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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PSALM 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
August is here! And in Nashville, Summer is in full force with its heat and humidity and thunder storms.
This means that summer food is here too. And the farmer’s markets are filled with the beauty and wonder of summer foods! We have a wonderful farmer’s market each Saturday morning at Richland Park. It makes me love my neighborhood more each time I go! I just love the diversity of people and ages! and the joy! Even when it’s way too hot, people are smiling at the farmer’s market! They just buy more lemonade and popsicles! (Ice lollies).
This week I was in line waiting to buy peaches, and I saw a gentleman with a basket filled beautifully wrapped packages. I asked him what they were and he said it was the best bread in the city! So of course I asked which stand had this bread and I went and bought a loaf! We don’t usually eat a lot of bread at our house these days, but this BREAD was so good! And we have enjoyed toasting a fresh slice with butter or jam, almost every day! TASTE and SEE that the LORD IS GOOD!
On Wednesday, July 31st the church calendar honored the death of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius teaches us that we can find God in all things! This doesn’t mean we are worshiping the things, or that we’ve become pantheists…it means that if we embrace child like wonder, and have eyes to see and ears to hear, we can truly experience God in ALL THINGS!!! Especially in good food!
St. Ignatius also gave us the EXAMEN…a wonderful prayer practice to help us notice and recognize where we’ve seen God along our way.
The beginning of a new month is a great time to start again with noticing what God is up to in our lives. And to do an Examen of our last week and/or month.
Where have we see Jesus at work? Where have you noticed the wonder of God?
What are the gifts you received last month ? What did you notice? Take time to be thankful.
Where did you miss God? How did you miss Jesus last month? Think about times you really felt distant or lost it…Where do you need forgiveness from Jesus? How do you need to forgive yourself? Talk to Jesus about this.
What good gifts, gifts of Grace, do you want to take into this new month with you?
You might find a song that reflects what you want for the month, or create a collage or art piece that inspires you. Find a poem or write a prayer to carry with you in August to give you the childlike hope and wonder you might need in this new season. Or even memorize Psalm 34.
And don’t forget to play and have fun!
How do you eat corn on the cob?
And speaking of fun! On Tuesday night at thinplace, I asked how everyone ate their corn on the cob. Do they eat it like a typewriter in rows? Did they eat it round and round? Or did they eat it randomly like a mouse?
To the chagrin of my husband, I eat my corn in random fashion….this was almost a deal breaker when we were dating! But just the fun of noticing how we eat this summer treat ,brought a smile to our zoom screen!
We tasted and saw that God is so fun and so Good!
So how do you eat corn? Have you taken time to notice?
What are the foods that remind you of summer?
What tastes send you right back to your childhood?
Peaches
Watermelon
A tomato just picked from the garden
Corn on the cob
Basil and Mint
Popsicles/Ice Lollies
Ice Cream
Today I opened a watermelon and sprinkled a piece with salt…that childlike wonder exploded!
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says that he is the BREAD OF LIFE. JOHN 6:24-35
What am I hungry for this month?
How do I need to be fed by Jesus?
READ this passage in the FIRST NATIONS BIBLE
JOHN 6: 24-35
22 It was now morning, and the crowd of people on the other side of Lake of Circle of Nations (Sea of Galilee) began to look for Creator Sets Free (Jesus), for they knew there was only one canoe and that he did not go with his followers.
23 Just then some canoes arrived from Rolling Water (Tiberias) at the same place where Creator Sets Free (Jesus) had given thanks for the frybread and fed them all.
24 When they could not find Creator Sets Free (Jesus) or his followers, they climbed into the canoes to go to Village of Comfort (Capernaum) to find him.
25 When they arrived on the other side and found Creator Sets Free (Jesus), they asked, “Wisdomkeeper, when did you get here?”
26 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) ignored their question and said to them, “Listen closely to my words, you are not looking for me because of the powerful sign you saw, but only because you filled your bellies with food.
27 Why are you working so hard for food that fades away? You should work for the food that gives you the life of the world to come that never fades away. The True Human Being will give you this food, for he has the Father’s full approval.”
28 “What does Great Spirit require from us,” they asked, “so we can do what he wants and have his approval also?”
29 “Here is what he wants you to do,” he answered, “put your trust in the one he has sent.”30 “What powerful sign will you show us, that we should trust in you?” they asked. “What sign will you perform?
31 When our ancestors were wandering in the desert they ate bread, just as the Sacred Teachings tell us, ‘From the spirit-world above he gave them bread to eat.’”
32 “Listen closely,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered. “Drawn from the Water (Moses) did not give you the bread from the spirit-world above. It is my Father who gives you the true bread that comes down from the spirit-world above.
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.”
I love verse 33 ! 33 This bread gives the life of beauty and harmony to the world.”
How do you need more beauty and harmony in your world? Can you let JESUS be this kind of bread for you?
Sadly, I often settle for day old, stale bread…. rather than the BREAD that came from heaven.
This week, in this new month, I want to taste the BREAD that brings beauty and harmony! I want to receive and be nourished by the BREAD OF LIFE! How about you?
Use this practice to help you!
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! AMEN
Its been another week of extraordinary happenings and events that it is hard to get our heads around. I was in Canada for the start of the Olympic Games and enjoyed watching the spectacular opening ceremony that blew away all preconceptions of what an opening ceremony is meant to look like. As I shared in my Meditation Monday: Who Is Welcome At Your Table? I was saddened by the controversy that arose about the maybe/maybe not image of the Last Supper and the animosity it aroused in so many Christians. What happened to love I wonder? Surprisingly, this was one of the most popular posts I have ever written.
My brother Nick died on Thursday and so the last few days I have struggled with the emotions of loss, grief but also gratitude as I remember the wonderful, loving brother he was and the many ways in which he influenced my life. He inspired my gardening and photography in particular and now I feel he walks with me every time I wander round my plants or take a photo. Our trip to Canada and visit with good friends was very therapeutic for me. I took some of my photo albums in which he stars and loved sharing stories about our life together with them. Reminiscing is such an important part of grieving and I know I will do much more of it with my other brothers and their families when I visit Australia in October.
Today we launched the 13th Episode of Liturgical Rebels – Beyond Church with Martin Poole. Martin is a very creative worship curator and the author of Church Beyond Walls. As the founder of Beyond he initiated and curated hundreds of public art events on the seafront, in parks, in pubs and theatres and is the inventor of the Beach Hut Advent Calendar which ran for 11 years along Hove promenade. This is a fascinating episode that you won’t want to miss especially if you are looking for intriguing ways to reach out to your community with the message of Christ.
Each Friday, on Substack I either post a spiritual practice or our latest episode of The Liturgical Rebels. Last Friday, because of my travels and the loss of my brother, I decided to repost one of my favourite practices that I talk about in The Gift of Wonder – The Spiritual Practice of Doodling. These kinds of freeform activities are good for us in many ways. They help stir our creativity, reduce stress and often enable us to move more deeply into intimacy with God. I love using doodling as a spiritual practice and hope that you enjoyed the post as much as I enjoyed revisiting it last week. I am amazed at how easy it is to forget the practices that once sustained us. My use of doodling is a great example of that.
In Freerange Friday: Looking for Hope In A World of Fear Lilly Lewin talks about celebrating her father’s 95th birthday and asks some provocative questions. How do you express gratitude? Where do you find hope? Such good questions for us to revisit frequently as we negotiate the ups and downs of life.
We did not have a post for World Friendship Day yesterday, (July 30th) but have had several great ones over the last couple of years that you might like to revisit. A couple of years ago June Friesen shared about the history of World Friendship Day and the importance of it for all of us today especially as we seek to show love for all of God’s family and “friends” around the world. Last year Carol Dixon in her International Friendship Day post shared the delight of the many international friendships she has enjoyed and encourages all of us to think of the rich array of friends from around the world that we might like to give thanks for.
I appreciate your prayers as I negotiate my brother’s death and try to write my Advent devotional book Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path at the same time. Not surprisingly my original outline suggestion did not work and so I am looking at other ways to integrate the lives of the Celtic saints into this season. Having a lot of fun doing and delving into my Celtic books as I do it. Don’t forget Celtic spirituality will also be the focus of the Liturgical Rebels podcast over the next few months. Starting with Celtic musician Jeff Johnson, followed by theologian John Phillip Newell and and spiritual director Christine Valters Paintner, this should be an interesting series. I am still working on lining up a poet and an artist in the Celtic tradition that I think will inspire us all.
Let me end with this poem I wrote as a tribute to my brother and the deep and abiding friendship we enjoyed.
Nothing can deny the pain
A loved one’s loss can bring.
Nothing will stem the grief
Of losing one who meant so much.
But memory will always bring
A spark of joy.
Remembrances grow stronger
As we share.
Smiles for times of laughter past,
Are lodged forever in my heart.
Many blessings
Christine Sine
In Episode 13, Martin Poole, author of ‘Church Beyond Walls,’ discusses his journey of taking spirituality out to public spaces. He shares his background as an actor and priest, and how he became dissatisfied with traditional church settings. Poole talks about his organization, Beyond, which focuses on creating public art events that provoke people to think about God. He highlights some of their projects, such as the Beach Hut Advent Calendar and the Blessing of the Surf service. Poole also offers advice for those interested in engaging in creative worship outside of traditional church settings.
Takeaways
- Taking spirituality out of traditional church settings can lead to meaningful and creative worship experiences.
- Engaging in public art events can provoke people to think about God in new and unexpected ways.
- Collaborating with people from different backgrounds and perspectives can enrich worship experiences and lead to new insights.
- Creating art installations and events in public spaces can be done with limited resources and the support of a dedicated team.
- Engaging in creative worship outside of traditional church settings can deepen one’s faith and provide opportunities for spiritual growth.
Martin Poole is currently the parish priest of St. Luke’s Prestonville in Brighton and founder of Beyond Church, an arts organisation dedicated to creating innovative arts and spirituality events and conferences www.beyondchurch.co.uk. For most of his working life he’s been a creative TV producer, travelling around the world creating brand identities and promotion campaigns for TV channels. He worked with a wide variety of clients including the BBC, SKY, ITV and Disney eventually becoming a communications strategist specialising in branding, marketing and promotion for media. He’s also been an actor, butler, construction worker, receptionist, cleaner, youth volunteer and chaplain as well as a husband and father. As the founder of Beyond he has initiated and curated hundreds of public art events on the seafront, in parks, in pubs and theatres and is the inventor of the Beach Hut Advent Calendar which ran for 11 years along Hove promenade.
He recently authored a book, Church Beyond Walls which is a description of the creation and production of some of these art events and the personal stories of those who became involved in them and their experiences of the divine through the wonders of art.
Find out more about Christine Sine on
Walking In Wonder on Substack
and on her website Godspacelight
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by Christine Sine
Like many of us I watched the opening Olympic ceremony a couple of days ago. I was inspired by the creativity and imagination that went into this incredible display of French culture and history. I loved the way the organizers reinterpreted what an opening ceremony could look like, stretching the bounds of what had previously been considered possible. Celine Dion’s finale song and the lighting of the Olympic flame with the incorporation of the iconic Eiffel Tower was fantastic.
What I was not prepared for was the vitriolic response of many Christians who were offended by what they interpreted as a blasphemous representation of the Last Supper, contrasting it with Da Vinci’s Last Supper which for some reason is seen as the iconic depiction of this event. For those of us who believe in diversity, equality and inclusion this image if painted today might seem equally offensive. Wow! why not such outrage at the increasing poverty and violence around the world? Or for our contributions to the climate crisis? Why not shout out against the racism, sexism and abuse of those at the margins we see all around us?
I am not going to debate here whether this image was really a blasphemous representation of the last supper or not. The Olympic community says no and tells us very convincingly where the idea came from. What horrifies me is how quickly Christians respond to seeming offense with hate rather than love, unwilling to listen to other points of view or seek to bridge the divide between what they believe and what they see represented. What a fantastic opportunity this was for all of us to reach out in love and a sense of welcome to these drag queens who are often rejected and abused by society. What an opportunity for us to show love and not hate. And we missed it.
One aspect of the arguments that have raged after the event that I really appreciated were the alternative images of the Last Supper that are often depicted in popular culture. This blog post identifies 101 Pop Culture Last Suppers . The Simpson’s had a go at it; the Expendables; Sesame Street, Star Wars and Lost. It is fascinating to me how often people want to see themselves as sitting down at a banquet feast with Jesus. Maybe there is something for us to grab hold of here. How about banquet feast around the world for those who are at the margins of our society?
I love the painting by Polish artist Bohdan Piasecki above which depicts Jesus at the Last Supper surrounded by the twelve disciples, as well as women and children. Women and children have always had a place at the table with Jesus as have the abused, the abandoned and the rejected. Whether they would have been present at this last supper has often been debated by the church, but I cannot imagine that Jesus would have excluded them. We forget that many of Jesus disciples were not very acceptable in his society – Galilean fishermen, tax collectors, and healed lepers all sat at table with Jesus. Women of ill repute followed him. Children were often all around him.
This week through the posts of my friends I identified some other beautiful images that I am sure will be offensive to some because they include people often seen as outside Jesus’ circle of acceptance. Like this one that Ellen Haroutunian posted where all those at the table have Down’s syndrome. The amazing thing about Jesus and our loving Creator is that they accept everyone. The despised, the abandoned and the rejected are at the centre of the table. I bet Jesus would have embraced those drag queens if he was with us today. He would probably have sat down at that table with them and enjoyed the feast. And he would have brought a few other “unacceptable ones” with him as this image shows.
What images of Jesus sitting down at table appeal to you? Why? How could you expand your boundaries to include those who are excluded by our society?
This week was a week of celebration in our family so I’m in the slow lane for freerangefriday today. We were celebrating my dad Wilbur Sensing’s 95th birthday. Family arrived from all over arrived. We began his birthday with a picnic bbq lunch on Saturday with about 50 friends and family. The celebration continued on Sunday with relatives for lunch and watching old movies and laughing a lot. And on July 23rd, his actual birthday, my brother and his wife and my husband and son who all live here in Nashville, took dad out for dinner. It was his first time having dinner in a restaurant since mid May when he had emergency abdominal surgery. Let’s just say that birthday parties are much more fun than funerals! We all felt so much joy that Dad was no longer in hospice care and back to living! If you’d seen him in the ICU on May 31st you’d know what a miracle a steak dinner out was!
We are very grateful!
Dad and me on Tuesday Night!
What are you grateful for this week? Take some time and thank Jesus for all the good things you’ve experienced this week.
- Zinnias blooming along the driveway
Time with our son and his dog Smithers (he lives in denver and came in town to celebrate dad’s birthday)
Shopping with my sister ( She also was in town for the festivities)
Nice weather for the party
Fun with cousins and their kids
Good books and new library card
A new friend
Reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
zinnias
I’ve also been rather scatter brained with all the news around who is running for the US president.
I was on a call last night with close to 150,000 white women who are planning to support a woman for president! It was the largest call in the history of zoom!. So much hope and excitement, and a realistic understanding that it’s not going to be easy to defeat hate and fear and racism.
I honestly haven’t had much hope for American politics since 2015.
Our politics has been so divisive and abusive that it’s caused families to divide, divorces to occur and churches to split.
I started grieving our country in 2015. As an enneagram 7, I could no longer reframe the situation. But Today I have hope again.
What is bringing you HOPE today?
Underneath all our emphasis on successful action, many of us suffer from a deep-seated, low self-esteem. . . . And so our actions become more an expression of fear than of inner freedom. . . .
As we keep our eyes directed at the One who says, ‘‘Do not be afraid,” we may slowly let go of our fear. We will learn to live in a world without zealously defended borders. We will be free to see the suffering of other people, free to respond not with defensiveness, but with compassion, with peace, with ourselves. Henri Nouwen
This quote leads us to the gospel for this Sunday.
In case you missed it, last week we had an interrupted Gospel lesson in Mark 6. Jesus saw that his disciples were exhausted and he attempted to take them on a retreat so they could rest. Instead, they were interrupted by the crowd that raced around the lake to find Jesus. The second part of last week’s Gospel was about what they found on the other side, when Jesus and his disciples made it back across the lake. There were the crowds again, this time seeking to be healed by Jesus.
In this week’s Gospel, we get the middle story. The feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on the water. We’re in John 6 rather than Mark:
JOHN 6:1-21
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[b] they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.
READ this a few times…what do you notice? What does the Holy Spirit highlight for you?
I notice that Jesus knows that the people are hungry and he already has a plan for how to feed them all.
That gives me hope! Jesus already has a plan! And Jesus knows what we are hungry for!
I’m hungry for peace, and justice and rest from politics, war and injustice!
I notice that Jesus has no interest in being a King. He has no interest in political power. And he sends his disciples away before this gets out of hand. Is it because he knows they are still exhausted? Or is it to protect them because he knows that some of them want him to be a political leader too?
What is is about us that we think we need power and control?
Why are we so afraid?
Read Henri Nouwen’s quote again!
Underneath all our emphasis on successful action, many of us suffer from a deep-seated, low self-esteem. . . . And so our actions become more an expression of fear than of inner freedom. . . .
As we keep our eyes directed at the One who says, ‘‘Do not be afraid,” we may slowly let go of our fear. We will learn to live in a world without zealously defended borders. We will be free to see the suffering of other people, free to respond not with defensiveness, but with compassion, with peace, with ourselves. Henri Nouwen
We really do need to know how much we are loved!
We need to know and remember that we are “God’s best idea” Dr. Sara Sosa
When we know and believe we are loved by the Creator of the entire universe, we don’t have to be afraid of other people and other ideas.
I know that I need to remember that even in the storm, even when the boat is rocking and seas are high, Jesus tells us not to be afraid! Jesus gets in the boat with us!
How can you experience more hope, gratefulness and love this week?
What small things can you do to show love to someone who needs it?
I think I’m going to make more cookies for my neighbors just to say I care! And to meet some of the newer neighbors whom I haven’t met yet! This might be my new weekly or at least monthly practice. I am also going to be making more phone calls to check in with friends who are in rocking boats right now. I’m going to keep reading books rather than looking at my phone at night and keep using that new library card rather than my Amazon card! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Remember that you have permission to REST! #restisHoly
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
I John 4
Another crazy week! We certainly do live in interesting times. As Joe Biden steps out of the race and Kamala Harris steps in to take the reins of Democrats for the presidential campaign our heads are spinning. These events weigh on all of us. Whether we see it as good or bad news, I know that the coming season of vitriolic attack from both sides will be draining and pray for God’s peace and wisdom to rest on all those who are involved.
For me this week has been overshadowed by my brother Nick’s declining health. As many of you know he is in the last stages of malignant melanoma. It is hard to be half a world away at a time like this. I am very grateful for Zoom and WhatsApp which help keep me in touch. I am also very grateful for Tom’s supportiveness, for friends that pray and for my garden which brings me peace every time I walk around it. This week my Aeoniums are flowering on my back step. They make me smile every time I walk past.
I am also grateful for the fact that that Goldie’s wound is healing and she finally has her hood off. Yesterday she ran around the house and yard like a mad thing obviously delighted to have her freedom from the dreaded cone of shame.
One of the delights of my week was attending the Maple Leaf ice cream social on Wednesday. I loved meeting Beth Altman and hearing about her Little Free Bakery, which I talked about in my Meditation Monday: Freely You Have Received, Freely Give. She places delicious desserts in her free bakery, a little like the free libraries that dot our neighbourhood and then posts on instagram to let her patrons know what is currently on offer. The generosity of people in our neighbourhood never ceases to amaze me. It restores my belief in the goodness God has placed within all of us. I may not become part of the Little Free bakery movement, but I do like to share and my post includes 2 of my favourite recipes to make from garden produce at this time of year.
Monday was Mary Magdalene’s Feast Day so I revisited my Godspace post Standing With Mary Magdalene And All The Women of the World because in many ways I feel that the ways she has been maligned and misrepresented throughout history is so much what still happens to women today. Many people are more willing to see women as prostitutes rather than leaders.
Carol Dixon provided a delightful post Singing the Psalms yesterday. As she says Psalms are a wonderful way to worship God and there is a psalm for every season. Lilly Lewin’s Freerange Friday: Jesus Loves Us In the Interruptions is also worthy of a good read. Who of us isn’t plagued by interruptions? I love her question: What kind of REST do you need this week?
Last week we launched the 12th episode of The Liturgical Rebels podcast with a fascinating interview with spiritual director, pastor, and author Kathy Escobar. Don’t miss this important episode and those that have gone before it. The summer is a great time to catch up on your listening. I was going to list my favourites, but have enjoyed interviewing all my guests so much that it is hard to choose – from artists, like iconographer Kelly Latimore and block print creator Kreg Yingst, to theologian Brian McLaren and poet Drew Jackson, and worship curators Mark Pierson and Lilly Lewin, I think all the episodes are worth listening to and some of you I know have listened more than once to selected guests.
Next week Martin Poole, another very creative worship curator will be my guest, followed by Brian Edgar, Professor of Theological Studies at Asbury and author of a fascinating book The God Who Plays. After that I will move into a Celtic theme as a lead up for the beginning of Celtic Advent on November 15th. I already have theologian John Phillip Newell and musician Jeff Johnson as well as Christine Valters Paintner and am still pursuing a Celtic artist and a poet for this series. I am very excited about where the podcast is going and hope that you are enjoying the interviews. Please let me know if you have any feedback that will help us continue to shape the podcast.
My Celtic theme will be reflected in other offerings for August to December. I am delighted with the progress I am making with my book Celtic Advent: Following an Unfamiliar Path. Each week will not only highlight a different Celtic saint but will also have a different theme. Here is the tentative outline:
Brendan and Holy Wanderings
Brigid and Kingdom Hospitality
Columba Welcoming Community
Hilda Embracing the Circle of Creation
Cuthbert Creating a Thin Space
I love Scottish theologian Prof John Macquarrie’s observation that ‘the Celt was very much a God-intoxicated person whose life was embraced on all sides by the divine Being.” I long for that same intoxication and intimacy with God where the awareness of God is present in every moment and every thing. There seems no better season than Advent to explore this deeper intimacy and spiritual intoxication and it is my hope that you too will become intoxicated with the presence of God as we read together.
As well as that I am planning a couple of online retreats for the season September to Christmas. Save the Dates: Introduction to Celtic Christianity on September 7th; Ready for Celtic Advent on November 16th. It will be a very busy but fun season, as these retreats are always very interactive not just full of information but also creative exercises and prayers. I am really looking forward to both creating and facilitating these. It is my hope that the Advent book will be available by the Celtic seminar in September.
A big thank you to those who have become paid subscribers on Substack https://substack.com/@chrissine . As I mentioned last week, this really helps me broaden the array of resources we make available, many of which are free. It will also provide you with a 20% discount on the webinar cost. At this stage the only regular “subscriber only” post is the audio for my Meditation Monday. However there will be more such input in the future.
The upheaval that we feel around the world at the moment is challenging for everyone. I pray that you are able to find places of rest and peace in the midst of it. Perhaps you would like to pray this prayer with me.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Grant me patience,
As you are patient.
Waiting, hoping, expecting,
Never forcing.
Lord Jesus Christ
Grant me kindness,
As you are kind
Generous, compassionate, gentle,
Always overflowing with care.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Grant me love,
As you are loving,
Trusting, enduring, sacrificing yourself,
Ever delighting in truth.
Lord Jesus Christ,
Grant me life,
As you would have me live,
Journeying together with all peoples
Into wholeness,
And the wonder of your eternal world.
Christine Sine
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