In Honor of International Day of Peace, a poem by Ana Lisa De Jong —
We were meant to grow up
climbing rungs to heaven.
We were meant to grow out
expansive as yeast rising.
We were meant to grow inwards,
increasing in love and wisdom.
We were meant to grow out beyond
our old ways of living.
Shedding skins as
clothes grown long too tight.
We are meant to learn grace
as something not heavy,
for it always being a gift renewed
and re-given.
We are meant to stop
condemnation, judgement, anything small.
Cease from all that makes us smaller
than what we are now.
For we are growing up,
and giving up,
the old receding
like the sun behind the hills.
And the love in us expanding
out beyond ourselves,
so that we might not recognise
who once we were.
And so it should be,
love in us ever expanding
until all we see
is love in all.
by Christine Sine
From the bedrock of being comes action. These are the words that came to me during my daily time of contemplation a couple of days ago.
The last couple of weeks have provided rich times of contemplation and replenishment for me as I focused on the need to be rather than the dire to do. . I feel as though my soul has been renewed as I have read Henri Nouwen, made apple cider, listened to my friend Mark Pierson, drunk my own cups of tea and taken long walks with our dog Goldie.
Now however it is time to move out of my chair and get involved. This replenishment, this state of being provides the foundation, the bedrock from which action must spring and there is a stirring within me as I realize my soul is getting ready for action.
But what does my soul long to do? What pulls at my heart calling me to action?
Climate strike, climate change, climate disaster. These are the things that eat at my soul and say “do something”. I cannot watch the young people crying out for changes to our destructive use of the earth’s resources or follow the path of disastrous weather events like Hurricane Dorian and tropical storm Imelda without knowing that I need to respond.
Do something my soul is crying. Let the seeds planted in your soul blossom and produce fruit. Responding to the climate crisis is one of the main contexts in which we need to follow Jesus today. This paraphrase of a sentence from an article I read this week says it all. We cannot claim to serious followers of Jesus unless we take seriously what is happening to our planet and to the future of our young people/
We Can Always Do Something More.
I am not sure who said these words this week but they keep revolving in my mind and I know they are for me. The small community we call the Mustard Seed House has always worked to live sustainably and lightly on the earth but I know there is far more that we could and should be doing. This is a crisis, a crisis that shows we have not be good stewards to the earth that God asks us to take responsibility for. We might feel we are already engaged in these issues but we can always do something more – advocates can become practitioners and vise versa. Those engaged at home can also engage at work and at church and in their communities. There is always something more we can do without exhausting ourselves and suffering from burnout.
So what can we do? Here are my suggestions of ways that all of us can engage.
Read and Listen
I have read some great articles this week on how to respond. I have tried to make these my focus rather than the bad news articles that tell me constantly how dire the situation is. Many of us are aware of that and we don’t need to hear it again. Then Ways My Family Tries to Love The Planet is a great place to start, though I must confess it had me jumping up and down wanting to say – Read The Gift of Wonder because a lot of what it suggests are ideas that I talk about in my book – cultivating awe and wonder, curiosity, delight and thanksgiving are all emphasized. Above all they bring us from a place of hopelessness and fear to one of joy and engagement.
Other good voices to listen to are the native people who have been concerned about creation care and our irresponsible use of the planet for many years. Randy Woodley is a good person to start with. If you want a theological approach try Shalom and the Community of Creation
If you want something lighter – maybe a story to share wit h your kids The Harmony Tree is a great place to start.
What are you reading that girds your feet for action in the current climate crisis?
Ground Yourself in Good News Theology
I think we easily forget that Jesus brings us good news – not just for us but for our neighbors and for our planet. God’s end game is not some fiery apocalypse but a restored creation and a renewed people. In Christ all will be made new. The beautiful imagery of the Holy city at the end of time in Revelation 22 is of a garden city with the river of life flowing through it lined by trees that produce fruit in every month of the year and whose soothing leaves provide healing for the nations.
What Bible verses give you hope and renewal as you face the impact of the climate crisis in your neighbourhood and around the world?
Believe Change is Possible
I think that many of us do nothing because we are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem and we cannot see how our little contribution can make a difference. Yet it can and we don’t need to be a Greta Thunberg or a Wendell Berry for that to happen. Every time we plant a seed, decide to walk rather than drive, or cut back on our consumption of fossil fuel we are saying we care and we can make a difference.
What small things do you you could do to make a difference in your life, neighbourhood or country?
Be Inspired by the Light Bringers
Greta Thunberg has been a light bringer for millions this week and I am reminded of Isaiah 11:6 a little child will lead them. And I do feel that in this time of crisis it will be the children or at least the young people that lead us and hopefully we will be inspired by their rallying call.
There are others too that give me hope and guidance. Young Evangelicals for Climate Action is one group of young Christians that give me hope. The Evangelical Environmental Network the umbrella group for Young Evangelicals is another. Plant With Purpose is yet another. And the list goes on of Christians already involved in addressing, in their own small way the challenge of climate change.
As I listened to Geta’s speech my eyes were drawn to my copy of Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted Millions of Trees. She is another light bringer for me. I love this book, not just for its beautiful illustrations and inspiring story but also because it convinces me that ordinary people can make a difference and far more of a difference than any of us expect.
Who are the guiding lights that help you believe change is possible and we can all make a difference?
All The Spirit To Speak To you About What You Should Do.
It is not just the human light bringers that I feel are challenging me and so many around the world to move into action at this critical time. The Holy Spirit too calls to me to do something and a good place to start is by looking around at what is already happening and saying Who is God prompting me to join? You might like to start by checking out the organizations above. Or perhaps your church is already involved in environmental initiatives. Earth Ministry has a wonderful Green Congregations Initiative that provides some wonderful suggestions on things that your church can do and offers a partnership arrangement to help this happen. Our own church Saint Andrews Episcopal installed solar panels several years ago and was awarded by the Bishop of Olympia for their efforts. I am so proud of what they have done because of the prompting of the Spirit.
In what ways could you help your congregation listen to the voice of the Spirit about the climate crisis and ways they could respond?
Confront the Problem Head On
OK my friends say but you are an Enneagram 8. Of course you want to confront this head on. Of course you believe that everyone should. And it is true as a contemplative activist and an Enneagram 8, I do want to get out there and lead the charge, but if that is not you find someone who can lead the charge and follow them. Find someone who can inspire you to change and who can give you the fuel and the action steps to do so.
In what ways do you need to confront the challenge of climate change head on and who can you enlist or follow to walk with you?
Make a Commitment and Stick to It
So here is where the rubber meets the road. It is one thing to march with thousands of others who are inspired in the moment by young advocates. It is another to commit to change and stick to it. And I am guilty of this. We have talked for years of installing solar power and large rain barrels but neither have happened. And my resolve to walk more to the supermarket rather than drive has also tended to be overlooked. This I think is where we need a community that holds us responsible. (Maybe some of you will be that community for me?)
Who will keep you accountable to the changes you resolve to make?
How Would God Ask You To Respond?
Our creator will probably not ask you to do the same things that I am considering but I do ask you to prayerfully consider what is being asked of you. As a good steward and a committed follower of Jesus how will you respond to rallying call? How will you investing the future of our young people and of our planet by taking the climate crisis seriously?
Prayerfully read Then Ways My Family Tries to Love The Planet Is there a way that God is asking you to respond?
NOTE: As an Amazon Associate I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links. Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way
By Lilly Lewin
Reflecting on last week’s Gospel Reading Luke 15: 1-10
Sometimes it’s hard to see that we are Lost
And other times, it is hard to believe that we are actually Found…
That we are actually searched for and sought after by the Good Shepherd.
Why does Jesus care about me?
Why does Jesus want me in his flock when I’ve got so many problems, so many doubts, so many fears…when I fail so many times to live up to who I want to be and who I think he has created me to be.
Thankfully that’s not the economy of Jesus.
God doesn’t judge the way I do.
God/Jesus is Gracious and loving and forgives.
God searches for the lost sheep and the lost coin.
And God/Jesus doesn’t just search for the coin,
Doesn’t just leave the others to look for the Lost Sheep,
God/Jesus celebrates the Lost One when it is found.
Too often I cannot even fathom this!
Too often I cannot comprehend this amazing love, care and compassion.
As someone who has followed Jesus a very long time, I get stuck on this passage as one for
People who don’t know Jesus yet. They are the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coins of the world, not me.
Yet truly, I am the Lost Sheep
Really, I am the Lost Coin in need of finding, in need of being carried home, in need of being celebrated by my Creator.
What does being celebrated really look like?
What will it take for me to really receive that celebration?
To receive being Found?
I know from experience that sheep are very stubborn.
We had a sheep named Sally who would stomp her foot when she didn’t like something or when she felt threatened. Stubborn…
Just like I am.
So what if the lost sheep doesn’t want to go with the Shepherd?
What if the sheep thinks they know more than the Shepherd?
I think the Shepherd sits down on a rock or on a grassy hill and lets that silly sheep just be alone for awhile.
He watches her and waits for her to notice his care and his compassion and his patience.
A wise teacher named Rujon Morrison once said, “ God has manners, God doesn’t barge in, God knocks, and waits for us to open the door.” The point is that we have the handle on the door. We have the ability to open up and let God in. You and I have the ability to let God/Jesus find us and carry us home.
And not just find us, but be celebrated as one of the chosen ones, the valued ones, the cherished ones!
I want to live like this!
I want to live in the Foundness of Jesus.
As one valued and cherished. Not just as a stubborn sheep.
Let’s receive this gift!
ACTION:
After reading Luke 15: 1-10 Take some time to journal through these questions:
- It’s Foolish to leave the 99 and search for one lost sheep, yet the Good Shepherd leaves the Safe sheep to find the One who has lost it’s way. How have you felt lost lately? What things keep you feeling lost? Talk to Jesus about this.
- How have you felt found? Or Have you felt found? Do you feel celebrated by God? Would you like to be carried home and thrown a party? What would it feel like to be celebrated by Jesus? What would it take to believe that Jesus/God loves you enough to find you and celebrate you?
Buy some lamb’s wool or a toy sheep to hold in your hand to remind you that Jesus is seeking you and wants to find you. We found lamb’s wool in the pharmacy but it’s on amazon too! Use this wool or sheep as a prayer tool to remind you to pray for others who are feeling lost rather than found and need to know the love and honor of Jesus.
Find something that makes you feel celebrated and use it as a reminder that God/Jesus wants you to feel valued and celebrated and totally loved. I currently have helium balloons leftover from a party that I am using to remind me that Jesus finds and celebrates me. What is your symbol? What makes you feel celebrated? Talk to Jesus about this.
The rest of Luke 15 is the story of the Prodigal Son. (you can read it if you’d like ) Consider this quote :
“I have been meditating on the story of the prodigal son. It is a story about returning. I realize the importance of returning over and over again. My life drifts away from God. I have to return. My heart moves away from my first love. I have to return. My mind wanders to strange images. I have to return. Returning is a lifelong struggle. . . . I am moved by the fact that the father didn’t require any higher motivation. His love was so total and unconditional that he simply welcomed his son home.” Henri Nouwen
How does it make you feel to know that you are Welcomed Home and you are being looked for like a coin or a lost sheep?
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
by Christine Sine
Yesterday’s post reminded me that I have not posted harvest prayers and litanies for a long time. This one I wrote several years ago (and there are links to more as well) is my favorite and I didn’t think I needed to write a new one, especially with the abundant harvest of apples I am still working to process.
Scarlet runner beans ready for the winter
It is harvest season here in the Pacific Northwest. The tomatoes are finally ripening, the beans have dried on the vine and the apples and pears are ready to be picked. As I walk out and see the miracle of what has come from tiny seeds my heart swells with gratitude at the wonder of how God provides. each year at this time I write reflections and prayers on the harvest season, perfect to think about on my awe and wonder walks.
A few years ago I wrote this reflection: The Harvest is Plentiful But the Labourers are Few;
The year before I posted this: Praying for an Abundant Harvest
And the year before wrote this litany: God of the Bountiful – A Harvest Prayer
And my first post on this theme in 2008: The Generosity of God – Fish and Loaves for all
There is something about this season that calls forth my gratitude and thanksgiving in ways that I realize I cannot deny. And it reinforces the generosity of God and God’s expectation that we will share from this bounty.
This morning as the fragrance of our apples continues to surround me I found myself revisiting this prayer which is one that I shared in To Garden with God (still the best selling of my books) :
God we thank you for a harvest of plenty,
Small seeds that multiply to feed many,
Trees that blossom and produce abundant fruit,
Tomatoes that ripen on the vine with sweet flavour.
God we thank you for abundance overflowing,
Enough for our own needs and an abundance to share,
Enough to feed the hungry and provide for the destitute,
Enough to reach out with generosity and care.
God we thank you for seeds you have planted in our hearts,
Seeds of righteousness yielding goodness and mercy,
Seeds of love yielding justice and peace,
Seeds of compassion yielding healing and renewal.
God we thank you for the bread of heaven,
Christ our saviour planted in our lives,
Christ our redeemer growing in our hearts,
Christ your Son making us one with you.
God we thank you for the gift of life,
Like water poured out on thirsty ground,
Spring and autumn rains that revive and bring life,
A river that flows from your heart and out into the world you love.
Amen
by Christine Sine
On Saturday we harvested over 400lb of apples from our 3 semi-dwarf trees and I am stunned by the fact that all this came from a single seed planted many years ago and slowly maturing until it overwhelms us with its abundance. This is not the first time we have harvested apples from our trees but it is certainly the most plentiful harvest and maybe the first time that I have allowed myself to pause and tank God for the abundance of a seed.
These apples have already taught me many lessons and provided much food for body soul and spirit.
Over the last few days the whole house has been filled with the fragrance of apples, cinnamon and cloves as I am slowly processing some of them into apple cider. We don’t have an apple press but in many ways this is much better for me as it produces just enough bottles of cider to process in our canner each day. It is a fun and rewarding process. The problem is that I want to taste each batch to make sure it is OK and the temptation to drink more than a taste is huge.
Apple Cider Revelation
All that said, what I really wanted to share is the reflective process and the poem it has stirred within me. Each morning as I sit and pray for friends struggling with health issues, my lungs are filled with the fragrance of spices and apples. It is wonderful. It is as though the very breath of God, that fragrant, wonderful breath of life is being drawn into my lungs and throughout my body. If fills me with its fragrance and I visualize that same fragrance moving out to fill those I love who are struggling. So often we think of the fragrance of prayers rising like incense before God, yet I think it is also important to visualize them being drawn into us us as we pray and into the body, soul and spirit of those we are praying for too. Because of our prayers the fragrance of God fills them.
Prayers assisted by doodle by Kim Bale, artwork by Lilly Lewin and my mug of apple cider.
So plan a prayer time with apple cider as your guide.
As you probably are not processing apple cider at the moment I suggest you take a few apples and make a small batch of cider to guide your prayers today. (recipe below) Or purchase a bottle of cider (organic of course) and put it on to boil with a cinnamon stick and 6 cloves in it. You can also add nutmeg and allspice and make a batch of mulled cider. I know this is something many of us associate with Christmas but it is a great prompt for a special prayer time.
Fill your cup and visualize the fragrant presence of God filling you and the ones you are praying for.
Begin your prayer time with this prayer.
Apple Cider Recipe
There are many recipes online for home made apple cider, but many of them are too sweet for my taste. They also tend to use a much lower apple to water ratio and I find that using more apples gives a much tastier flavour and you don’t need to add honey or sugar. I like the slow cooker method because you don’t have to stand over it and stir it, another big plus for busy people.
Fill your slow cooker about 1/2 inch below the top with apples – about 15 medium size apples for a 6 quart pot.
Add water until the apples are just covered.
Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 6 cloves and other optional spices 1 teaspoon nutmeg and allspice
Turn cooker on low for 8 hours (perfect for overnight so that you wake up to a wonderfully fragrant house).
Mash apples with a potato masher.
Cook for another 2 hours.
Allow to cool (easier to handle).
Filter through cheese cloth, squeezing all the juice out of the cloth.
Bottle (can) – makes about 3 1/2 quarts.
It will remain good for 24 hours on the counter, 1 week in the fridge or process in a canning pot. I stored my first batch in the fridge and reheated the mixture as I make 2 batches to fill my canner. Fill 7 quart jars, screw on lids and place in canner. Cover about 1 inch above lids with water. Boil for 20 minutes. Cool and check the seals before you store. I like to keep my jars out on the counter for 24 hours to make sure they really have sealed before I store them away.
This is the first time I have done this so I am only going on what others say here but evidently this should last at least 12 months – if it gets the chance that is. It is so good that I am not sure it will last until Christmas.
There is a lot to juggle in my life at the moment. I am getting ready for a trip to Chicago in a couple of weeks and would love it if some of you can join me for one of these events. I am really enjoying the opportunities to share some of the content in The Gift of Wonder and am amazed at the responses it is eliciting. I am hearing stories of healing, grief processing, joy finding and life transformation.
The event above is at The Perch on Friday evening October 4th at 6-8pm. More details here
If you have more time I would love to see you at the all day workshop on Saturday October 5th (details below)
So come and join the fun or if you don’t live in Chicago and still don’t have a copy of the book maybe this is time to get one. As well as these two events I am preaching at Grace Covenant Church on Sunday. And if you have connections to any podcasts that might be interested in interviewing me I would love to do that too.
As an Amazon Associate, I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links.
Thank you for supporting Godspace in this way.
When referencing or quoting Godspace Light, please be sure to include the Author (Christine Sine unless otherwise noted), the Title of the article or resource, the Source link where appropriate, and ©Godspacelight.com. Thank you!