Previously published in The Ecological Disciple, this article is part of a series about the seven shifts Christians need to make to develop a more ecologically conscious discipleship.
The current ecclesial crisis is an opportunity to reassess, among other things, the Church’s understanding and practice of mission. And this work is well underway ~ by James Amadon
A recent Gallup poll confirmed the continued erosion of Christianity’s privileged place in American society: the drastic decline in church affiliation and participation that began at the turn of the millennium has not slowed down. The Church is no longer a center of social and civic life, and local congregations cannot simply open their doors and expect people to show up. This moment of ecclesial (church) crisis is an opportunity to reassess, among other things, the Church’s understanding and practice of mission. And this work is well underway.
The word “missional” has become popular in Christian thought and imagination, showing up in book titles, sermons, conferences, and even entire movements. Growing numbers of theologians and pastors are encouraging people of faith to change their understanding of mission from the specialized work of missionaries in distant lands to the work of local churches right where they are; every believer is a missionary, every place a mission field.
I think this rise of “missional consciousness” is a helpful development, as long as we are clear about what we mean by mission. Earlier in this series, in Shift #2, we noted that followers of Jesus, and the communities to which they belong, tend to focus on parts of the biblical story, to the detriment of understanding the whole. The same is true of mission.
As we consider what it might mean to be part of God’s mission in an age of ecological and ecclesial crisis, it will help to see where some current missional models fall short.
Save the Individual, Damn the Rest
Dwight Moody, the famous 20th century evangelist, is representative of Christians who emphasize the personal dimension of mission, what Protestants often call evangelism, or “saving souls.” Moody once summarized his calling this way:
“I look upon this world as a wrecked vessel. God has given me a lifeboat and said, ‘Moody, save all you can.’”
This understanding of mission sees our primary task – in some churches it is the only task – as inviting people into a personal relationship with God. This invitation tends to focus on helping people receive forgiveness, follow Jesus, and go to heaven when they die. This is an oversimplification, but not by much.
There is much about this aspect of mission to admire and embrace. Millions have come to know the grace and love of God because of the evangelistic impulse of Christians through the ages. One of my childhood friends has become a Christian as an adult. The transformation in his life is remarkable; hearing him speak of the forgiveness he has received, the peace he feels, and the wonder at how God is working in his life has been energizing to my own faith. He is a living example of 1 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.”
But this approach often ends up privatizing faith and spirituality in ways that reduce religion to personal faith and empowerment. Churches that emphasize this form of mission often look at non-Christian individuals, communities, and cultures as completely depraved, and see the non-human world as valueless raw material created for human use and consumption. The world is seen like Moody’s vision, as a “wrecked vessel” from which to rescue “the lost.”
My friend’s church, for example, has no missional vision beyond bringing individuals to faith and giving them tools to grow their personal relationship with God and to invite more people into the faith. There is little awareness that God is concerned with alleviating social suffering or reconciling broken communities. There is no sense that the world God made is fundamentally good and part of God’s reconciling work. My friend’s faith is, at the moment, limited to practices that help him feel close to God and to strategies that encourage his friends and family come to believe as he has. There is more to mission than this.
LEEANN CLINE / UNSPLASH
End Injustice, Save Society
Despite those churches narrowly focused on personal evangelism, most followers of Jesus have understood that works of compassion and mercy are essential aspects of biblical mission. Throughout the last two millennia, Christians have cared for the sick, clothed the naked, visited those in prison, and fed the hungry. And there have been many people along the way who have called us to see that this social dimension of mission must include the pursuit of justice, which addresses the fundamental conditions and systems that create and perpetuate suffering and inequality. In the United States, we have figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., who called the nation (and Christians) to pursue racial and economic justice, and often rooted his vision in the language of salvation and new creation.
“The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community. It is this type of spirit and this type of love that can transform opposers into friends…It is an overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. It is the love of God working in the lives of men. This is the love that may well be the salvation of our civilization.”
King lived and died for this vision of beloved community, one in which social injustice is overcome by the reconciling love of God to change both individual hearts and the complex systems of society. Those who have embraced this vision understand that Jesus died not just to reconcile us to God, but to one another as well (see Ephesians 2:14-18). It is a mission that is rooted in an expansive understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation that calls followers of Jesus to actively work for justice.
In the last 60 years, however, we have come to see that this mission is not expansive enough, both in terms of what our faith and our planet require. I have often thought that if King had not been killed, he would have broadened his definition of the beloved community to include our non-human neighbors. I believe he would have realized that the “salvation of our civilization” is dependent on including environmental justice and care for the earth within our sense of mission. This is the vision we need today: an “ecological mission” that integrates the personal, social, and more-than-human aspects of God’s reconciling work.
Ecological Mission: Cultivating Life in the New Creation
Mission is oriented toward a vision of the future as it could and should be. For the personal evangelist, it is a world of people who live in the love and grace of God. For the social reformer, it is a beloved community reconciled with one another. For the ecological disciple, it is these things and more: a healed creation in which all things are reconciled and made new. Note how the following passage from Colossians 1 encourages us to see the personal, social, and ecological dimensions of God’s work in a vision of comprehensive reconciliation.
“For in [Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross (See also Isaiah 65; Romans 8:21; Ephesians 1:9-10).”
This is what ecological disciples long for, pray for, and work for. We are to be agents of reconciliation within the interconnected and interdependent world we live in, partnering with God to cultivate peace among people, communities, and creation.
It is an exciting, and potentially overwhelming, mission. Where do we begin? Here are three ways to begin.
#1 – Learn From Traditions that Practice Ecological Mission
A great way to further our understanding of ecological mission work is to learn from those who already practice it. For instance, I have learned a lot from Celtic, Anabaptist, Orthodox, and Franciscan Christian traditions, as well as from Native American followers of Jesus. All of these traditions invite us to consider a more expansive vision of Christian life and mission. The gifted and accessible Orthodox theologian Elizabeth Theokritoff puts the invitation this way:
“If the large-scale destruction of God’s creation came only with a narrowing of the Christian vision and the growing fragmentation of the Christian world, this suggests that the fullness of the Christian vision might well be able to point us to a better path.”
I have also learned from other religions, movements, and organizations that practice aspects of ecological mission. In fact, working together on shared concerns is an opportunity to discover common ground and foster much needed reconciliation (more to come on this in Shift #6).
There are many books, websites, and resources that can help you connect with these traditions. If you want help finding something in particular, feel free to email me (james.amadon@circlewood.online) for recommendations.
#2 – Follow Others’ Examples
It is hard to integrate the personal, social, and ecological dimensions of mission in a world that prefers fragmentation, but there are great examples out there that can inspire and instruct us. One such example is Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden, an oasis of reconciliation in the heart of Kent, WA.
Formed as a partnership between refugees, immigrants, World Relief, Hillside Church of the Nazarene, and various public companies and agencies, the garden brings together people from 20+ countries to improve access to nutritious food, build community, foster economic independence, and practice environmental stewardship. The garden also brings people into the church and introduces them to the story of Jesus.
#3 – Start Small
You do not have to start a big project to practice ecological mission. Start with where you are and what you are passionate about, and then see how you can add other dimensions. If you enjoy telling people about Jesus, make sure to include the social and ecological aspects of his life and work. If you are committed to social reform, try to see and address the ecological dimension to your issue. If you care about local environmental issues, make sure to include the human element.
Try not to do it alone – we are created for community, and that includes whatever mission work we are drawn to. Celebrate any signs of renewal and reconciliation that you see, no matter how small.
I would love to hear your thoughts and questions. Feel free to leave a comment, or email me directly at james.amadon@circlewood.online.
With you on the Way,
James
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50 Simple Ways to Care For Creation
In this episode Christine interviews Lilly Lewin about creativity and worship. Lilly is worship curator of ThinplaceNASHVILLE and freerangeworship.com. She takes worship outside the box, beyond singing, through multi-sensory prayer, experiential worship, and art. Lilly leads workshops, & creates Sacred Space experiences in the US and abroad. Author of Sacred Space with Dan Kimball, and articles in Youthworker Journal, & Curating Worship by Jonny Baker.
Lilly Lewin shares her journey into art and worship curation including the importance of incorporating art and participatory elements into worship experiences. She also explains how she creates sacred spaces and prayer stations using everyday objects. She emphasizes the need to redefine worship and highlights the value of prayer as a practice of noticing the world. Lilly and Christine discuss the use of everyday objects as prayer tools and the concept of pilgrimage. They explore different forms of pilgrimage and the importance of noticing God’s presence in the journey. They also emphasize the need to live as pilgrims in our own towns and to make worship more participatory.
Takeaways
- Art is a powerful tool for worship and spiritual expression.
- Participation is key in worship, and incorporating art engages all the senses and create a more meaningful and memorable experience.
- Creating sacred spaces and prayer stations provide opportunities for people to encounter God in a tangible way.
- Prayer is not limited to traditional settings and can be practiced throughout daily life by noticing the world around us.
Columba’s Bay Labyrinth
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Yesterday was Earth Day, celebrating a wonderful movement that began back in 1970 when protest brought together 20 million Americans—10% of the U.S. population at the time—into the streets. In response the Environmental Protection Agency was created and a wave of laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act were were enacted. This movement is now a world wide movement and there is a growing cry to make every day Earth day, to recognize that care for our planet is part of God’s mandate to all of us to be responsible stewards of all creation.
Without the first Earth Day, global action against climate change would have taken much longer—or might never have happened at all. However, there is still much more to be done. Next week together with Forrest Inslee, I will interview Brian McLaren about his new book Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for A World Falling Apart. It is a very sober wake up call that challenges all Christians for grieve over the condition of our planet while maintaining the hope that creates the courage and resilience we and our communities need to find effective solutions. Brian encourages us to begin our fight with our contemplative lives. “In the stillness new insights, comfort and ways of being often arise” he explains.
I enjoy a similar experience as I pray in the garden. In my Meditation Monday: Best Ways to Pray in Nature, I share some of the ways I engage in prayer in the garden. It is an exhilarating, nourishing and invigorating experience that draws me closer to God and to God’s beautiful creation. I will share more about this at my upcoming Spirituality of Gardening seminar on May 11th. All of us need to discover the awe and wonder of interacting with God’s good creation that these kinds of practices make possible.
On Saturday Jeannie Kendall in her post St George’s Day gave us a fascinating look at the history of dragons both in the Bible and in history. As a lover of dragon stories, I thoroughly enjoyed this. In Freerange Friday: Rediscovering Joy Lilly Lewin shared about her time at the Abbey of Gethsemane and how she finds joy in the midst of silence. On Thursday Carol Dixon’s friend Margery Tate share a beautiful litany for Eastertide. I find that reading litanies like this nourishes my soul and my spirit. I hope you do too. I must confess that my favourite post for the week was Emily Duff’s Nesting Wonder in which she shared photos of the bird’s nest on her door wreath and a poem by Padraig O’Tauma. Very uplifting!
Tomorrow we will post the 6th episode of Liturgical Rebels, a fun filled and inspiring interview with Lilly Lewin about her role as a worship curator and artist. Make sure that you are up to date on your listening before this is published. My previous guests were worship curator Mark Pierson, poet Drew Jackson, visual artist Scott Erickson, and block print artist Kreg Yingst. The following episode will be with author and activist Shane Claiborne. I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing our passionate and fiery activist friend about his protests for Gaza and life as a new father.
Next week we will retire our mailchimp account so this will be the last Godspacelight newsletter that comes via mailchimp as we switch to Substack. Many I know will heave a sigh of relief as this means that you will not receive duplicate emails in the future. I hope you enjoy the new Substack format and the added richness it brings to what I share. Thank you for those who have signed up as paid subscribers. I really appreciate your support and encouragement for my work. Don’t forget though that this weekly email will be the only place you will be able to click directly to Godspace posts. However you can still visit the website or sign up through wordpress if you want to continue receiving notifications every time something is posted on Godspacelight.
Many blessings on you as you enjoy this Earth Day:
Christ of light and life and beauty,
We come into your sanctuary
This precious place we call Earth.
We give ourselves to worship you,
Its creator, its gardener, its nourisher.
You fill it with your glorious presence.
Every flower shimmers with your love,
Every forest quivers with your light,
Every wilderness pulsates with your beauty.
God reveal yourself to us in this place
And show us your face in all creation.
Photo by greg_rosenke on unsplash
Spirituality of Gardening – A virtual retreat
On May 11 from 9:30-12:30 pm PT (check my timezone) We will discuss connections between community, spirituality and gardening. Explore the wonderful ways that God and God’s story are revealed through the rhythms of planting, growing and harvesting as well as the beauty of nature. This webinar is for anyone who admires the beauty of God’s good creation, likes to walk in nature, sit by the ocean or just relax and listen to the birds in the trees. It is based on Christine Sine’s popular book, To Garden with God and each participant will receive a digital copy of this book.
by Christine Sine
Creation sings, giving glory to God. It’s easy to imagine this while out hiking in majestic mountains or watching the explosion of color as the sun sets over the ocean. But it happens all around us, every day, every moment, if only we’re alert enough to notice. One way to hone our sense of wonder as we join with creation in praising our Creator is to discover this symphony of worship in our own backyards or neighborhoods. or local parks and green spaces. Even a concrete jungle has greenery popping up between the cracks. It’s Earth Day, and many of us are wondering how to best celebrate. Getting out into creation to pray might be the way.
The garden is my sanctuary and, in it, God beckons me to draw near. However the suggestions below could easily be applied to your favourite park, nature walk, beach or even to an urban walk where you notice the “weeds” growing up through concrete or in vacant lots.
Last week I shared a couple of possible practices for walking through nature and alighting our lives more fully with the presence of God in nature. Lectio Tierra and Leaf Rubbing are some great ways to help us pray as we enter God’s world. However there are lots of other ways that the garden, neighborhood walks and forest wandering can stir us to pray.
Experiencing nature with all of our senses can provide doorways into this ongoing celebration of God.
Lectio Tierra: This was the focus of my post last week. This is really a simple way to pray that works well in the garden, in the neighborhood, or surrounded by nature in a forest. In the garden I simply wander around asking what God would like to speak to me through. It could be the splashing of birds in the birdbath, a particular flower or vegetable, or a worm wriggling around in the moist soil. The point is to find that element in the garden that seems to catch your attention, stop and take time to observe it. Try to discern its story. Discover the intersections of that story with your own, and sit with this common message from God shared with another of God’s creation.
Star Gazing: There’s something special about going outside on a cloudless and moonless night and looking up into the heavens. This is a delight that many discovered during the COVID lockdown when we were not allowed to wander far from home. Unfortunately in the city the lights often obscure the night sky, but if you have the opportunity to get out into the country for an overnight stay, take advantage of the darkness when the stars seem to pop out of the sky. I always feel so small and yet so awe-struck by wonder sitting under this bejeweled canopy. Even images of the sky and particularly the incredible images from the James Webb telescope are also helpful ways to enter into this kind of prayer experience. They fill us with awe and wonder at the immensity of of our God.
Lilac in the garden
Enjoy the smell of Fragrances: It’s not just the stars that compel my thoughts toward God. Scents from all around the garden flood my nostrils with a banquet of goodness. Some fragrances are most powerful in the morning, others after rain, others in the evening. Wander round the garden or through the neighborhood at different times of the day and evening your senses attuned to the fragrances around you. Today I walked out and smelt the lilac blossoming outside my office window. Its heady fragrance only seems to last for a few days but how intoxicating it is during that time.
Go out and smell the flowers around you. Which ones are particularly appealing to you? Which ones make you wrinkle your nose in disgust? As I do this I’m reminded of a passage from the Revelation to John: “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand”. Indeed, the whole creation seems to join in my prayer, and that in itself fills me with wonder. Does God love all the scents in the garden or is it just the fragrant ones that rise like incense? I think all of them are like incense. After all some animals and insects are attracted by what think smells awful. Learning to appreciate the full range of scents in the garden and comparing them to our prayers, some of which I think might “smell bad” too is something to contemplate.
Releasing Fragrance with Touch: I love to meander the garden touching various plants as I go. Brushing up against the lavender or the rosemary, my senses are engulfed in a wonderful fragrance while running my hands through the hyssop yields a skunk-like odor. Not something I like to do very often. The Apostle Paul talks about our lives being an aroma to the world around us:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 2 Cor. 2:14-16
Personally I’d prefer to smell like lavender to the world rather than the skunky smell of hyssop. “Lord, make my life a pleasing fragrance to those around me.”
While rubbing my fingers over the tomato leaves, a very strong and distinctive fragrance is released. It’s not pleasing, nor is it offensive. It’s an odor that reminds me of the oils in the leaves that protect against aphids and other pests. I’ve never thought of odors as protection and yet in the garden there are many. “Lord, how can my life be the oily balm that radiate a sense of protection or peace in my neighborhood?”
Savour the Taste: A walk round the garden in the summer in particular can provide a smorgasbord of tastes for our enjoyment. The cherry tomatoes which I plant by the gate especially for this purpose, beckon every time I walk by. “Taste and see that the Lord is good” says the psalmist in Psalm 34:8. Tasting fruit, flowers and leaves as we wander is a wonderful way to savour the goodness of God and give thanks for the wonder of God’s presence around us.
Praying Barefoot: If you don’t have bark dust all over your garden or prickly leaves like from a holly tree, this is a fun way to get out of a praying funk. Walking barefoot can be very therapeutic. Evidently, as I discussed in my article The Spiritual Practice of Walking Barefoot, it not only improves our balance and body alignment but strengthens our muscles and helps our brains develop. It anchors us in the earth from which we are created and for which we are responsible. Shed your shoes and socks and slowly walk through the garden. What do you feel? Sauntering through the soft, cool grass you might be reminded to pray for those who live in harsh climates and rarely experience this kind of comfort. A sudden poke by an unnoticed stick might prod you to recall an area of pain or brokenness in your life or a relationship that needs healing. Pray for wisdom and pray for avenues and opportunities to bring healing. What are the textures you feel as you wander through the garden? How do they relate to other areas of your life? Bring these things to God in prayer. If you want a more detailed example of this,
Pray While You Weed. So much of what we do in the garden is done on our knees, in the position of prayer and weeding is a great exercise to encourage us to pray. Each weed I pull reminds me that there are still weeds in my life and that of my neighbours that need to be pulled. When the soil is healthy and full of nutrients or covered by a good layer of mulch they are much easier to pull too. Maybe our lives are the same. When we are spiritually healthy and well covered with the goodness of God the “weeds “in us are easier to pull too. Weeding is therapeutic, enriching and nourishing for our souls.
Death and Dying: At this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, most of the plants in the garden are coming to life with great vim and vigour. However it will only be a few months before they begin to fade. There is a cycle to all of life, and far too often we avoid admitting that we, too, are a part of that cycle. Wandering into the garden I notice at once the sunflowers. Towering over the summer garden like golden-crowned princes, they seem to make the garden glow. But during this season, that brightness is beginning to fade, like the grandfather whose spark and wit still brightens a room even though worn around the edges. Full flowers dazzling in their brilliance is what I want to see. The fading flowers remind me that life, here, has its limits. Many lessons can be found in one plant.
- Why is it that I have trouble enjoying the full cycle of life?
- Is there something in death I need to embrace to be fully alive?
- What does the presence of flowers from a single plant, some just begging to bud, others in full bloom, and still others starting to fade…
- what do they have to teach me about God?
- what do they reveal about the beauty of generational diversity?
- which flower am I on this plant and how do I feel about that?
This is but one example of exploring our own mortality in all its beauty and brevity by intentionally praying in the garden.
These are my top ways to pray in the garden. What have you tried?
(Note this post is adapted from one written several years ago by Andy Wade.
Join me May 11th 9:30-12:30 PST for a virtual retreat Spirituality of Gardening to learn more about praying in the garden. We will discuss connections between community, spirituality and gardening. Explore the wonderful ways that God and God’s story are revealed through the rhythms of planting, growing and harvesting as well as the beauty of nature. This webinar is for anyone who admires the beauty of God’s good creation, likes to walk in nature, sit by the ocean or just relax and listen to the birds in the trees. It is based on Christine Sine’s my book, To Garden with God and each participant will receive a digital copy of this book. Register here.
This virtual retreat will help reconnect us to the wonder of a God who is all around us in the natural world. We will discuss not only how the life, death and resurrection is lived out in the garden, but also how to enter into the wonder of God through creative practices like contemplative nature walks, Lectio Tierra, creating a leaf rubbing, walking barefoot, and others. This will be a fun, instructive and interactive session. I hope you will join us.
George of Lydda was a 3rd century martyr, a Roman soldier killed for his refusal to renounce his faith and better known as St George. He is the patron saint of England, but also of Georgia and Ethiopia. Despite little being known about his life, he is of course the subject of the legend of St George and the dragon, which is variously expressed, but centred around a dragon which is terrorising a city, and is appeased only by sacrifice. Having run out of possibilities, the king’s daughter is to be sacrificed. Enter St George, who saves the girl by killing the dragon with a lance. The concept of dragons however dates back much further. The first mention is thought to be on a clay tablet 4000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia. The word is usum-gal – literally big snake.
Although it is unclear how accurate this is – in case any of you reading this are cartographers – it is widely assumed that in ancient maps, where it was unknown what was there, but it was thought to be frightening, the map would simply be marked ‘here be dragons’.
Dragons of course represent different things in different cultures. This year is the Chinese year of the dragon. In Chinese folklore and culture the dragon again signals great strength, but is understood in positive terms, controlling typhoons and floods. The dragon is celebrated with stunning festivals and artwork. What all presentations of dragons share is the concept of great power, but more frequently than not, is depicted as frightening.
In the King James translation of the bible, the word dragon appears 21 times. Now those words are translated differently: at that point what we would now call large reptiles were described as dragons. In the Old Testament, we have the Leviathan, the sea serpent which we find mentioned in the Psalms, Job and Isaiah. Sea serpents featured prominently in the mythology of the ancient near East, and it was common in early religions to have battles between the sea monster, the creator of chaos, and a hero or god who defeated them and created order. In Psalm 74, God the King is depicted as defeating the Leviathan. In the interests of fairness – usually Leviathan is negative, but in Psalm 104, which celebrates creation, the Leviathan is shown as frolicking! In Job 41 there is an extraordinary description of the Leviathan which suggests both the subjection of it and certainly a high degree of respect for it.
In Revelation 12 we read of a dragon who tries to attack the Messiah, against whom the dragon is implacably opposed. At the end of the chapter the dragon is not fully defeated, but standing on the seashore – which in Hebrew thinking stood for the forces of chaos and disorder – bringing an added significance to Jesus calming the storm. By the end of Revelation, the dragon is finally defeated and because of this there is a new heaven and earth, and the wonderful declaration that, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Nancy Rockwell in a moving blog about John chapter 11 (Jesus, Dragonslayer | Nancy Rockwell (patheos.com) speaks of Jesus as the dragonslayer, defeating the dragon of death not with a lance but with his tears. Later he takes the place of sacrifice to the ‘dragon’, refusing the sword wielded by Peter but using only the power of compassion: for the soldiers who did not know what they were doing, for the renegade rebel beside him, for his bereft mother. All death’s raging cannot harden his heart. And among others Mary Magdalene in her tears, the couple on the road to Emmaus in their despair, and Thomas with his honest need to see, all discover that death is defeated. He is the rescuing Christus Victor.
So perhaps on this St George’s day, we would do well to remember that the ultimate ‘dragon’ of death has been destroyed, bringing us the gift of life, not with a lance, but by the loving sacrifice because of the extraordinary love of a God who refused to abandon us to our fate.
Gift of Wonder Online Retreat
This online retreat is based on Christine Sine’s latest book The Gift of Wonder, but with much more! Going deeper into a discovery of new depths of awe to draw us closer to God. I invite you to reawaken your inner child and rediscover the depths of awe and wonder that reconnect us to our passionate God who delights in life, celebrates with joy and exudes a sense of awe and wonder. This interactive process will have us remembering our childhood stories, doodling for fun, painting on rocks and and relearning the awe and wonder of nature walks, joyspot sightings, compassion games and exercises that enable us to delight in God in new and creative ways. This course is offered for 180 days of access.
It’s the middle of April and I’m sitting at the Abbey of Gethsemani with a fan blowing on me. This week the temperature has gotten up to the low 80’s and 70’s at night! Much too hot for this cool weather girl and very different from my usually abbey visits that take place in January or February each year. It’s a bit later than I normally get here because I missed getting my reservation in and I had a couple of other trips that came up in the first part of this year.
So here I am in the middle of Spring with the dogwoods in full bloom and on a week that happens to be very warm. ‘
Things tend to be a bit louder in warm weather even when it’s a silent retreat.
They are already cutting the grass and weed eating around the property.
Everyone is outside rather than in their rooms.
The birds are out in full force and really loud at dawn and dusk!
I love the variety of birds here, from gold finches to cardinals to wood peckers!
And I’ve been enjoying the antics of the chipmunks.
Even saw a ground hog who has taken up residence in the stone wall in the Abbey garden.
The purple irises are in bud and many of the trees already have their leaves.
Signs of Resurrection are everywhere!
One of the things about practicing silence..you begin to notice things that you might normally take for granted. Like the different bird songs, or the traffic or the sound of ice in a glass. The smells of lilacs and freshly cut grass or the honeysuckle. Even though it’s been warm, Jesus has provided us with beautiful clouds and glorious wind and even a thunderstorm that helped cool things down a bit. Yesterday, I took my blanket outside and laid on the ground. I actually took a nap outside! I’m not sure how long it’s been since I just laid on a blanket in the grass outside!
I let the sunshine and the breeze blow over me and I just enjoyed being present.
One of my practices when I come to the Abbey is to go through my photos on my phone and take a look back at my last year. Before I got very far, I noticed a photo of my STAR WORDS for 2024. Maybe you chose a word for the year or selected a STAR WORD at Epiphany in January. At thinplace, we usually get three words. And honestly, I’d totally forgotten what mine were for this year.
JOY
CREATE
CELEBRATION
What is your word for the year? Do you remember? How is God inviting you to notice or live into this word or words?
I started with JOY….
What things bring me JOY…
I made a list
A long list…here are just a few joy items
Dark chocolate
Blue jeans
My Love Heals baseball hat
Being outside
Taking Walks
Hugs
My husband and kids
Sunsets, vistas, rocky seascapes
Scotland
Hot tea and good coffee
Jon Batiste’s music
Book stores
Art, art museums, art supplies
Creativity
Creating beautiful spaces
Hanging out with good People
Hospitality
Flowers, especially tulips and sunflowers
What things are bringing you joy? Take some time to notice. Make a list and keep adding to it this week!
Honestly, Joy has been hard to find in 2024. I’ve been pre-dreading the election and all the political conflict in America. And add in all the wars and needless killing happening and JOY seems trite.
But JOY happens to be the
second fruit of the Spirit… the one just after LOVE. Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
AND Jesus said in John 15:
“I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
READ THE WHOLE TEXT: What do you notice?
“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.
16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17 “But remember the root command: Love one another.
For me, I can experience and know Joy because I am greatly loved by the God of the Universe! I am not alone!
goldfinch
We can have JOY even in the middle of the crap of life, because we have Jesus’s love surrounding us. I’m learning to surround myself in his love. To picture that love like a blanket that covers me or a shield that protects me and cannot be taken away. His love never leaves me, even when I drop the shield or throw off that blanket for whatever reason.
I want the JOY of Jesus in me. I want to experience more of this JOY! How about you?
This week Jesus showed me his JOY in a beautiful yellow butterfly and in the little yellow gold finches around the abbey garden. I think God will start using the color yellow to remind me of JOY just as God has used the color pink to remind me of God’s love.
What color would represent JOY to you? Take a walk or play with some paints or crayons and notice what brings you JOY!
Create a playlist that expresses JOY to you. I suggest you start with some Jon Batiste! Maybe Freedom Or Butterfly
I started practicing silence over 20 years ago and it has saved my life and my faith….to take time out to be still and quiet and listen to Jesus away from the noise of every day life. It is a gift I do not take for granted.
Take some time away from your phone this weekend and practice silence. You might start with a walk without your earbuds. Maybe go somewhere you don’t usually walk or a place where you will have more beauty and less traffic. You might get out a blanket and lay outside in the grass. Notice what you hear, what you see, what you smell. What else do you notice? What does Jesus use to speak to you? What brings you Joy in the silence? Don’t be afraid of the noise in your head. Just let it go and focus on somethings that brings you life/joy/peace. I’d love to hear about what you discover!
books i’m reading
Father Ed Hays Chasing Joy: Musings on Life in a Bittersweet World is helping me explore Joy. Father Hays helps me see and experience God in many joyful ways. I also flew through Fr. Richard Rohr’s Dancing Standing Still! this week and it has brought me hope! I highly recommend them both.
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
compiled by Margery Tate, a friend of godspacelight writer, Carol Dixon
Call to Worship (inspired by Luke 24:13-35)
O God, you come to us in unexpected places, in a crowded
room, behind closed doors.
You come to us on dusty roads, as we go from place to place
and in conversations with loved ones.
You come bringing us peace, where there is no peace.
You come bringing us hope when everything seems hopeless
You come bringing us courage when we are afraid.
Come and be among us now, and in every place where we
are, open our eyes to see you, and open our hearts and to
know you.
In the name of the Risen Christ we pray. Amen
Ann Harbridge, DLM, Minister at Trinity Centennial United Church in
Rosemont, Ontario.
Hymn – Lord Jesus Christ
Reflective Prayer (inspired by the events in Luke 24:13-35)
Easter is not an event that has occurred, it’s an adventure that
has begun; not a place that we have visited but a path on
which we stand.
A story not complete, but unfolding, with the promise of new
life, for you and me and for all people, in all places.
Today we continue the journey, we re-enter the story to
explore our questions to uncover our doubts, to face our
nagging need.
We walk the path of two who travelled a dusty road
wrapped in confusion and despair two who shared the
company of a stranger voicing their pain, airing their fears and
in the listening, heard words of hope and promise, and in the
eating, received true bread of life
Today we re-enter the story with expectation that Christ
will also reveal himself to us
Risen Christ
walk with us this day
be our companion and guide
be our teacher and friend
be our host and servant
bringing your gifts of faith, peace and hope
and deep joy as always Amen.
Craig Mitchell (2005) & Iona Community. In “Emmaus Worship Service,” posted
on Mountain Masala: Exploring Spirituality, Culture, Media and
Cuisine.
As you say the prayer below remember all
Companions/your family and friends, by name
O God, here we are, all devoted to you; make us according
your heart.
Reflect on the two who met with Jesus on the road to
Emmaus.
Picture Jesus coming alongside our fellow Companions/family
and friends in every place where they are.
Picture Him coming alongside you right now as you continue
to worship Him.
Enjoy His loving presence and hear His word of peace
Hymn – Wise men seeking Jesus
The Servant Girl at Emmaus
(inspired by Luke 24:13-35)
She listens, listens, holding
her breath. Surely that voice
is his—the one who had looked at her, once, across the
crowd, as no one ever had looked?
Had seen her? Had spoken as if to her?
Surely those hands were his, taking the platter of bread from
hers just now?
Hands he’d laid on the dying and made them well?
Surely that face—?
The man they’d crucified for sedition and blasphemy.
The man whose body disappeared from its tomb.
The man it was rumoured now some women had seen
this morning, alive?
Those who had brought this stranger home to their table
don’t recognize yet with whom they sit. But she in the kitchen,
absently touching the wine jug she’s to take in, a young Black
servant intently listening, swings round and sees the light
around him and is sure.
Denise Levertov (1923–1997). Journey with Jesus.
Prayers of Intercession
When we are stumbling in desolation and despair, our
dreams shattered, and all hope lost
Risen Christ, meet us on that lonely road.
When we cannot recognise any trace of your
presence, and are baffled by confusion and our failure
to understand
Risen Christ, speak words of comfort and peace.
In our homes, our work and our everyday living,
in our shared meals and welcome of the stranger.
Risen Christ, show yourself in the breaking of
bread.
When we are delighted by startled recognition,
and overwhelmed by joy in your presence,
Risen Christ, send us out with confidence and
hope to share the good news with friends and
neighbours.
Hymn – Now the green blade rises
Words of Commission and Benediction
(inspired by Luke 24:13-35)
Let us go now as those who have met with Christ
in the morning of this day.
Let us go now as those who hearts have burned within them,
as the Scriptures were explained.
Let us go now as those
who have been touched by resurrection.
May the blessing of God
be upon you, body, mind and spirit,
as you leave this place,
Ann Siddall, and posted on the website of the Stillpoint Spirituality
Centre. http://www.stillpointsa.org.au/
Day 4 Living in the Presence of God
The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence
Walk with God in simple faith,
with humility and with love,
and try diligently to do nothing
that would displease Him.
Make it your goal to persevere,
simply and solely in His presence
maintaining
habitual, silent, and secret
conversation of your soul with God.
And trust, that when you have done all you can do,
He will do what is best for you.
Blessing
And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all
evermore. Amen.
Prayers for the Day, Prayer Cards – Download
These beautiful prayer cards include 11 prayers by Christine Sine and crafted by Hilary Horn with watercolor succulent design and contemplative imagery are available for download. Each card provides a prayer on the front with a photo for reflection as well as a scripture and suggested meditative response to the prayer. Allow yourself to relax, refresh, and commune with God through each prayer. Immerse yourself in the reflection as you give yourself space to enter into God’s presence.
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