also experiencing a dramatic decline in giving and volunteering. This continued decline is not only an alarming concern for the western church, but globally it is a greater concern for those all over the planet who are benefiting from the care and change-making western churches have offered.
Is it possible that followers of Jesus in the western church in this time of crisis could be motivated by first-century followers of Jesus to up our game, increasing the vitality of our faith in times like these? I suggest you invite a small group in your church to read Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition written by Christine D. Pohl. It not only describes how those first-century followers of Jesus created a surprising number of expanding communities from many different national and economic backgrounds, but this first community also gave a very high commitment to taking daily time to be present to God and weekly time to empower those in need. This was a new form of community the world had never seen before!
“Writers in the New Testament portray Jesus as a gracious host, welcoming children, prostitutes and tax collectors and sinners into his presence. Such welcome startled and annoyed those who generally viewed themselves as the preferred guests at gatherings. Remember this Jesus experienced the vulnerability of the homeless infant, the child refugee, the adult that had no place to lay his head, the despised convict.” – excerpted from Making Room
Remarkably this new religious movement didn’t begin with the erection of religious buildings. Rather it began with a large number of people from very different nations and cultures creating new living communities and villages of devotion and care for the vulnerable. Together they created new ways of living that were strongly committed to the ways of Jesus including caring for those in need. These first Jesus followers created networks of living communities where they not only worshipped God but sustained and cared for their families. These first Jesus followers also reached out to those in need in ways that had never been seen before. Wouldn’t this be a great time for declining churches to invite those who might be inspired by these first-century disciples to put first things first?
Recently I had the opportunity to work with a Presbyterian church in Washington State that was struggling not only with declining attendance and giving in these pandemic times, but virtually no families and very few young people. Their leadership team read my most recent book that was co-authored with Dwight Friesen entitled: 2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change. Essentially it outlines how congregations can in these pandemic times both do a better job of anticipating new waves of change, and creating new ways of living. We can create new ways to be disciples of Jesus that looks much more like those 1st-century compassionate communities of Jesus.
During a two-day workshop, we offered a Futures Creativity Workshop to not only reduce doubling decline but to also recover some of the vitality of those informal communities of Jesus that made such a difference in the lives of those in their troubled communities in the troubled times in which they lived. Let me tell you about one church that made a decision to go for their best.
A group of leaders in a Presbyterian church, here in Washington, decided in March to go for their best. What they created was a group called “ Going for Your Best!” That group focused on creating a strong new community that committed to:
Did you know? If you visit our Seasons and Blessings Resource Page, there is a whole section on Back-to-School resources listed under the Autumn column! We have gathered prayers and practical resources to help you mentally and spiritually prepare yourself and your kids for the school year ahead. You might also enjoy checking out this free downloadable book of prayers for children, found in our shop.
by Elaine Breckenridge, originally posted on the Circlewood blog The Ecological Disciple here: Practical Earthkeeping: Transforming A Septic Drainfield and More
In 2019, my husband, Breck Breckenridge and I moved from central California to Camano Island, Washington. There is so much natural beauty here to enjoy, especially the many forests and rocky beaches. However, island living also meant many changes in our day-to-day lifestyle, chief among them is managing our state-of-the art septic system. This particular septic system comes with its own sand drainage field. As you can see from the picture below it was not very attractive and it occupies half of the backyard space.
In the beginning there was just sand
We were told that nothing could be planted on the field, but my husband, who is a professional landscape designer and botanist, was determined to transform our eyesore into something attractive. He did research, which included contacting the engineer who installed the system, and obtained a schematic of the design. He learned from studying the plan that he could, in fact, plant species with smaller root systems. And with this knowledge he began to design his project in April of 2020.
I admit that I was nervous about his plan. I had seen far too many photos of homeowners’ landscapes where plantings had strangled their septic systems, damaging them, resulting in high-cost repairs. I had hoped the plan would become a Japanese Zen Garden with large rocks and an opportunity to rake the sand as a meditative practice. And, while Breck was committed to there being large stones and smaller rocks in the design, he was also determined to make it a garden with plants. To assuage my anxiety, he created a boundary with string. Nothing with roots longer than three to four inches would be planted in the center area where the emitters are located that release gray water from the system.
The “No Plant Zone”
Normally, when Breck designs a garden, he creates a base map to scale and then draws his landscape designs (blueprint) by hand. This includes a list of plants selected before an actual installation. However, he adopted a different process this time. He let his creativity unfold slowly over time. He began by placing his largest rock, what he called the “Master Stone.” Then came the selection and installation of other stones and plants which has changed over time. Some of the plants that are currently growing are ornamental grasses, small succulents, especially sedums, and native plants such as Beach Strawberries, Bear-berry and various herbs.
Bird feeders, including a hummingbird feeder, were placed in the lawn around the perimeter of the field. The birds found the feeders. We began to have regular visitations. We have seen the usual sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches, finches and flickers. We have visits from three other species of woodpeckers: the Downy, Pileated and Hairy. We have the lovely presence and languorous song of Mourning Doves and visits from Collared Doves. We’ve seen Varied Thrush, and Grosbeaks. One day, we even had twelve Band Tailed pigeons! We’ve watched a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk practice its hunting. Needless to say, the birds scatter! We have other visitors who happily graze beneath the feeders—squirrels and rabbits. Butterflies visit some of the plants when they are flowering.
Varied Thrush, my favorite bird
Then followed the bees. Breck is raising both Mason and Leafcutter bees. To do so, it has meant installing a house for the bees and providing flowers for their food. For example, we have expansive clover patches in both our back yard and front yard which have attracted many bumblebees as well.
Bee House and Little Hop Clover
Breck’s creation of a landscape, from the drainage field, which was begun over two years ago, is now a continual work in progress. It went through many changes and its latest incarnation this summer is both beautiful and interesting. More importantly it is serving creation. Over time, the septic drain field has begun to be transformed into its own little ecosystem.
The author of the book, The One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka, was a Japanese farmer and philosopher celebrated for his natural farming and re-vegetation of desertified lands. He wrote, “The goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
The same I think can be said of any project dedicated to Earthkeeping. As Christians and ecological disciples, when we become co-creators with God in our caring for the Earth, our personal transformations naturally occur. Breck and I have had our own transformation experiences. Rather than simply redeeming the eyesore of a septic field of sand, a new creation has come forth. It has been wonderful for me to see how Breck has found a creative way to partner both with the Creator and creation.
Bird viewing from my kitchen
As for me. I am not a gardener. I did not work on this project. But the project worked on me. My anxiety has been transformed into joy. To begin with, I had no interest in birds whatsoever. And then one day this past winter I saw a Varied Thrush at one of the feeders. It was the most beautiful bird I had ever seen. So, now I am learning about birds! I have bird books and I am keeping a life list of birds I have seen from my kitchen window. At the moment, I use my opera glasses, but who knows, maybe I will trade them for binoculars and venture forth from my own backyard to see more flying beauties and wonder in creation.
Breck and I are grateful for this opportunity to recount the story of the new creation in our own backyard. And after sharing this reflection with all of you, we have decided that the name “Septic Drain Field” needs to be transformed as well. Many thanks to you for visiting “The Sand and Stones Garden” created by Breck Breckenridge on Camano Island, Washington.
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Digging Deeper: The Art of Contemplative Gardening
Want to bring together some earthkeeping, greening, and spiritual focus? Christine Sine’s latest book is packed full of contemplative wisdom and inspiration for creating your own meditative focus. You don’t need a large plot of land or even a proper pot – any vessel will do. Whether a beginner or an expert gardener, enjoy the process alongside Christine! Click for more details!
Over the last few weeks we have enjoyed several posts on the story of Good Samaritan. They focused on seeing strangers as neighbours and the need to reach out to people suffering around us. Such important messages from the story. I wonder about another rarely noticed element. All of the people in this story are strangers to each other and it is a great lesson in the benefit of strangers.
In fact there are many benefits of strangers. Evidently, numerous studies show that talking with strangers can make us happier, more connected to our communities, mentally sharper, healthier, less lonely, and more trustful and optimistic. Actually for some people, including myself, one of the joys of travelling is the delight of meeting new people, having experiences not planned for and ending up with wonderful stories to tell.
“Strangers stir wonder and are waiting to be known” – Sue Duby said this in a recent newsletter and it is true. Each encounter with a stranger has so much potential hidden in it. Might this person become a friend? Will they give me a different perspective on the world? Will they help me understand a problem I am struggling with? Could they provide an opportunity to show compassion? Or will they show me compassion and generosity?
I really identify with Jane Brody’s New York Times article The Benefits Of Talking to Strangers. Like her I am an extrovert and relish talking to strangers as I walk, shop and travel. One of the delights of COVID isolation for me was walking our dog and greeting fellow walkers on the way. It strengthened my bonds to the neighbourhood in which Tom and I live making me aware every day that I am surrounded by a community and am never really alone.
Ms Brody’s article mainly focuses on the book Consequential Strangers: The Power of People Who Don’t Seem to Matter … but Really Do, by Melina Blau and Karen Fingerman. Quoting from the book she says,
consequential strangers “are as vital to our well-being, growth, and day-to-day existence as family and close friends. Consequential strangers anchor us in the world and give us a sense of being plugged into something larger. They also enhance and enrich our lives and offer us opportunities for novel experiences and information that is beyond the purview of our inner circles. They are vital social connections — people who help you get through the day and make life more interesting.”
Once upon a time I took the generosity and compassion of strangers for granted and I assumed I needed to show compassion to strangers in need. When I started wandering the world as a 25-year-old I was often invited into the houses of strangers for meals and hospitality. Yes some of them were friends of friends or were also involved in missionary work, but they were still strangers. Others I met on trains and buses and aeroplanes. Total strangers with no common connections who invited me to visit and greeted me with generous hospitality. Tom and I have extended the same kind of hospitality to strangers throughout our marriage and our lives are constantly enriched by these interactions. We gained friends and acquaintances around the world, saw our worldview stretched and reshaped, and experienced the stirring of wonder and delight at all these “consequential strangers” shared with us.
Today many of us feel threatened by strangers. COVID and the growing threat of violence in our world makes us afraid of people we do not know. Our busy schedules increase the distance. We no longer talk to strangers as we travel or at conferences and other large events, taking advantage of breaks in the schedule to make phone calls, check our social media and isolate ourselves in a cocoon of self-involvement. Some of us don’t even know our next-door neighbours, some of the most consequential strangers we could ever interact with.
In another fascinating sounding book The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World, Joe Keohane suggests that we have become lazy in our curiosity about each other. In Robert Scheffler’s review of the book he comments: “Joe Keohane demonstrated that when we do connect with strangers, we like it, we value it, and want to do it again. And it turns out there are many people and groups that can’t wait to sit with just about anyone (who knew?) and have a good chat—on a street corner, in a classroom, at a convention–about your life, your worldview, even (gulp) your political ideas, all free of agenda and free of conflict. Given the state we find ourselves in, talks like these can’t happen soon enough.”
Every stranger around us is a neighbour waiting to be known. So my invitation for you this week is to get out and interact with some of the consequential strangers you meet. Say hello to the person who serves you at the supermarket, or wave to all the neighbours you see as you walk. Or mask up, take a bus or train ride and say hello to people who sit with you. On longer trips you might get to know quite a bit about the person next to you. Suggest they mask up too. Let them know your ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID. Encourage them to stay safe. Who knows, you might save them from a nasty reinfection, be able to offer advice, learn something new or find a new friend through the conversation.
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Next Facebook Live!
Join Christine Sine and Elaine Breckenridge for a discussion on Celtic Spirituality and Rhythms of Life – Wednesday, July 20th at 9 am PT. Happening live in the Godspace Light Community Group on Facebook – but if you can’t catch the live discussion, you can catch up later on YouTube!
Another beautiful contemplative service to beckon us into the presence of God again this week.
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize.
Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756.
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
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Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
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