For the past several weeks, the weekly Gospel reading for Sunday has focused us on bread . We’ve been looking at Jesus as the Bread of Life….Jesus the one who multiples the loaves and fish, and Jesus as the Manna who comes down from heaven to feed us all, and Jesus as the BREAD of Life. All in chapter 6 of John.
Which part of the story resonates with you ?
Jesus providing for hungry people
Jesus providing an abundance! ( There are baskets of leftovers! )
Jesus as Manna that comes down from heaven…our daily bread.
Jesus is our sustenance …our nourishment.
Which Bread do you need right now?
Have you paid attention to bread in your daily life? Like sandwiches, toast, rolls out at dinner?
I saw a lot of bread photos in my Instagram feed during the Olympics….Paris is filled with boulangeries and athletes and tourists alike were enjoying bread and croissants of all sizes!
What have you noticed about bread lately? Is your bread in scarcity or abundance? stale or fresh? daily or only on special occasions? Is this how we view Jesus?
Rob and I were talking this week about these passages. He said “ the heart of the Gospel is bread! “ He reminded me that those who were listening to Jesus were Jewish and spent their lives focused on food and doing food a regimented way, eating only the right things. They’d been focused on bread most of their lives…from the stories about manna to the passover unleavened bread. And now Jesus was saying that he was that BREAD!
We also talked about how much food was a part of the culture, about hospitality and welcome. Food was about community. Food is still about community.
It helps us know where we are and who we are! Food nourishes our bodies AND also our souls.
Everyone has a comfort food and a childhood memory food that brings us joy and warmth just thinking about eating it! We have foods that are family traditions and those that reflect where we are from! And if you come south to visit us, I will definitely introduce you to some southern bbq, grits, fried chicken and biscuits!
And Biscuits bring us back to Jesus as bread…Are you hungry yet?
Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman says “ Jesus brings humanity to God’s Table.” Jesus came to bring people together. He is showing us a new way to live, not creating a new religion. Breaking bread is about doing life together.
It’s about remembering that we are neighbors, friends, family.
This BREAD isn’t just for the in crowd, or the wealthy but for everyone!
It’s about nourishment and being nourished in love.
“Jesus brings humanity to God’s Table.”
How does the TABLE factor into your faith life? Not the communion table, but the regular dinner table?
Since covid, we’ve gotten into a bad habit of not eating regular meals at our table. Our table became our desk. Now we tend to grab our plates and watch a movie. We’ve also sadly gotten out of the habit of having people over for meals. Which sucks because we do believe that hospitality is 21st century evangelism. Not sharing bible verses, but sharing great food around a table and laughing and telling stories! That is life. That is the way of Jesus.
“I am the Bread of Life”
Blessed are you who know hungry.
Blessed are you who know thirsty.
Blessed are you who know hollow, empty.
I’m not talking to you peckish;
I’m talking to you who are conscious
of just how long it’s been
since your last real meal.
Blessed are you when you pass up
on the offer of a fast food snack.
Blessed are you when you don’t make do
with just any old crap.
Blessed are you who know your true need,
you who know where to truly feed.
Blessed are you who look to me,
– for I am the true life-giving manna,
sent down by your Jehovah-Jireh.
I am the bread of eternal life.
Whoever comes to me
should be ready with a butter knife.
For you will never go hungry.
I’m hungry for that BREAD and I am so ready to have people over and build bigger tables!
TRY THIS WITH YOUR COMMUNITY: A great way to help your community engage with the Tables of Jesus is through the AT THE TABLE WITH JESUS Sacred Space prayer experience that can be set up for a special event or done as a weekly sermon/teaching series. Great for a fall experience finishing with a celebration at Thanksgiving! You can purchase and download the experience here
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
This week I am very aware that the seasons are changing. The shortening days and lengthening nights become more evident each day and I am watching my tomatoes vigilantly encouraging them to ripen before the warm weather gives way to autumn coolness and vibrant colours. This morning my attention was caught by Mary de Jong’s comment: “We’re not meant to carry the relentless energy of summer into this time of transition. What would it look like for you to slow down and move in harmony with the season’s natural turn toward darkness and rest?” This is such a great question to contemplate at this time of the year for those of us in the Northern hemisphere.
In the Southern hemisphere where the days are lengthening and the touch of spring is in the air, many I am sure feel as they are waking up and ready to get moving. Perhaps you feel your energy rising as the days lengthen and you wake each day ready to take on the world. I am very much looking forward to my glimpse of spring with wattle and waratahs and grevillia when we head to Australia at the end of October. Wherever you are, it is important to take this transition season seriously. Set aside time to reflect on the few months and the lead up towards Christmas which will be upon us before we know. Schedule in time for refreshment and renewal. Step into the new season with intention and purpose. Open yourself to its wisdom and be receptive to learn from it.
My own time continues to be filled with book writing, and though it makes it very busy, it is also relaxing and enjoyable. I love dipping back into the Celtic books that have helped guide me over the last 30 years. It was a great delight to be able to share the first part of my new book Celtic Advent: Following An Unfamiliar Path Through Advent with many of you. I am looking forward to your feedback on this segment and on the coming segments that I will post each week.
Not surprisingly though, with so much on my plate and still grieving my brother’s death, I found over the weekend that my mind went blank. Rather than cursing this state of mind however I decided it was a good learning opportunity as I shared in my Monday Meditation – When My Mind Goes Blank The research I did for this article actually jump started my brain and revitalized my creativity and resulted in a very productive week.
My reading this week reminded me to keep my eyes and ears open to the presence of God in all things and make sure I respond to the promptings of what I see and hear and do. Last week, as I mentioned in my post Spiritual Practice – Praying the Examen, I was prompted by Lilly Lewin’s from 10 days ago to return to this vital practice which I have not used for several years. I loved researching the different forms it can take and broad variety of situations in which we can use it – from a daily practice to close the day, to an ecological examen, or one for refugees and against racism. I highly recommend adding this to your repertoire of spiritual practices.
One of the delights of my life continues to be the interviews I conduct for The Liturgical Rebels podcast. This week’s episode – Brian Edgar and the God Who Plays – was a fun one to record. We explored such interesting subjects as a playful attitude towards God, the integration of work and play, worship as play and even suffering as a form of play through which we grow and develop. This is a fascinating interview that revolves around his book The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality and you don’t want to miss it.
Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday – Beauty and Harmony and Bread this week gave me much to think about too. I love her use of The First Nations translation of the New Testament especially the verse she focuses on which suggests the bread of life is full of beauty and harmony. “Why is it that we settle for old, stale bread? Why is it that we settle for bread that is fake, bleached and sits on a shelf in a plastic wrapper, rather than the LIVING BREAD that comes down from heaven bringing beauty and harmony?” Such great thoughts to reflect on this week.
August seems to back to school month for many in the northern hemisphere and I thought that in preparation some of you might like to check out the posts from Godspacelight in previous years:
Back to School Prayers – A Resource List – Updated for 2022
Praying with School Supplies by Lilly Lewin
Blessing of the Backpacks by Emily Huff
Back to School Prayers by Lilly Lewin
Back to School – 10 Tips and Prayers for Teachers and Students
Back to School – 10 Tips to Help You Prepare Spiritually
Back to School – Adding and Subtracting by Lilly Lewin
One important thing to take note of. The date for Introduction to Celtic Spirituality webinar has been changed to September 14th. What is it about Celtic Spirituality that is so attractive to me and to so many others today? Why is there a resurgence of interest in this stream of Christian faith that thrived in Britain in the 4th to 8th centuries? In this webinar we will explore the lives of St Patrick, Columba, Brigid, Hilda and other Celtic Christians who still inspire and motivate us. Join us as we are guided by these ancient witnesses to bring the sacred in to wherever you need it.
Not surprisingly, my prayer this week is another Celtic prayer, this one I wrote several years ago inspired by one of our visits to Iona.
I arise today
present with the Holy One,
In the embrace of love,
In the hope of renewal,
In the joy of belonging
to the great I AM.
I arise today
in the life of the Creator,
In the image of the Eternal One,
Planter of gardens, bearer of burdens,
breath of the world.
I arise today,
a child of the faithful One,
Lover of souls, reviver of Spirits,
Blesser of all that is good
and true and praiseworthy.
I live today,
In the name of the caring One,
Compassion in my heart,
Gratitude in my thoughts,
Generosity in my deeds,
Justice as my passion.
I choose to live today
In the light of Christ.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
Photo by Darwis Alwan on pexels
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In this episode of Liturgical Rebels Brian Edgar explores the concept of a playful attitude towards God and the world, emphasizing the importance of enjoying life as part of having a relationship with God. Edgar highlights the need to integrate work and play, challenging the Protestant work ethic that prioritizes productivity over creativity and imagination. He reminds us that the biblical images of the eternal kingdom of God emphasize childlike play and joy. Edgar’s book, ‘The God Who Plays,’ offers a refreshing perspective on Christian faith and spirituality. In this conversation, Brian Edgar and Christine Sine discuss the concept of play and its significance in various aspects of life, including work and worship. They explore the idea that play is not separate from work but can be integrated into it, bringing joy and creativity. They also delve into the notion of worship as a form of play, highlighting the importance of interaction and enjoyment in our relationship with God. Additionally, they examine the idea of suffering as an opportunity for growth and the role of pain in the development of character. Overall, the conversation challenges traditional perspectives and invites listeners to embrace playfulness in all areas of life.
Takeaways
- Brian Edgar’s career has spanned both Australia and the United States, with teaching positions and work in theology and public theology.
- A playful attitude towards God and the world is at the heart of Christian faith, emphasizing the enjoyment of life and a relationship with God.
- The Protestant work ethic, which prioritizes productivity, has often overshadowed the importance of play, creativity, and imagination.
- The biblical images of the eternal kingdom of God focus on childlike play and joy, challenging the notion that suffering and sacrifice are the ultimate goals of the Christian journey. Play can be integrated into work, bringing joy and creativity.
- Worship is a form of play, involving interaction and enjoyment in our relationship with God.
- Suffering can provide an opportunity for growth and character development.
- The concept of play challenges traditional perspectives and invites us to embrace playfulness in all areas of life.BrianEdgar is married to Barbara and they have two adult daughters, a son-in-law and two grandchildren. They live in Melbourne, Australia, and Brian is now retired. He is Professor Emeritus of Asbury Theological Seminary where he taught theology for fifteen years. Prior to that he was Director of Public Theology for the Australian Evangelical Alliance and Dean and lecturer at the Melbourne School of Theology. Amongst other writing Brian is author of a short series of three books which indicate what became his primary theological and spiritual interest: God is Friendship: A Theology of Spirituality, Community and Society (Seedbed, 2013), The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality (Wipf and Stock, 2017) which received a Merit Award in Christianity Today’s Book of the Year and Laughter and the Grace of God: Restoring Laughter to its central Role in Christian Spirituality and Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2019).
As an Amazon Associate I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links. Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
by Christine Sine
Last Friday I sat down to write my Meditation Monday and my mind went blank. I had no idea of what my intended topic was. I had so many disconnected thoughts circulating in my brain that it was impossible to focus on one alone.
It’s something that happens to all of us so I thought I should treat it as though it were a gift from God rather than a liability. That made me realize that the best place to start my morning was by exercising the parts of my brain that were still functioning properly and do a little research on the way I felt.
The most common causes of blank mind are anxiety, lack of sleep, medication, change and feeling overwhelmed. This morning I felt I could blame all of those. My lack of sleep and feeling overwhelmed were the major culprits. I suffer from jumpy legs and have experienced several nights lately in which leg pain plus spasms made sleep very difficult. Hopefully it will be relieved by changes in my thyroid medication. On top of that I am still struggling with my brother’s death and other pressures in my life.
While there is a rare condition caused by severe trauma called “blank mind syndrome” occasional mind blankness like I experienced is not something to be afraid or ashamed of. In fact, according to Janis Leslie Evans in What is Mind Blanking? Tips to Get Rid of that Foggy Feeling. it helps to share our problem with others, laugh at ourselves and reset our goals, which is exactly what I decided to do this morning. I’m relishing my blank mind because it has led me into a new area of research, and taught me some new fun facts. It really is a gift and not a liability.
Evidently revisiting a sample of what we wrote or created in the past to remind ourselves of how productive we have been and can be again is helpful. “You are the same person with the same skills” What a great idea I thought. How rarely we remind ourselves of what we have accomplished and applaud ourselves for our productivity. So I picked up a copy of The Gift of Wonder intending to read some of my favourite portions and exercises but I didn’t get past the first chapter. “What do I enjoy doing that makes me sense God’s pleasure?” I wrote and I realized that was God’s word for me again today. God takes delight in us and what we accomplish and I don’t know about you, but I rarely take time to acknowledge that. So I stacked up the books I have written and thanked God for them. I looked through some of my prayer cards, and admired my Digging Deeper garden which still sits on my desk. Finally I hurried out to the garden which is still ablaze with summer colour. I picked the first of our large tomatoes and admired the beauty of my dahlias. Then I harvested some basil and walked inside with the wonderful aroma still clinging to my clothes.
When blank brain sets in do some deep breathing exercises, center your attention outside of yourself. Take notice of your environment with the help of your senses Evans suggests so now I sit breathing slowly in and out aware of the fragrance of God, all around me. It clings to us at all times yet we rarely pause to notice. Now as I breathe, that wonderful fragrance relaxes me, I collect my thoughts and allow my memory to do its job.
So when blank brain sets in, take some deep breaths and allow the spirit of God to guide you. Like me I am sure you will be able to say “Wow, I think this might be what God wanted me to write about after all.”
NOTE: this post is derived from one I wrote a couple of years ago on Godspacelight.
Happy Birthday to my amazing husband Rob Lewin, who proposed to me on this day, forty years ago, while having a romantic birthday dinner overlooking Lake Union at the Americas Cup restaurant in downtown Seattle!
Happy National Book Lovers Day! AND
Happy International Day of the World’s Indigenous People
In celebration of these last two, I highly recommend getting a copy of the First Nations New Testament
We have been using it in our house church, thinplace, for the past year and it has enhanced our understanding and inspired our study of the Gospels.
We listen to the passage ( lectio divina ) in three versions with three voices. We now use the NIV, The Message, and the First Nations Translation during our gatherings. We tend to follow the lectionary each week, so this week we were continuing to hear about Jesus being the BREAD of Life. The Gospel for this Sunday is from John 6:41-51
JOHN 6: 41-51 FIRST NATIONS
41Upon hearing this, the Tribal Members complained, “Who is this ‘Bread from the spirit-world above’? Is this not the son of He Gives Sons (Joseph)? We know who his mother and father are. How can he say ‘I came down from the spirit-world above’?”
43“Stop grumbling to each other,” he answered. “The only ones who come to me have been drawn by my Father. These are the ones I will bring back to life at the end of all days. The Sacred Teachings from the prophets of old tell us, ‘There will come a time when the Great Spirit will instruct everyone.’ That is why the ones who hear and listen to the Father come to me.
46“The only one who has seen the Father is the one sent from the Great Spirit. This one has clearly seen the Father. I speak truth from my heart, the ones who trust in me have the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony.
48“I am the bread that gives this life. Your ancestors ate bread in the desert wilderness, and they died. Here, standing before you, is the bread that comes down from above. The ones who eat this bread will not die. I am the living bread from above. The ones who eat this bread will live beyond the end of all days. And this is the bread that I will give as a gift to the world—my human body.
I am struck by verse 47 in this translation…THE BREAD….is full of beauty and harmony. Last week verse John 6: 33 also included…beauty and harmony.
33 This bread gives the life of beauty and harmony to the world.”
34 “Honored One,” they said, “from now on give us this bread.”
35 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) smiled, held out his arms to them, and said, “I am the bread of life that came down from the spirit-world above. The ones who come to me will hunger no more. The ones who trust me will thirst no more.”
This the Jesus I have come to understand! Jesus brings beauty and harmony to the world!
I so want to live like this in our messy world. I so want to bring beauty and harmony and help others to see that this is the way of Jesus! not hate, not fear, not bitterness and anger! not judgement… or who is in or out, but BEAUTY and HARMONY!
I also love that the First Nations Bible gives Jesus the name…CREATOR SETS FREE! This gives me life. Jesus truly does set us free!
Why is it that we settle for old, stale bread? Why is it that we settle for bread that is fake, bleached and sits on a shelf in a plastic wrapper, rather than the LIVING BREAD that comes down from heaven bringing beauty and harmony?
Sadly I too often I settle for wonder bread rather than sour dough. Bread that has a living Mother.
READ THE PASSAGE 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 questions came up for you today?
Put yourself in the scene, what would you be thinking or feeling?
What have you been complaining about lately? Talk to Jesus about this and let him hold it for you. We have you tasted lately that made you pause and say that God is Good?
Why do we settle for stale bread rather than the good stuff?
How can you experience more of the beauty and harmony of Jesus this week?
How can you bring that beauty and harmony into your world?
How do you need to be fed by the Bread of Life?
PRACTICE:
Take some bread, make some toast or a sandwich notice the texture, smell the rich scent. Taste it. Enjoy it . Thank Jesus for being BREAD for you! As you eat BREAD this month. RECEIVE THE BREAD, JESUS who holds out his arms to you and loves you as you are! Allow Jesus to fill you with beauty and harmony and love! Take time to notice the taste of your food. Eat slowly and thank Jesus for all the good food you get to eat. If you have the time, make some bread and make enough to share it with a friend or neighbor. That’s a great way to bring beauty into our world!
LISTEN:
Oh, Great Spirit,
whose voice I hear in the wind,
whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty,
and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple
sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Help me to remain calm and strong
in the face of all that comes towards me.
Let me learn the lessons
you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
Help me seek pure thoughts
and act with the intention of helping others.
Help me find compassion
without empathy overwhelming me.
I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy, Myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit may come to you without shame.
Mystic and visionary, Black Elk of the Lakota Tribe
embraced the teachings and faith of “God with us”
(Creator sets Free) later in life. He was a leader, a wise
man, and lived harmoniously with nature. Black Elk
witnessed the ending of the Lakota way of life at the slaughter at Little Big Horn.
I am looking out on a grey Seattle morning. Even though we are expecting some hot weather later this week, I am very aware that the seasons are changing, the days are getting shorter and we are heading inexorably towards autumn. Change is the most consistent truth that life offers us. Nothing remains the same for long. We need to welcome and embrace it. If we dig in our heels and try to avoid the changes that are coming, whether it be in the seasons of the year, in our own aging bodies or in the political and environment changes that surround us, it only makes life more challenging.
This week has been a very satisfying one for me, reinforcing my belief that grief and gratitude must walk hand in hand. My Meditation Monday – When Grief and Gratitude Embrace was one of the most popular I have posted. Many of you commented on how it spoke to you in the midst of the grieving in your own heart, not just grieving loved ones but also fractured relationships and the horrors of violence and climate catastrophes. Others commented on how it assisted the writing sermons for next week, as the Old Testament lectionary reading was about David mourning Absalom.
Thank you for your feedback and encouragement. It really helps me shape who I am and what I do.
Our recent Liturgical Rebels episode Beyond Church Walls with Martin Poole was also extremely popular. Martin is an incredibly creative worship curator and the author of Church Beyond Walls. His ideas inspire all of us to experiment with new and creative ways to worship and draw close to God. Many of us are very aware that same old, same old doesn’t work any more and people like Martin help lead the charge for change. It came to mind at our community meeting last night when one of our members said “my running and hiking are more church to me than being in a building.” Then I read a comment by Australian theologian Mike Frost quoting Nicola Olyslagers, Australian high Jumper “For me, it’s like being in a church. My worship might not be my singing, it’s in my feet jumping over a bar.” He commented that it mirrored Eric Liddell’s words from the 1924 Paris Olympics, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” God is all around us, in everything we do and it is often in the activities that give us joy and satisfaction that we feel closest to our creator. I love how The Liturgical Rebels is helping to stretch people’s imaginations to embrace new ways to worship and draw close to God.
I loved Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday: Taste And See. She lives in Nashville where the summer is in full swing and she is enjoying the delights of her local farmer’s market and locally baked bread. Makes me want to fly to Nashville for the weekend. She reminded us that July 31st the church calendar honored the death of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Who gave us the EXAMEN…a wonderful prayer practice to help us notice and recognize where we’ve seen God along our way.
On August 9th we celebrate The International Day of Indigenous People such an important one to highlight. As Rachel Taber-Hamilton highlights reminded us in her important post of 2020. Indigenous peoples across the globe share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples due to the impact of historical and modern forces of colonialism.
In case you wonder where we find out about days like this to highlighthere are the links to find other possibilities for global celebration days; Celtic saints we have still to hear about, here is the complete list to draw from or this National Days of Observance for the U.S., for the UK and another for Australia. For New Zealand check out this list, for South Africa and for Canada. Looks as though we all have lots to celebrate
My big project at the moment is the new Celtic Advent devotional Following an Unfamiliar Path through Advent. I am enjoying revisiting my Celtic resources, writing daily reflections and incorporating both new and old prayers in the daily offerings. At the same time I am getting ready to host several Celtic inspired musicians, theologians and spiritual directors on Liturgical Rebels. I am having so much fun revisiting this material that I want to try something new. I would like to enlist your help in the process. For the rest of this month, I will share excerpts from my new book with all current paid Substack subscribers to enjoy and comment on. Each week I’ll post an update of my progress and invite your feedback. I’ll also answer any questions you may have about my stories and creative choices. To participate, all you have to do is join the paid subscription to my Substack (either monthly or annually), and you’ll automatically get the updates. You can do this by clicking the link below. I’ll post my first writing update later this week.
Don’t forget too to save the dates for my upcoming webinars. Introduction to Celtic Christianity September 7th; Preparing for Advent November 16th. We are working to simplify the ways people register and hope to have these open for you to sign up next week so don’t forget to save the dates.
Let me end with one of my favourite Celtic prayers attributed to Brigid of Kildaire, which I used at many of our Celtic retreats and on other occasions for a grace before meals.
I should like a great lake of finest ale,
for the King of Kings
I should like a table of the choicest food,
for the family of heaven.
Let the ale be made from the fruits of faith,
and the food be forgiving love.
I should welcome the poor to my feast,
for they are God’s children.
I should welcome the sick to my feast,
for they are God’s joy.
Let the poor sit with Jesus at the highest place,
and the sick dance with the angels
God bless the poor,
God bless the sick,
and bless our human race.
God bless our food,
God bless our drink,
all homes, O God, embrace.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
photo by Lina Kivaka on pexels.com
I have done a lot of grieving this week. I have also expressed a lot of gratitude as I remembered my brother Nick who meant a lot to me throughout my life. He would have loved this floral display in my garden which I felt I shared with him as I walked around yesterday. Part of what I did over the weekend was revisit this article which I found very helpful both when I wrote it and now as I reread it. Many of us struggle to express our grief and so I thought you would appreciate rereading it too.
When Lynne Baab wrote her book Two Hands: Grief and Gratitude in the Christian Life, it was the first time I considered the important balance between grief and gratitude. It was one of the most impactful books I read in 2021. Part of what it made me realize is that we cannot talk about gratitude without also talking about grief. We cannot talk about grief without allowing gratitude to well up within us. We cannot develop effective rituals for expressing gratitude without creating equally powerful rituals for processing grief.
In her book Lynne gleaned from an equally important article The Geography of Sorrow – Francis Weller on Navigating Our Losses – by Tim McKee, based on an interview with Francis Weller about his book The Wild Edge of Sorrow. Reading both the article and the book resulted in me asking important questions of myself. It is not just about grieving for what we have lost in the pandemic or grieving for our world of violence and ecological disaster. Most of us hold huge wells of unexpressed grief inside us because we live in a culture where grief is unwelcome, something we need to get over quickly. We are ashamed to grieve. As a consequence we are prone to addiction, depression, violence, suicide, possibly cancer, heart disease and I would add PTSD.
The work of the mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and to be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That’s how much gratitude I can give. If I carry only grief, I’ll bend towards cynicism and despair. If I have only gratitude, I’ll become saccharine and won’t develop much compassion for other people’s suffering. Grief keeps the heart fluid and soft, which helps make compassion possible. (The Geography of Sorrow – Francis Weller on Navigating Our Losses – by Tim McKee)
So a few important gems I picked up from the article –
First – We need rituals of grieving and these rituals should be communal. This doesn’t mean we don’t go off and weep in solitude, but after we do we should be welcomed back into a group where we can pour out and empty our sorrows together in an environment of comfort and mutual support. Being with good friends over the weekend, sharing photos and stories about my brother were very therapeutic for me. I also love the rituals using a cup that Lilly Lewin regularly introduces us to. She uses these in the Thinspace Nashville services she conducts each week as well as for her personal practices. Her recent Freerange Friday: God Holds Our Tears provided another important ritual using a pitcher of water that is also very profound. These are the types of practices we all need to help us maintain the grief/gratitude balance.
In healthy cultures one person’s wound is an opportunity for another to bring medicine. But if you are silent about your suffering, then your friends stay spiritually unemployed. In Navajo culture, for example, illness and loss are seen as communal concerns, not as the responsibility of the individual. Healing is a matter of restoring hozho – beauty/harmony in the community. The Geography of Sorrow – Francis Weller on Navigating Our Losses – by Tim McKee
Second – we should approach grief with reverence, engaging it, sitting with it, mulling it over and recognizing it is worthy of our time . I think this is particularly important not just for me at the moment but for all of us who are grieving the violence and destruction in our society. We all came out of the COVID pandemic with a load of grief weighing us down. Since them we confronted the horrors of war in Ukraine and Israel/Palestine, earthquakes in Turkey and Afghanistan and the climate crisis that overwhelms us. We are encouraged to feel we should get over our grief quickly, or pretend there is no grief weighing us down. We are encouraged to get back to normal, maybe go on a shopping spree and enjoy life again. Grief is seen as something to be ashamed of, not something to embrace. It is easy to dismiss the need for rituals of grief especially as the consumer culture hypes up for the Christmas season in the next couple of months. After all isn’t Christmas meant to be “the happiest season of all?”
Here are a few of my suggestions on rituals that can help us process our grief and move towards gratitude in the coming months:
- Sit around the table with your family or a few close friends and talk about those things from the past that still need to be grieved over. I have sat around tables with a cup of tea in the most unlikely circumstances grieving together with friends and family. I still vividly remember when I was in practice in Christchurch New Zealand and and a teenager died of cancer. I sat, with his family as we created a circle around his body and they shared stories about his life. Just talking about these together can bring a measure of healing. I also vividly remember sitting with First Nation’s friend Richard Twiss and a very culturally diverse group in a teepee listening to the grief of rejection many of those present had suffered. Discuss other ways that you could support each other as you process your grief.
- Plan a celebration for All Saints’ Day or Day of the Dead coming up at the beginning of November. Celebrating, grieving and giving thanks for those who have gone before are all interwoven in these important days on the church calendar. I love the ribbons of remembrance that our church creates every year. We all have an opportunity to write the names of our loved ones on ribbons that later are woven around the altar rail or hung around the church.
- Plan a Blue Christmas celebration. Here on Godspace we provide a growing set of resources to help with this celebration. During the COVID lockdown, we participated in a powerful and extremely meaningful online Blue Christmas service where we interwove liturgy, creativity, scripture and music together.
- Plan regular retreat days over the next few months to help you slow down, grieve and find that much needed balance between grief and gratitude. Part of the wonder of the Advent and Christmas story which we are quickly moving towards is the recounting of both joy and tragedy. If you follow the liturgical calendar you know that December 28th is Holy Innocents Day when we commemorate the execution of the innocent, male children in Bethlehem as told in Matthew 2:16. It is an uncomfortable day that I always want to skip over, but this year I know it is worthy of remembering. So many innocents have died in the last year from hunger, disease, violence and natural disasters. This story gives us the foundations for grieving our own losses. It is just as easy for us to skip over the tragedy because of our desire to focus on the joy. This year we need to make space for both.
- Write or read poetry, create a piece of artwork, take a photo that juxtaposes grief and gratitude. This was one of my responses to the horrors going on in Israel/Palestine. I wrote this poem which flowed out of my heart as I look at what is happening and was overcome by grief. It was inspired by Matt 5:43-47 and Colossians 1:18-20 in The Message. As I wrote it I found myself giving thanks for the many places in scripture where grief and gratitude come togetherIs our world broken beyond repair?Will we always meet violenceWith more violence?
Death with death?
Hate with hate?
What happened to love?
What have we done with Jesus,
With the One who holds all things together
And promises to fix,
All the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe.
The One who told us:
Love your enemies
Let them bring out the best in you
Not the worst
Live out your God-created identity,
Live generously and graciously towards others.
Be loving in all circumstances.
God is love.
Christine Sine 2023
- Listen to Leonard Cohen’s incredible song Hallelujah which I listen to regularly to help me process some of my grief burden and help me find the silver linings of gratitude often hidden in its midst.
- Journal about your grief feelings.Read Psalm 130 or similar psalm that begins with grief and ends in praise. Sit in the presence of your feelings of grief and allow God to bring healing. As I did that this week this simple poem grew in my mind. It has grown over the week as I continued to mourn.Nothing can deny the painA loved one’s loss can bring.
Nothing will stem the grief
Of losing one who meant so much.
But memories will always bring
Sparks of joy.
Though they arrive
With grief and longing
We cannot quiet,
They come with smiles
For times of laughter past,
With gratitude for moments shared,
Lodged forever in my heart.
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