A contemplative service with music in the style-of-Taize from St Andrews Episcopal Church in Seattle WA. The stained glass window is in the rear of the church at St Andrews.
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
by Lisa DeRosa
My husband and I are taking a road trip to Glacier National Park in Montana this summer. It will be our first visit to this breathtaking land. We plan to hike and I cannot wait to discover the birds and other creatures that we will encounter on the trail. Of course, knowing that I will get to experience the breeze, the scents, the birdsongs, and the feeling of the earth under my boots is intoxicating, but I am truly looking forward to being away from the noise. The city, planes, traffic, construction… just man-made noise. Looking back at my journals from the last year, I noticed how much I was impacted by the noise.
Now, please let me preface with this comment that absolutely horrific things happened during last year as we all struggled with the pandemic, racial injustices, political strife, rampant wildfires, and so much more. I am not discounting any of those things in what I am about to say. But I miss the stillness that lockdown brought to our city. Maybe I had not noticed before, but the birds seemed to sing louder and I don’t think it was just because the planes were not constantly flying overhead. They gladly filled in the gaps where our noise used to drown them out. I took time to pause during the day, opened the windows, and went outside just to listen to them. Not that they have left since the planes and traffic have returned, but they are muffled more so than they were during this time.
Because I am learning to be okay with silence, I know that the birds in the background are a good way for me to ease into this practice. Becoming familiar with the intention of calming my racing mind and slowing down my anxious thoughts, the birds are helping me to settle into that place. A fountain or other sounds of nature help too. But focusing on the birds brings me to remember this verse:
Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don’t plant gardens. They do not sow or reap—and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you.
My heavenly Father is with me, providing, and caring for me even more than the birds that he also provides for. God cares for humans as his image bearers and other aspects of his creation, too. Not one or the other. Both. I also desire to care about and use my gifts, talents, and treasures to show my love for both.
Today, we celebrate World Environment Day, the 49th celebration and we look forward to the 50th next year in 2022. Like other posts I wrote about Earth Day, World Water Day, etc., I encourage you to check out what this movement of motivated image-bearers are doing for creation care. Their call to action is enticing to me:
REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE.This is our moment.
We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change our diets and clean up rivers and coasts. We are the generation that can make peace with nature.
Let’s get active, not anxious. Let’s be bold, not timid.
Like I wrote in past posts, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the devastation and state that our planet is in. But we cannot let that stop us! We can all start somewhere!
Starting Somewhere
Because I am a detail-oriented person, I am thinking ahead about what to bring on this trip, mainly, the essentials for any hike: snacks, water, sunscreen, bug spray, proper hiking boots and clothes, etc. How can I keep creation care in mind as I prepare for this trip? I think through the environmental impact of each item and how I can choose to lessen my ecological footprint.
- Sun Bum Sunscreen lotion or spray – I love Sun Bum because it is eco-friendly but is also great at protecting against UV rays. I use this everyday while I sit outside to work and it keeps me from burning.
- Deet-free Bug Spray – This is on my list to purchase! Glad to see that it has good reviews too!
- Boxed water – I have not tried this because we use reusable water bottles, but this would be a great alternative to single use plastic water bottles.
- I pack snacks in Tupperware or other reusable containers rather than buying individually wrapped snacks. We usually reuse cleaned yogurt or sour cream containers because they are lightweight for hiking.
- We buy our hiking clothes and sometimes boots from second hand stores or thrift stores which help to extend the life of the clothes before they end up in the landfill. I have a sewing machine and love hemming clothes (I am 5’4″ so I have some experience in this area) which makes it easy to get name-brand clothes for cheap with a little fixing.
You might be thinking, well, that’s great, Lisa, but I don’t hike, so this is not helpful for me! I am glad you said something! While I used hiking as an example, this process of thinking through your ecological footprint can be used with other activities as well. The above items are the basics for many activities but here are a few more ideas:
Beach Time
Heading to the beach this summer? Going with kiddos? Or, do you just really like making sand castles? There is such a thing as eco-friendly sand castle toys!!! Check these out: 26 Piece Beach toys made of wheat straw materials!
Berry Picking
Support a local berry patch or farm and pick your own berries. Bring a basket or other non-plastic container to carry the berries in. If you can, choose organic! This is better for your body, the health of the farmers, and for the soil which is full of microorganisms that are negatively impacted by pesticides.
What activities do you like to do during the summer and how can you keep creation care in mind? Please share with us!
by Lilly Lewin,
Tomorrow, June 5th, Christine Sine and I will host a retreat called “Making Time for a Sacred Summer.” You can still register HERE and join us! We are recording it, so if you are busy on Saturday, you can still participate when you have some time in the future. One of the activities we are doing is creating a Summer Sacred Space, a way to focus our prayers and practices this summer using elements and objects that remind us of summer. When you think about summer, what pops into your mind? What tastes, smells, games, or symbols remind you of the summer season?
Make a list. Ask your friends or family or look back at photos from years past to help you remember.
Jesus used everyday things he saw along the way to help his followers learn about God’s Kingdom. Things such as lilies, seeds, wheat fields, fish in fishnets, etc. So, like Jesus, we can use things we see everyday to help us connect with him.
We are inviting participants to create a centerpiece, an altar space, or even a portable kit to take with us and use to help us engage God and pray more intentionally during the days ahead. Even if you can’t make the retreat with us, you can create a Sacred Space Centerpiece to pray with this summer!
One of the ways I start to create a Sacred Space centerpiece is to go to the Dollar Store. It’s a great place to get inspired! You can also do a scavenger hunt around your house to collect items that remind you of summer and things that might inspire you to pray!
In the photo above, I’ve used several items that remind me of Summer… all found at the Dollar Store or around my house. I call this my SUMMER PLANTING CENTERPIECE or SUMMER OF GROWTH CENTERPIECE.
We are all starting a new season of the year. We are starting a new season in the pandemic with many of us getting vaccinated and now having a chance to see friends and family and doing more things out and about. There are signs of hope and new life! What signs of NEW LIFE are you noticing around you? How could these be things to add to your Summer Sacred Space?
As I created this centerpiece, I began to consider and pray with these items and asked several questions:
SEEDS & GARDEN GLOVES:
What new things are God growing in me?
What new things need to be planted in me this season?
What weeds might need pulling?
What seeds of love and compassion can I plant in my own life and the lives of those around me this summer?
BUG CATCHER and NET
One of my summer memories from childhood is chasing and catching Lightening Bugs/Fireflies. Back then, my mom would punch holes in the metal jar lid and my siblings and I would run around the yard and catch the bugs. We would have a jar filled with thee small flash lights to watch for the evening. Now that I’ve moved back to the South, I still love watching for that first lightening bug to appear, and I love the magic as they come out of the grass each evening. It’s the wonder of God’s creation! It’s a Miracle! I’m using the bug catcher and net to remind me to have childlike wonder this summer. I’m asking Jesus to help me see small miracles and the magical beauty each day! In bugs, butterflies, flowers, clouds, blades of grass etc.
What things bring you a sense of wonder? Ask Jesus to surprise you! What miracles in nature are you thankful for today?
BADMINTON BIRDIE (shuttlecock)
Another of my summer childhood memories is playing Badminton in my grandparent’s back yard. We would play with my cousins and hit the “birdie” over the net, back and forth, for hours! The Birdie/Shuttlecock reminds me that I need time to play this summer! We’ve all had quite a year! We need to feel God’s pleasure as we engage in fun and in playful activities in the coming weeks. How can you play more this summer? Ask Jesus to show you how. Pray for yourself and your family to have space to play and be filled with the joy of playfulness!
MAGNIFYING GLASS
The magnifying glass is my reminder to look deeper, to take time this summer to look more closely at where I really am. I am asking Jesus to show me details, to help me see the things I’ve learned during these hard months of the pandemic. I am asking Jesus to help me take the time to actually process all the things I’ve been feeling. Ask Jesus to help you look closer at where you are and where you’ve been in the last few months. Take time to pray and process your feelings, your pain, your highs and your lows. You might want to journal or create in art in response to this.
BUTTERFLY BOX
The Butterfly Box is a symbol for me of new life and transformation. The caterpillar actually turns into a special goo as it becomes a new creature, the butterfly! We’ve had to go through a lot of “green goo” this year. A lot of change, pain and metamorphosis. While the “green goo stage” is hard to live through, it means we are getting very close to the good stuff! We have to go through it to get to the beauty of the Butterfly! Take time to talk to Jesus about where you are today… are you feeling closer to the caterpillar than the butterfly? Or, are you still stuck in the green goo stage? Allow Jesus to be with you in your current state. Ask Jesus to continue to transform you into his image this summer. And when you see a caterpillar or a butterfly, remember that Jesus is with you in all the stages of your life!
Like the beautiful butterfly, what reminds you of HOPE and New Life? Take some time to say thank you to Jesus for these things. Add some of these things to your own Summer Sacred Space.
Portable Sacred Space
What things will you use in your Summer Sacred Space to inspire you to grow and pray? I’d love to see what you create!
I will share more ideas for your Sacred Space Centerpiece and your PORTABLE SACRED SPACE next week. Also, you are invited to join me in an 8-Week prayer practice adventure called THE GIFT OF A SACRED SUMMER. This is something you can do on your own, with your small group, or your family, and/or with your whole church community! There are activities and experiences for all ages! You can learn more and download the kit at freerangeworship.com.
Hope to see you on Saturday for the retreat! Make Time for a Sacred Summer!
by Tom Sine,
Make this a Sacred Summer by creating ways to flourish that reflects the teachings of Jesus!
“Don’t Languish, Flourish”
The welcomed ending of the pandemic for many of us is not only an opportunity to restart our lives. It is also an opportunity to join those who are creating their best lives.
This summer is an opportunity for people of faith to discover a new vision of flourishing that will not only enrich your own life but also make a difference in the lives of others who are still struggling to restart their lives from the deadly grip of the pandemic recession.
For those who have embraced a Christian faith, I have some very good news. Following Jesus was never intended to simply be a devotional add-on to our “real lives”. For those that have embraced this mistaken assumption, I have some very good news.
Jesus has alway invited his followers to embrace a vigorous whole-life faith that is focused on not only loving God, but also loving and making a difference in the lives of our neighbors… 7 million of whom face eviction from their homes come July 2021 as well as high levels of unemployment.
In 2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change, I state, “The Jesus who rides on donkey’s back comes announcing the good news of the empire of the mustard seed. The even better news is that God can use our individual lives to bring real change in the lives of others…”. (2020s Foresight, 111)
Al Tizon, who heads Serve Globally in the Covenant Church, “challenges readers in his book Whole and Reconciled to discover in scripture an alternative vision of the good life of God that is found more in making a difference in the lives of others than in pursuing a life of acquisition.” (2020s Foresight, 111-112)
Even secular research documents people who are discovering a more satisfying way of life in making a difference in the lives of others. Dr. Vander Welle and his research team sampled 13,000 adults. They found that participants who volunteered two hours a week “experienced higher levels of happiness, optimism and purpose in life, compared to those who did not volunteer at all.” Perhaps Jesus not only calls to care for others. Perhaps the creator God designed us to flourish most fully when we take time every week when we find ways to make a difference in the lives of others.
Are you ready to join those who are fed up with languishing and are ready to join others in a little compassionate flourishing this summer?
In 2020s Foresight, we invite readers to join those who are interested, as followers of Jesus, to join a QUEST FOR THE BEST LIFE group. (2020s Foresight, 114-130)
Would you like to start a summer QUEST FOR THE BEST LIFE group in your community or congregation? Quest for the Best has four simple steps to enable you to join those who are already replacing languishing with flourishing:
- As we slowly begin to get the worst of the pandemic behind us, we encourage you, and everyone in your group, to identify and list the specific barriers that are keeping you from connecting to God and reaching out to your neighbors.
- Work with others in the group to identify new ways the Creator God can use your ordinary lives to both be a difference and make a difference to those still struggling to overcome the pandemic recession.
- Discuss how you and others in the group can help one another to shift from consumer-focused lives to lives that are flourishing as you create ways to express God’s compassionate purposes in your community.
- Work with your neighbors that are struggling to both identify innovative ways to respond that reflect the compassion of Jesus and enable neighbors to shift from languishing to flourishing too.
In the article, “Need a Reset? Take the 10-Day Fresh Start Challenge”, the author makes an important observation, “While some people did develop healthy new habits during the pandemic lockdowns, it’s not to late if you spent your pandemic days just getting by. The good news is that the end of the pandemic is probably a more opportune time for meaningful change in our own lives than when you were experiencing the heightened anxiety of lockdowns.”
“I think many of us have realized during the pandemic that some of the things we were doing before COVID-19 weren’t the kind of things leading to flourishing in our lives”, said Dr. Santos to the New York Times.
For people of Christian faith, summer is a wonderful, opportune time to refocus our lives around what we know matters most. It is an opportunity to join those traveling from languishing to flourishing. It is an opportunity to create our best lives in the way of Jesus. It is an opportunity to join those that are creating ways to enable others that are still dealing with the pandemic recession to become self-reliant and experience a little flourishing too.
Why don’t you consider hosting a QUEST FOR THE BEST LIFE group in your home or church this summer as the first step in creating a flourishing future for you and your loved ones? And also imagine the difference it could make in working with friends and neighbors who are still struggling with the pandemic recession.
Let us know if a QUEST FOR THE BEST LIFE group not only enables you and yours loved ones but also struggling friends and neighbors to discover the gift of a new life of flourishing too.
Please contact me and let us know how your QUEST FOR THE BEST LIFE group goes for you or if you have any questions. We would love hear your stories and struggles.
Check out the book I wrote with my friend, Dwight Friesen, for more resources to enable you and your friends to create you best lives in this time of opportunity: 2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change. It is available on Amazon right now at a reduced price and has questions at the end of each chapter so it can be used as a study book.
We will send you a free 45-minute webinar to help you start your study group. I am also available to join one of the final sessions of your study group by way of Zoom at no charge.
Adapted from the original post on NewChangemakers.com
This is a three part series on NewChangemakers.com. The third and final post will look at innovative change-making for those who are still struggling with the pandemic recession.
It’s not too late to register for Making Time for a Sacred Summer retreat with Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine on June 5, 2021.
by Ana Lisa de Jong,
Love in the branch,
the rising anchored trunk,
the leaves, blossoms, seed pods.
The wind spreading the gift.
New roots from old.
The birds, the bees, the butterflies.
Everything a link.
Linking love, that grows its arms
around us.
‘It is love alone’ – alone,
but not.
Love is a chain,
the same chain that
flushed your parents cheeks
when they looked upon you,
held you in their embrace.
Love in the branch,
the vine,
giving worth to everything.
To us each.
No life without
this love indwelling,
connecting us to Heaven.
For more poetry by Ana Lisa, please check out LivingTreePoetry.com.
Final days to sign up to join us for Making Time for a Sacred Summer virtual retreat with Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin!
When?: June 5, 2021 from 10am to 1pm Pacific Time (Convert Time Zone)
Where?: Virtually through Zoom
How?: Register and pay here
Cost? $24.99 for the 3 hour retreat and the recording after the session
by Christine Sine,
Last week for Pentecost Sunday I decided to walk around my garden photographing all the red flowers to fill my life with a little Pentecostal fire. It was so much fun. There were red roses and poppies, geraniums and lupines, and my stunning epiphyllum cactus orchid flowering in all its magnificence on my front porch. Then around the neighbourhood I saw red rhododendrons, camellias and lilies. Such a display, so much diversity. I couldn’t help but chuckle at these fiery displays that seemed to cry out “happy birthday to the church”.
Red rose
Red lupine
Red poppy
Red Epiphyllum cactus orchid
Celebrating the Trinity
This week, as we celebrated Trinity Sunday yesterday, I decided to look for flowers and leaves with a tripartite structure that reflected the three in one nature of the Trinity – God is One in three – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It was a great deal of fun and it emphasized for me yet again how much we miss out on when we don’t know how to connect the glory of creation to the story of our faith.
The most familiar trinitarian symbol is the Irish shamrock, Oxalis acetosella, with its three-lobed leaves, which St. Patrick supposedly pointed out to the Irish as a symbol of the true Trinitarian God of whom he preached to them, and in whose name he blessed nature to sanctify it. I prefer the brilliant display of this purple shamrock, however.
Purple shamrock
There are lots of other plants that bear the Trinity symbolism too, many of them with three-petaled flowers that represented Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
My favourite is Trillium grandiflorum, a native of north-eastern and north-western U.S. known as the Trillium lily because it is said to symbolize the Trinity. Both its flower and leaves are tripartite – talk about wonderful imagery for us to meditate on.
Trillium Lily – Jean Andrianoff
Other plants bear the Trinity symbolism too, from their three-petaled flowers. In Europe, the wild pansy, or johnny-jump-up, viola tricolor, was also widely known as Trinity Flower – for the three colors of each of its flowers, from which familiar present-day larger pansies blooms have been bred with one or two colors usually dominant.
hybrid pansy
An interesting aspect of bred pansy strains is that though one colour may dominate, the other two colors are always preserved at the centers of the blooms. Thus, pansies of yellow dominance may be seen to symbolize the glory of the heavenly Father; purple: the sorrows of the incarnate Son; and white: the light of the empowering Holy Spirit – with the other colors in each instance always retained at the center, serving to remind us that whenever one of the Persons of the Trinity is present the others are present also, in the unity of the Godhead of love. What a delight to walk around my pansy display and examine this aspect of their beautiful sunny faces.
Aloe Vera – a Different Trinitarian Symbol
I was amazed to discover that Aloe vera, that great healing plant, also known as a miracle plant, burn plant, first aid plant, lily of the desert, jelly leek, plant of life and plant of immortality because of its many uses can also be seen as a symbol of the Trinity. Its Trinity symbolism refers to the characteristic successive emergence of new foliage spears from the base of young plants in groups of three – first two beginning spears, and then a third one between them – reflecting the emergence of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son in the interior of the Trinity.
Aloe vera
Today I discovered that the strawberry plant with its beautiful serrated tripartite leaf was another plant used to teach about the Trinity.
Strawberry leaf
There are many other plants that have Biblical significance – some of them because they are mentioned in the Bible, others because they have been associated with various aspects of the Biblical story, and now I find that every time I look at a flower or the arrangement of new leaves on a plant that I am looking for that trinitarian pattern. How about you? When was the last time that you looked intentionally at a plant with the hope of once more finding the imprint of our Triune God?
Maybe you don’t get as excited about garden plants as I do, but perhaps there are other symbols that speak to you of the nature of God and encourage you to draw close and worship. Even our finger with its three bones was used as a representation of the Trinity by Celtic Christians as is evident in this Celtic prayer.
I love connecting the symbols of our world and daily life to the biblical story and encourage you to do so too. If you have never done this before or even if you have, I encourage you to join us on Saturday, June 5th for our Sacred Summer retreat where we will explore other fun symbols through which we can enrich our relationship with God.
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