by James Amadon
This is the fourteenth installment of a series on Exodus written by James Amadon for The Ecological Disciple. Take a minute to read Exodus 24 HERE. You can access the whole series HERE. We will walk through the text and highlight aspects that are not typically noticed, and then conclude with a few themes for ecological discipleship.
Consecrated on the Mountain
The Israelite community has been camping in the shadow of Mount Sinai, on which the divine presence has settled in an unsettling manner, complete with thunder, lightning, and a warning not to come too close. But in addition to this display of transcendent glory, God has drawn near to Israel and spoken ten key words (what we call the ten commandments), followed by specific examples of how to apply these commands to everyday life. These instructions constitute a formal invitation to a communal vocation of serving God and furthering God's purposes for creation. When Moses shares God's words and commands with the people, their response is unequivocal: "Everything the LORD has said we will do."
Moses proceeds to construct a place for worship at the foot of the mountain. He builds an altar and sets up twelve stone pillars to represent the twelve tribes. Animals are sacrificed, and their blood is splashed on the altar and sprinkled on the people. While we no longer practice animal sacrifice - rightfully and thankfully - we can appreciate the physical, visceral, and psychological nature of the moment. There is nothing tame or tepid about this worship service. At the foot of a rugged mountain pulsating with divine energy, in a wilderness where life and death are ever-present realities, a blood-speckled people hear the word of God and respond with one voice, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders move higher up the mountain, where they have a direct encounter with God. No words are spoken; it is a moment of awe, wonder, and, I assume, trepidation. The written description is terse and limited; we are only told what God's footstool looks like. It is a real encounter, but it is also shrouded in mystery. Although God had warned them against coming too close, they are not endangered during this encounter. In fact, we are given this short but suggestive line: "they saw God, and they ate and drank." In other words, they communed with God on the mountain.
Moses is invited to keep climbing. "For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud." If you have been following our discussions of Exodus, you will probably note another connection here to the Genesis creation story. God continues the work of creation; here at Sinai, God continues to form a people called to work with God to bring creation to its fulfillment. Moses tastes the fulfillment of this creative moment as he enters the cloud and rests in God's presence on the seventh day. We are told that Moses stays on the mountain forty days and forty nights - another biblical connection that looks back to Noah's creation-preserving experience on the ark - and looks forward to the forty-year sojourn that lies ahead of the people.
God has called, and they have answered. What might this story say to us, as ecological disciples seeking to worship and serve God in our time of great transition and upheaval? Here are two themes to consider.
Find Altars in the World
In her brilliant book, An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor articulates a longing shared by many Christians who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo. Despite the deep meaning that church-based life brought Taylor (an Episcopal priest) and her community,
"...some of us were not satisfied with our weekly or biweekly encounters with God. We wanted more than set worship services or church work could offer us. We wanted more than planning scavenger hunts for the youth group, more than polishing silver with the altar guild, more than serving on the outreach committee or rehearsing anthems with the choir. We wanted More. We wanted a deeper sense of purpose. We wanted a stronger sense of God's presence. We wanted more reliable ways both to seek and to stay in that presence - not for an hour on Sunday morning or Wednesday afternoon but for as much time as we could stand."
In a shaded area just outside my house, two logs support a stone plank that holds rocks, twigs, and moss - an altar left behind by my friends, Tom and Diane Ruebel, who were the previous owners of our home. It reminds me each day that God is present everywhere, and that worship is never meant to be centered in, or limited to, constructed sanctuaries. We need altars in the world to remind us that the whole world is an altar!
I have spent a lot of time recently near that altar, on my hands and knees, slowly weeding a walking path. As I inch along the path, pulling and digging with my hands, I am sprinkled with soil, marked by the life force of the earth and the gifts and sacrifices that make my life possible. There is a richness to these moments that is hard to articulate, a communion that is often deeper than the sanitized rituals of church life. Life feels more sacramental with dirt under my fingernails.
Finding altars in the world isn't just for individuals. Church communities can find, and create, new altars together. Many church properties have underutilized outside spaces that can become gathering places for worship and communion. Local parks can offer places to gather as well. Intentional excursions can help people begin to see the altars all around them. A church in San Leandro, CA started a ministry in 2010 called Holy Hikes, which helps people "renew their love-relationship with the earth, the universal church, and with their Creator." There are now eighteen Holy Hike chapters across the United States.
Finding an altar in the world is easy - if your eyes are open, you'll see them everywhere.
Reconnecting Ritual and Vocation
My ordination to pastoral ministry occurred on a Hilton hotel ballroom stage in Portland, Oregon. It was a deeply meaningful moment, but I wonder how the experience would have been different had it been held outside, or along the banks of the Willamette River, which runs through Salem, OR, where I was pastoring at the time. How would it have affected my vocational understanding if I had been anointed with river water alongside the laying on of hands by the community?
What I think was missing was a deeper understanding of vocation, and a more intentional connection between ritual and ethics, worship and discipleship, devotion and vocation. Or as one scholar puts it, we need to connect the "contemplative eye" with the "ethical ear." This is not just for pastors, however. We all share a common vocation to worship God and serve creation. Do our common rituals make this connection?
The scene at Sinai brings these dynamics together seamlessly and provides the framework for Israel to create an integrated life in relationship to God, one another, and the community of creation. The story can help us unlock our imaginations and create integrative experiences today. We can see, for instance, the connections between the covenant of Sinai and the new covenant begun in Jesus, who offers his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of creation. But many churches have made the ritual around this meal - what we often call Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper - overly individualistic and virtually devoid of ethical/vocational content. How might we connect the bread and wine we share to our relationship with and service to the wider creation? What would happen if we celebrated this meal outside official sanctuaries, at altars in the world? I wonder if we would feel a deeper communion with God and creation, and a renewed call to love and care for all that God has made.
In a recent episode of the Earthkeepers podcast, Wesley Willison tells the story of bringing together a group of struggling young adults for a time of healing and learning at the Farminary, Princeton Seminary's 21-acre educational farm. For their last night, they gathered for a communion meal around an outdoor table. When they shared the bread and the cup, everyone grew silent, and the only sounds were the grasshoppers, cicadas, and the voice of the person offering the elements to their neighbor. Here is one participant's reflection:
"This was the most beautiful thing ever. Why doesn't communion happen outside at a farm every second? It was so beautiful, and it was like, my heart was cracking open and the world was cracking open, and possibilities and moments together were so beautiful, and it all made sense."
https://open.spotify.com/episode/66q5gcYjf3c4UvoV5xHfey?si=jWFSXSPnQjGYGcJKVInmOw
Look for altars in the world that fill you with awe and connect you to the "More" that lies within, behind, and beyond all things. Find some companions, and let your hearts be cracked open to the pain and possibilities that this world has to offer. That is a pathway to true communion, a way forward as we follow Jesus together.
With you on The Way,
James
Feel free to email James at james.amadon@circlewood.online
Did you know that alongside Christine Sine’s book The Gift of Wonder, we have many resources available to you? The free downloadable bonus packet or beautiful prayer cards featuring prayers from the book, for example – something to hold and behold! Or perhaps you’d like to journey through the book alongside a retreat – we have that too! You can check it all out in our shop!
Consecrated on the Mountain
The Israelite community has been camping in the shadow of Mount Sinai, on which the divine presence has settled in an unsettling manner, complete with thunder, lightning, and a warning not to come too close. But in addition to this display of transcendent glory, God has drawn near to Israel and spoken ten key words (what we call the ten commandments), followed by specific examples of how to apply these commands to everyday life. These instructions constitute a formal invitation to a communal vocation of serving God and furthering God's purposes for creation. When Moses shares God's words and commands with the people, their response is unequivocal: "Everything the LORD has said we will do."
Moses proceeds to construct a place for worship at the foot of the mountain. He builds an altar and sets up twelve stone pillars to represent the twelve tribes. Animals are sacrificed, and their blood is splashed on the altar and sprinkled on the people. While we no longer practice animal sacrifice - rightfully and thankfully - we can appreciate the physical, visceral, and psychological nature of the moment. There is nothing tame or tepid about this worship service. At the foot of a rugged mountain pulsating with divine energy, in a wilderness where life and death are ever-present realities, a blood-speckled people hear the word of God and respond with one voice, "We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey."
Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy elders move higher up the mountain, where they have a direct encounter with God. No words are spoken; it is a moment of awe, wonder, and, I assume, trepidation. The written description is terse and limited; we are only told what God's footstool looks like. It is a real encounter, but it is also shrouded in mystery. Although God had warned them against coming too close, they are not endangered during this encounter. In fact, we are given this short but suggestive line: "they saw God, and they ate and drank." In other words, they communed with God on the mountain.
Moses is invited to keep climbing. "For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud." If you have been following our discussions of Exodus, you will probably note another connection here to the Genesis creation story. God continues the work of creation; here at Sinai, God continues to form a people called to work with God to bring creation to its fulfillment. Moses tastes the fulfillment of this creative moment as he enters the cloud and rests in God's presence on the seventh day. We are told that Moses stays on the mountain forty days and forty nights - another biblical connection that looks back to Noah's creation-preserving experience on the ark - and looks forward to the forty-year sojourn that lies ahead of the people.
God has called, and they have answered. What might this story say to us, as ecological disciples seeking to worship and serve God in our time of great transition and upheaval? Here are two themes to consider.
Find Altars in the World
In her brilliant book, An Altar in the World, Barbara Brown Taylor articulates a longing shared by many Christians who find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo. Despite the deep meaning that church-based life brought Taylor (an Episcopal priest) and her community,
"...some of us were not satisfied with our weekly or biweekly encounters with God. We wanted more than set worship services or church work could offer us. We wanted more than planning scavenger hunts for the youth group, more than polishing silver with the altar guild, more than serving on the outreach committee or rehearsing anthems with the choir. We wanted More. We wanted a deeper sense of purpose. We wanted a stronger sense of God's presence. We wanted more reliable ways both to seek and to stay in that presence - not for an hour on Sunday morning or Wednesday afternoon but for as much time as we could stand."
In a shaded area just outside my house, two logs support a stone plank that holds rocks, twigs, and moss - an altar left behind by my friends, Tom and Diane Ruebel, who were the previous owners of our home. It reminds me each day that God is present everywhere, and that worship is never meant to be centered in, or limited to, constructed sanctuaries. We need altars in the world to remind us that the whole world is an altar!
I have spent a lot of time recently near that altar, on my hands and knees, slowly weeding a walking path. As I inch along the path, pulling and digging with my hands, I am sprinkled with soil, marked by the life force of the earth and the gifts and sacrifices that make my life possible. There is a richness to these moments that is hard to articulate, a communion that is often deeper than the sanitized rituals of church life. Life feels more sacramental with dirt under my fingernails.
Finding altars in the world isn't just for individuals. Church communities can find, and create, new altars together. Many church properties have underutilized outside spaces that can become gathering places for worship and communion. Local parks can offer places to gather as well. Intentional excursions can help people begin to see the altars all around them. A church in San Leandro, CA started a ministry in 2010 called Holy Hikes, which helps people "renew their love-relationship with the earth, the universal church, and with their Creator." There are now eighteen Holy Hike chapters across the United States.
Finding an altar in the world is easy - if your eyes are open, you'll see them everywhere.
Reconnecting Ritual and Vocation
My ordination to pastoral ministry occurred on a Hilton hotel ballroom stage in Portland, Oregon. It was a deeply meaningful moment, but I wonder how the experience would have been different had it been held outside, or along the banks of the Willamette River, which runs through Salem, OR, where I was pastoring at the time. How would it have affected my vocational understanding if I had been anointed with river water alongside the laying on of hands by the community?
What I think was missing was a deeper understanding of vocation, and a more intentional connection between ritual and ethics, worship and discipleship, devotion and vocation. Or as one scholar puts it, we need to connect the "contemplative eye" with the "ethical ear." This is not just for pastors, however. We all share a common vocation to worship God and serve creation. Do our common rituals make this connection?
The scene at Sinai brings these dynamics together seamlessly and provides the framework for Israel to create an integrated life in relationship to God, one another, and the community of creation. The story can help us unlock our imaginations and create integrative experiences today. We can see, for instance, the connections between the covenant of Sinai and the new covenant begun in Jesus, who offers his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of creation. But many churches have made the ritual around this meal - what we often call Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper - overly individualistic and virtually devoid of ethical/vocational content. How might we connect the bread and wine we share to our relationship with and service to the wider creation? What would happen if we celebrated this meal outside official sanctuaries, at altars in the world? I wonder if we would feel a deeper communion with God and creation, and a renewed call to love and care for all that God has made.
In a recent episode of the Earthkeepers podcast, Wesley Willison tells the story of bringing together a group of struggling young adults for a time of healing and learning at the Farminary, Princeton Seminary's 21-acre educational farm. For their last night, they gathered for a communion meal around an outdoor table. When they shared the bread and the cup, everyone grew silent, and the only sounds were the grasshoppers, cicadas, and the voice of the person offering the elements to their neighbor. Here is one participant's reflection:
"This was the most beautiful thing ever. Why doesn't communion happen outside at a farm every second? It was so beautiful, and it was like, my heart was cracking open and the world was cracking open, and possibilities and moments together were so beautiful, and it all made sense."
https://open.spotify.com/episode/66q5gcYjf3c4UvoV5xHfey?si=jWFSXSPnQjGYGcJKVInmOw
Look for altars in the world that fill you with awe and connect you to the "More" that lies within, behind, and beyond all things. Find some companions, and let your hearts be cracked open to the pain and possibilities that this world has to offer. That is a pathway to true communion, a way forward as we follow Jesus together.
With you on The Way,
James
Feel free to email James at james.amadon@circlewood.online
Did you know that alongside Christine Sine’s book The Gift of Wonder, we have many resources available to you? The free downloadable bonus packet or beautiful prayer cards featuring prayers from the book, for example – something to hold and behold! Or perhaps you’d like to journey through the book alongside a retreat – we have that too! You can check it all out in our shop! 
by Carol Dixon
The time between Ascension and Pentecost in the church calendar always seems a bit of a
limbo to me. Easter has past and Jesus has 'disappeared from sight' as far as the disciples
were concerned, though they continued to meet and pray but what were they thinking? How
were they feeling?
I know how I feel in my 'between' times when I am waiting for things to happen - painkillers
for arthritis to kick in so I can continue to do my housework or to go to sleep, hospital
appointments to come through so things can move on, my blood count to rise so I can be
placed on the waiting list for the operations I need to make my life easier and less painful. It
takes faith to remember how God has worked in my life in the past and patience to believe
that everything will work out in God's good time.
And that's what the disciples seemed to be doing when they met in the upper room.
Remembering the wonderful time they had when Jesus was physically with them, pondering
on his mysterious words that he would send someone to be with them, and looking forward
to what great things would happen next. Using the time joyfully and prayerfully instead of
impatiently shouting 'Why are we waiting?'
So as you live through this limbo time between Ascension and Pentecost here are a few
things to reflect on - a couple of imaginative Meditations and a Song.
May God richly bless you in your limbo times. and grant you hope, joy and peace.
Ascension On top of the world - A disciple reflects I don’t really remember our journey. It didn’t seem to take very long, yet in a way, it went on forever. We climbed higher and higher in a mist then suddenly we reached the summit, the sun broke through the clouds, and Jesus was there with us again: our world was aglow with glory. We wanted to ask him all sorts of questions and get some answers to help us make sense of it all. All he said – as he had before – ‘I’m sending you out to spread the good news of God’s love, to everyone, everywhere.’ It didn’t seem strange at the time, it was afterwards we began to ask ourselves, ‘How can a few ordinary people change the world?’ Later he talked again of loving us, of going back to his Father – who was our Father too. I ask you, can we call the Holy Lord of all the universe, whose name was too sacred even to speak, ‘Abba’ – Dad? But because he said it, we knew it was alright. At that moment we were bathed in the beauty of God, the beauty that radiated from Jesus himself. He was so aglow with God’s love he almost shimmered. ‘Don’t forget’, he said, ‘I am always with you, to the end of time’; we could barely take it in. Then the cloud came down on the mountaintop And when it lifted, he was gone, though something of his presence remained. We see him all the time – in our mind’s eye, in our hearts, in the depths of our being, and, best of all - when we talk about him, we see Jesus in others too: in each one of us, in you. © Carol Dixon 2016 [Published by Iona wild Goose publications who are happy for it to be used with a mention of them]
Pentecost A day to remember We crept into the Upper room in twos and threes as usual not drawing attention to ourselves. We had continued to meet on the first day of the week to remember Jesus rising from the dead and how he had met with us all in the Upper Room after his resurrection, showing us his hands and his feet, sharing our simple supper of fish and bread. Peter was there - a new man since Jesus walked with him along the shore of Lake Galilee - we hadn't heard what he and Jesus talked about, not then, but he was different, lighter, as though a great weight had been lifted from him and he was freed from his shame of denying he ever knew Jesus, so we guessed it was something to do with that. He had a faraway look in his eyes too as though he bore a great responsibility and wasn't sure what to do about it; and he kept looking at John surreptitiously. As if on cue John came in, along with Mary, Jesus' mother who is with him most of the time now, her 'extra' son they call him, and finally we begin. We should have been full of joy - yesterday was Shavuot, the festival the Greek Jews know as Pentecost, the Sabbath when we celebrate Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, along with the blessing of the first fruits which was one reason we were back in Jerusalem. Yet we were subdued since this was the first time we had met for worship all together since Jesus left us to return to heaven, yet we obeyed his final instruction to stay in the city to await what was next. What was next? James, John’s elder brother started the prayer as usual – 'Our Father'…. and we all joined in the wonderful words Jesus had taught us when we asked him how we should pray – 'Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven...' and then it happened! I'm still not sure how to describe it, only that there was A strange, rushing sound, similar to wind rustling in leaves, growing louder and louder, and I noticed light dancing just above the heads of those across the room from me. The top of my own head felt hot, like the warmth of a candle flame and we all started talking at once, praising God in ways we never had before. Peter rushed to the door and threw it open, running down the outside steps into the crowds who were here for the Festival, dancing among them, laughing and crying and embracing people with joy, and we all followed - little wonder some thought that we were drunk. The rest as they say, is history. Then Peter stood on the steps and began to speak about Jesus, of his life and death and resurrection - how God sent him to save us and teach us a new way of living in God's kingdom, here and now. A learned Rabbi couldn't have explained it better. People of all nationalities heard and understood and asked to join us that day - the day the Church was born at Pentecost, the day the news of God's love for all humanity exploded across the world when Jesus' promised gift, the Holy Spirit, moved across the face of the earth, and we became the new Creation, born to share God's grace and peace with all - It felt like a birthday party. It still does. Come on in and join us! © Carol Dixon 2023
Song for Pentecost (Tune Ode to joy) Join in songs of jubilation on this happy, holy day! Join the glad commemoration for the church was born today! Friends are waiting, fearful, anxious, gathered in an upper room, watching, praying, listening, hoping for the Lord to lift their gloom. Hear the sound - surprising, sudden mighty rushing wind so strong. See the tongues of flame appearing, flickering, dancing on each one. ‘God lives in us, live and active’, let the joyful message ring: 'Welcome Spirit, here among us', through the world your people sing. © Carol Dixon 2011 (altd. 2023)
New resource! At Godspace, environmental issues and creation care are two things we are passionate about. This document is designed to help you celebrate Earth Day by making a positive impact on the environment. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental issues facing our planet, but by taking small, simple steps, we can all make a difference! Click here to download today.
Ascension On top of the world - A disciple reflects I don’t really remember our journey. It didn’t seem to take very long, yet in a way, it went on forever. We climbed higher and higher in a mist then suddenly we reached the summit, the sun broke through the clouds, and Jesus was there with us again: our world was aglow with glory. We wanted to ask him all sorts of questions and get some answers to help us make sense of it all. All he said – as he had before – ‘I’m sending you out to spread the good news of God’s love, to everyone, everywhere.’ It didn’t seem strange at the time, it was afterwards we began to ask ourselves, ‘How can a few ordinary people change the world?’ Later he talked again of loving us, of going back to his Father – who was our Father too. I ask you, can we call the Holy Lord of all the universe, whose name was too sacred even to speak, ‘Abba’ – Dad? But because he said it, we knew it was alright. At that moment we were bathed in the beauty of God, the beauty that radiated from Jesus himself. He was so aglow with God’s love he almost shimmered. ‘Don’t forget’, he said, ‘I am always with you, to the end of time’; we could barely take it in. Then the cloud came down on the mountaintop And when it lifted, he was gone, though something of his presence remained. We see him all the time – in our mind’s eye, in our hearts, in the depths of our being, and, best of all - when we talk about him, we see Jesus in others too: in each one of us, in you. © Carol Dixon 2016 [Published by Iona wild Goose publications who are happy for it to be used with a mention of them]
Pentecost A day to remember We crept into the Upper room in twos and threes as usual not drawing attention to ourselves. We had continued to meet on the first day of the week to remember Jesus rising from the dead and how he had met with us all in the Upper Room after his resurrection, showing us his hands and his feet, sharing our simple supper of fish and bread. Peter was there - a new man since Jesus walked with him along the shore of Lake Galilee - we hadn't heard what he and Jesus talked about, not then, but he was different, lighter, as though a great weight had been lifted from him and he was freed from his shame of denying he ever knew Jesus, so we guessed it was something to do with that. He had a faraway look in his eyes too as though he bore a great responsibility and wasn't sure what to do about it; and he kept looking at John surreptitiously. As if on cue John came in, along with Mary, Jesus' mother who is with him most of the time now, her 'extra' son they call him, and finally we begin. We should have been full of joy - yesterday was Shavuot, the festival the Greek Jews know as Pentecost, the Sabbath when we celebrate Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, along with the blessing of the first fruits which was one reason we were back in Jerusalem. Yet we were subdued since this was the first time we had met for worship all together since Jesus left us to return to heaven, yet we obeyed his final instruction to stay in the city to await what was next. What was next? James, John’s elder brother started the prayer as usual – 'Our Father'…. and we all joined in the wonderful words Jesus had taught us when we asked him how we should pray – 'Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven...' and then it happened! I'm still not sure how to describe it, only that there was A strange, rushing sound, similar to wind rustling in leaves, growing louder and louder, and I noticed light dancing just above the heads of those across the room from me. The top of my own head felt hot, like the warmth of a candle flame and we all started talking at once, praising God in ways we never had before. Peter rushed to the door and threw it open, running down the outside steps into the crowds who were here for the Festival, dancing among them, laughing and crying and embracing people with joy, and we all followed - little wonder some thought that we were drunk. The rest as they say, is history. Then Peter stood on the steps and began to speak about Jesus, of his life and death and resurrection - how God sent him to save us and teach us a new way of living in God's kingdom, here and now. A learned Rabbi couldn't have explained it better. People of all nationalities heard and understood and asked to join us that day - the day the Church was born at Pentecost, the day the news of God's love for all humanity exploded across the world when Jesus' promised gift, the Holy Spirit, moved across the face of the earth, and we became the new Creation, born to share God's grace and peace with all - It felt like a birthday party. It still does. Come on in and join us! © Carol Dixon 2023
Song for Pentecost (Tune Ode to joy) Join in songs of jubilation on this happy, holy day! Join the glad commemoration for the church was born today! Friends are waiting, fearful, anxious, gathered in an upper room, watching, praying, listening, hoping for the Lord to lift their gloom. Hear the sound - surprising, sudden mighty rushing wind so strong. See the tongues of flame appearing, flickering, dancing on each one. ‘God lives in us, live and active’, let the joyful message ring: 'Welcome Spirit, here among us', through the world your people sing. © Carol Dixon 2011 (altd. 2023)
New resource! At Godspace, environmental issues and creation care are two things we are passionate about. This document is designed to help you celebrate Earth Day by making a positive impact on the environment. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the scale of environmental issues facing our planet, but by taking small, simple steps, we can all make a difference! Click here to download today. 
by Christine Sine
It's a cool, overcast spring day here in Seattle with a little light rain, a welcome change after last week’s hot dry weather. Last week we planted 38 tomato plants around the house. Most went into our tomato enclosure, built specifically to keep them safe from marauding dogs. (We now have three in our community). However several more snuck into pots. I just couldn’t stop planting. One of the problems with starting from seed is that I always end up with more plants than we know what to do with. This year I have several tumbler tomatoes, specifically designed for hanging baskets. The challenge will be keeping them well watered but I always love the challenge of trying something new.
This year is shaping up to be a time of reconnection, celebration and rich hospitality with friends and family, something that both Tom and I enjoy. For that reason, in my Meditation Monday: Radical Hospitality In Psalm 23. I revisit the Biblical concept of hospitality, and will continue to do so over the next couple of months. As I said in yesterday’s post: “There is no better place to learn to listen, not to the answers in our own heads but to the unsettling questions others ask, than when sitting around the table sharing a meal.” Hospitality is a recurring theme for us on Godspace and I love the enriching posts that continue to be contributed. Many of them stretch my understanding of the wonder of God’s rich hospitality and broaden my perspectives of of what it means to be hospitable. I hope you will check out our many resources on hospitality and allow your own perceptions to be enlarged.
This last week, Lilly Lewin’s post on Ascension Day has some beautiful images and reflection on blessing. Barbie Perks reflects on the spirituality of potholes in her post Cleaning the Gutters. Make sure you watch the very entertaining video on Pothole Golf at the end. June Friesen’s post International Day of Families is also a must read.
For those that wonder where we find all these international and national celebrations that we intersperse with events on the liturgical calendar, check out International Celebration dates, or this National Days of Observance for the U.S.. I must confess I got quite distracted a few days ago looking through this list. Then I found another list for the UK and another for Australia. I had to chuckle over 2 very important observances on the Australian calendar - the Adelaide cup and the Melbourne cup - horse races that are local holidays. Fun and gambling - two favourite Australian pastimes. For New Zealand check out this list, for South Africa and for Canada. Looks as though we all have lots to celebrate. Apologies if I left your country out.
Sunday, May 28th, we celebrate Pentecost, one celebration that always challenges me to be creative. I love the idea of a Tongues of Fire Chili Cookout and Pentecost Kites that I talk about in the post Let’s Get Creative for Pentecost. There are lots of other interesting posts and resources available through our resource page. Pentecost celebrates the birth of the church and the coming of the Holy Spirit filling Jesus’ disciples with the power to go out and change the world. We also celebrate the incredible diversity of the body of Christ, which we catch a glimpse of as the spirit falls and suddenly everyone is able to understand each other – not all speaking the same language but able to understand each other in their own languages. Acts 2:10-11. Pentecost is traditionally the time that many churches pray for the peace of our world in which at times there seems to be so little cross cultural understanding. Diane Woodrow’s post for World Cultural Diversity Day has a pentecostal flavour to it. As she says: We’re not going to have to conform to a “holy homogeneous huddle” but will be able to enjoy our different hues, words, styles, etc in heaven.
The following Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate the triune nature of God. This theme was particularly important for Celtic Christians who embraced the Trinity as a family, and each human family unit (be it family, clan or tribe) was seen as an icon of the Trinity. Many of the Celtic prayers reflect this trinitarian nature.
Last year you may remember, I walked around my garden photographing all the red flowers, to give me an extra boost of pentecostal fire. I then looked for tripartite flowers and leaves as symbols of the Trinity. I documented this in last year’s post Celebrating the Trinity Using Flowers.
Let me end with this prayer written as I contemplated the Holy Spirit breathed into us by Jesus (Jn 20:22)
Spirit of God may we breathe in and hold your love within us
May we breathe out and share it with the world
Spirit of God may we breathe in and hold your peace within us
May we breathe out and share it with the world
Spirit of God may we breathe in and hold your life within us
May we breathe out and share it with the world.
Many blessings
Pentecost Resources
These are our Pentecost and Ordinary Time resources - a selection of writings, prayers, ideas, practices and liturgies for celebrating Pentecost and beyond.
Pentecost Resources
These are our Pentecost and Ordinary Time resources - a selection of writings, prayers, ideas, practices and liturgies for celebrating Pentecost and beyond.
By Megan Bollen
In times of global overwhelm or solastalgia, the simple act of picking up trash can offer us hope, and an opportunity to connect to both The Divine and our feminine nature.
For me, local river cleanups were my first exposure to intentionally picking up trash. Gathering with others around the shared desire to tend to the Earth was inspiring. Yet, it was the experience of entering a tarnished, beloved space and moving through it as a wave of healing, that piqued my spiritual attention. It was a short leap from those experiences to realize any walk with others or alone, could be an opportunity to pick up trash.
As I experimented in spontaneous, solo trash pick ups, I developed a growing awareness and appreciation for the ways it nourished my soul. As a practice, I find it similar to gardening in how it keeps my hands busy doing “good work”, while my heart can focus on prayer. It helps me get out of my head space and into my body, aligning ecological beliefs and longings with physical practice.
Anytime we interact with Earth in a tender and attentive way, we are connecting to The Divine. We see the beauty of our living planet through a necessary lens of empathy, responsibility and awe. Picking up trash as an eco-spiritual practice allows us to experience this connection as we work.
It also nurtures us in offering a chance to actively center on, and empower, our feminine nature. This is a welcome gift when we might feel separated from this part of ourselves or in need of a heightened connection to it. The feminine nature to nourish, sustain and protect life is embodied in the act of picking up trash for every human, regardless of gender identity. Its task consists of seeking out and removing environmental harm and fostering an environment where animals, plants, and humans can thrive. Being a part of this healing and restoration, gives each of us a path to return to our feminine nature.
Another way picking up trash offers spiritual nourishment is in its ability to foster hope. In a time when we struggle to see the ways our individual choices impact the collective whole, picking up trash offers a unique opportunity to see immediate results from our efforts. This satisfaction can be powerful fuel for sustaining and growing hope.
In states of overwhelm and wondering where or how to start; picking up trash can be an act of resistance to apathy. For me, it has become something I can literally reach for in times of environmental and spiritual discouragement.
In this way, picking up trash as an eco-spiritual practice, challenges my spirit to press into what our Sikh brothers and sisters call Chardhi Kala, or relentless optimism. It is difficult to see trash return again and again, but that doesn’t stop us from picking it up. We believe and hope for a better future, and we show it in our actions.
Picking up trash can of course still be just, “picking up trash”. And that alone is worthwhile. Yet, I can no longer unsee the opportunity it holds to be more for us, if, and when we want it to be.
In Practice: Go out and pick up trash somewhere important to you. While you do the work, offer prayers for human and environmental reconciliation, prayers for restoration of our polluted waterways, prayers for revitalization of plant and animal kingdoms, and prayers for bold resistance to mindsets, products, and actions that impede the thriving of life around us.
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Celtic Prayer Cards include 10 prayers inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick or contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition, along with prayers by Christine Sine and beautiful imagery crafted by Hilary Horn. Celtic Prayer Cards can be used year-round or incorporated into various holidays. Available in a single set of 10 cards, three sets, or to download.
Megan Bollen is a writer and social science instructor in Milwaukee, WI. She holds an M.A. from the University of Colorado Boulder and enjoys playing outside in all kinds of weather. Some of her favorite things to do are biking with her husband and two young children, drinking tea in the woods, and exploring new places.
Celtic Prayer Cards include 10 prayers inspired by ancient Celtic saints like Patrick or contemporary Celtic writers like John O’Donohue. A short reflection on the back of each card will introduce you to the Celtic Christian tradition, along with prayers by Christine Sine and beautiful imagery crafted by Hilary Horn. Celtic Prayer Cards can be used year-round or incorporated into various holidays. Available in a single set of 10 cards, three sets, or to download. 
by Christine Sine.
As summer approaches we gear up for a season of hospitality. Friends from Oregon and Australia have already visited and next week family from the East Coast will come to stay. Hospitality is the essence of summer for me. And it is not just the people we interact with that I am talking about. The wild creation of God embraces me with the hospitality of beauty and abundance, beckoning me to come and stay and enjoy all that God provides. What a good time to revisit the Biblical gift of hospitality, so central to the life of ancient Palestine.
Hospitality in ancient Palestine was more than a courtesy extended to friends and travellers. It was the means that villages used to determine if strangers were friends or enemies, a threat or an asset to the community. Extending hospitality by providing food, water and shelter was a way to temporarily adopt strangers into the community and hopefully convert a potential threat into a friendly alliance. Sometimes oil was poured over the head of the stranger as a sign of welcome.
It is probable that it was these customs that David referred to in Psalm 23:
Looking for hospitality inspiration? We have an entire resource page dedicated to hospitality. Find recipes and reflections on numerous hospitality topics, including Celtic hospitality, prayers, and liturgies. Click on Hospitality for more!
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. (Psalm 23:5)In this verse David is most likely not talking about God preparing a banquet for us to eat while our enemies sit around with empty stomaches drooling over the lavish food we are enjoying. This is a verse that speaks of the ancient practice of hospitality, an invitation to sit down and enjoy a meal with strangers and those we perceive as a threat, an encouragement to seek for understanding and reconciliation rather than division and hatred. What an important message for today. We live in a world of great division where there is much necessity for all of us to sit down over a meal with those we disagree with and see as a threat. As you think about this what comes to mind? What situations are you currently facing that might be defused by sitting around the table during the summer and sharing a meal? Where have you seen God prepare a feast that has brought enemies together and overcome fears and disagreements? How could you prepare a meal "in the presence of your enemies" and offer open hospitality to those you disagree with? In Jesus' day this kind of hospitality was considered more than a commandment. It was a sacred obligation, filled with the joy of serving both others and God. Those that did not extend hospitality to orphans,widows and the homeless could be rejected. Like early monastics and Celtic Christians, Jews believed that sometimes in welcoming strangers they welcomed angels into their midst. Jesus repeatedly demonstrated his joy in offering hospitality as he fed the crowds, sat down with tax collectors and shared a passover meal with his disciples. Even after his death he came back to share meals as a way to communicate his message of salvation and hope. As I thought about this today, the picture that came to me was of Jesus sitting and eating that last meal with Judas. Then I saw him get down and wash Judas's feet. He must have realized that Judas was about to betray him, but he still reached out in embrace not division. I wonder if he hoped that through this gracious act of hospitality towards him Judas would change his mind. At communion each week our priest says "All are welcome at the table" yet the welcome of God begins long before the institution of communion at the last supper. Radical hospitality is at the heart of God's creation. Every time I go out into the garden and harvest the abundance of God's provision, or walk through the neighborhood enjoying the beauty of God's world I am aware of the radical hospitality of a God who comes to welcome us all home to the kingdom banquet. Many feel surrounded by enemies in the current political climate. How do we respond in these hard times? This is not a time for complacency but for commitment, not for hate but for love, not to close doors but to open them, not for violence but for peace, not to wound but to heal, not to bring division but to inspire reconciliation. There is no better place to learn to listen, not to the answers in our own heads but to the unsettling questions others are asking, than when sitting around the table sharing a meal. And there is no better time of year to take Jesus' radical call to hospitality seriously and reach out with love not hate, seeking to build bridges not walls, to embrace compassion not conflict. Summer, with its more relaxed pace, provides time and space to listen to the voice of God more intently. It is in the place of listening that change can begin for all of us. As we move towards summer and your desire to be hospitable to friends and family, think about the people you disagree with, want to exclude or think are about to betray you. How could you reach out with radical hospitality to them in this season? Sit with your eyes closed and listen to this version of Psalm 23. What names come to mind? Perhaps it is someone like Mary, an unwed mother who could have been thrown out by her family. Or someone like the lepers Jesus healed, despised by the society around them yet welcomed by the son of God. Or the Roman soldier whose servant Jesus healed, foreigners like immigrants, refugees and those of other religions. What are the first steps you need to make to reach out in a spirit of hospitality and reconciliation? How could you embrace the radical journey of hospitality
Closing Prayer
Lord help us to listen deeply not to the answers in our own heads but to the questions others ask. Lord help us to provide environments where others can relax, express themselves and learn to listen too. We know that listening is where change begins and we all need to change. May we learn to listen deeply and see our world transformed. (NOTE: Today's post is adapted from a previous 2016 post)Looking for hospitality inspiration? We have an entire resource page dedicated to hospitality. Find recipes and reflections on numerous hospitality topics, including Celtic hospitality, prayers, and liturgies. Click on Hospitality for more! 
by Diane Woodrow
Interestingly in planning for this something else popped up and I wrote a piece around King Charles' coronation to do with cultural diversity. As a good detective says “there's no such thing as coincidences” and my QEC practitioner is always saying how things come up for a reason that we need to explore.
So what does come to mind when we talk about “cultural diversity”? What picture/image comes to mind? And what does cultural diversity look like?
Meaning according to https://www.dictionary.com/
- the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an institution: Dying languages and urbanization are threats to cultural diversity.
- the inclusion of diverse people in a group or organization: to embrace cultural diversity in the workplace.
Come the spring with all its splendor all its birds and all its blossoms. All its flowers and leaves and grasses. ~ Goodfellow
Explore the wonderful ways that God’s story is revealed through the rhythms of planting, growing, and harvesting. Spiritual insights, practical advice for organic backyard gardeners, and time for reflection will enrich and deepen faith--sign up for 180 days of access to work at your own pace and get ready for your gardening season. Spirituality of Gardening Online Course
By Lilly Lewin
Yesterday was the Feast of Ascension on the Church Year Calendar. This event in the life of Jesus has been celebrated since the 4th century but many of us haven’t ever given it much thought. You can read about it in Acts 1, but this year’s lectionary finds us in the gospel of Luke and this account is much shorter.
What do you think the blessing was that Jesus gave his disciples as he ascended?
Think about what the word “Blessing” means to you. What blessing do you need from Jesus? Want do you need/want to hear from Jesus?
BLESSING. noun
noun: blessing; plural noun: blessings
God’s favor and protection.
a prayer asking for God’s favor and protection.
”a priest gave a blessing as the ship was launched”
a special favor, mercy, or benefit
Check out the different Bible verses about blessing HERE.
Look at the quote below, what do you think? How does it feel to participate in God’s delight?
I met Meta through an online book study I did last fall. She is a mom, pastor and author who lives in Minneapolis. She writes wonderful books of blessings and poetry you can find on her website
You can discover more art to pray with in a slide show below created for our Thinplace gathering this week by Teri Valente.
ART SLIDE SHOW for The Ascension created by Teri Valente
Maybe like me, you could use some blessing today. I didn’t grow up in a family that was about blessing. We had loads of material blessings but the honor and favor that Jesus bestows is not something that happened to us as kids. I need to be reminded that Jesus is all about BLESSING ME AND YOU!
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com repost from last year.
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The Ascension of Jesus 50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. LUKE 24: 44-53WHAT ABOUT BLESSING? I had never noticed the verse “He lifted up his hands and BLESSED them.” The last thing Jesus did before he physically left the planet was to BLESS his followers. He didn’t give them a big long TO-DO list, or a set of rules they should remember, but rather he gave them a blessing!
Eric Gill 1882 1940
BLESSING meta carlson
ascension by giotto
“A blessing evokes a privileged intimacy. It touches that membrane where the human heart cries out to its divine ground. …A blessing is not a sentiment or a question; it is a gracious invocation where the human heart pleads with the divine heart.” John O’Donohue
Here are some words of Blessing for YOU! Which word of Blessing pops out/stands out to you that you need from Jesus now? Write it down and carry it with you today!
PEACE INVITED TO REST HONORED HEIR of God ACCEPTED WELL PLEASED FORGIVEN CHOSEN FILLED With JOY DELIVERED FILLED HEALED FRIENDSHIP /FRIEND of God FILLED With HOPE FREEDOM…You are set free SATISFIED WITH GOOD THINGS LOVED UNCONDITIONALLYYou might choose to copy the list and cut out each word/phrase, put the words in a basket and choose one each week or every couple of days to RECEIVE from God and carry with you!
How would your life be different if you lived in the BLESSING of GOD rather than in self criticism or comparison?
Who in your life needs to receive BLESSING? How can you help bless them in the days ahead? I am reminded of the song that helped me a lot during COVID times …. May we all choose to receive the Lord’s BLESSING this week and pass it along to others! AMENAs an Amazon Associate, I receive a small amount for purchases made through appropriate links.
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