Here we are on the journey towards Ascension Day (May 10th) in the second half of the season of Easter. Working our way in the church calendar to Pentecost (May 20th). How is your Resurrection journey going? Are you experiencing Easter, or is it still feeling more like Lent? I was just up in Chicago this week, and there, Spring is just beginning. The grass is finally turning green and the daffodils are finally starting to bloom. You could see the people coming back to life as they walked outside in the sunshine as the temperatures rose to 70 degrees! Maybe you are feeling like that. That the “winter” of your soul is still thawing and the blossom of Resurrection hasn’t happened just yet. Some time resurrection takes time. It’s definitely a process. Jesus appeared and reappeared over the course of forty days and the disciples were still a bit confused about what they were supposed to do next.
I’m there right now in my life, wondering what to do next. May 13th will be my 4th anniversary of knowing that I had cancer. I had a second opinion and the new doctor did “one more test” and found the cancer. Thankfully they caught it just in time so I only needed surgery and not chemo. This is still a BIG miracle to me. It’s been four years of change and transition. We moved across the country and started a new life in my old home town. It’s been a good move, but any time you move, or anytime there is a large event that happens like a death or an illness, it takes time to adjust. I feel i’m finally coming awake again and have energy to consider what is next and what Jesus wants to do in me and through me. Yet every year at this time, my fear and anxiety levels go way up as I worry that the cancer will return again.
I’ve heard it said that it takes three years to be present in a place and make friends. It may take even longer now that people don’t go to traditional jobs everyday but work in coffee shops and virtually. Three years. Jesus’s ministry with his disciples was that long or a bit longer. Jesus changed their world, rocked their point of view, changed their perspectives on everything. No wonder they were confused when he died, afraid when he reappeared ALIVE, and still questioning what they were to do next even after the Resurrection.
It gives me comfort that Peter takes some of the gang fishing in John 21. Peter goes back to what is familiar and what he knows how to do. Something that makes sense to him. Yet, they don’t catch any fish. They fish all night and catch nothing. Then the Stranger shows up on the beach and invites them to fish on the other side of the boat.
Am I willing to fish again where Jesus tells me to fish?
Even when i have fished all night?
Am I willing to LISTEN to Jesus?
Am I willing to jump out of the boat to swim towards Him? Even if it means leaving my friends in the boat?
My favorite part of the John 21 story is that Jesus already had fish cooking on the grill. Jesus had breakfast ready for Peter and the other guys.
Jesus knew they’d be hungry.
Jesus provided what they needed physically and then Jesus provided what Peter needed emotionally too.
Do I believe? Can I believe that Jesus knows my needs?
Can I believe, am I willing to trust, that Jesus has breakfast already cooked and ready for me in my life?
Am I willing to TRUST that the RESURRECTION is for me too?
After the abundant catch, and the picnic breakfast, Jesus reminds Peter of his call. Jesus gives Peter the “what’s next” and let’s Peter know that his betrayal wasn’t the end of the story.
Jesus asks Peter if he love Him. And Pete says three times, you know that I love you Jesus.
Jesus knows that I love Him too. Jesus knows that I have doubts, fears, and big anxieties and He knows when I betray Him and Loves me anyway.
He hasn’t forgotten me.
Jesus hasn’t forgotten you either.
Jesus thankfully knows the WHAT’S NEXT for all of us!
Today, I am willing to be willing to be on the journey, the adventure that is following Jesus.
Today, I will stop. Breathe, and Trust in the Hope of Jesus and His Resurrection.
BREATH PRAYER:
BREATHE IN: the love and hope and peace of Jesus.
BREATHE OUT: fear, anxiety, hopelessness
BREATHE IN: the love and hope and peace of Jesus
BREATHE OUT: fear, anxiety, hopelessness and doubt
BREATHE IN: the love and hope and peace of Jesus
BREATHE OUT: fear, anxiety, hopelessness and despair
BREATHE IN: LOVE
BREATHE OUT: HATE
BREATHE IN: LOVE
BREATHE OUT: FEAR
BREATHE IN: LOVE
BREATHE OUT: LOVE
AMEN
Today April 27, 2018 is Arbor Day! To celebrate, read this amazing post by Lynne Baab —
I have always loved trees. They speak to me of God’s creativity, complexity, beauty and provision.
In high school, we had three young birch trees in our back yard. To me, they looked like young girls dancing, reflecting the joy of living in God’s beautiful world.
As a university student, I took hundreds of photos of the sun shining through trees. I particularly admired the translucence of maple leaves backlit by the sun, speaking to me of the beauty of the Light of the World.
I often remember the trees from places I’ve traveled. The first time I travelled to New Mexico and Colorado in the fall, the round, golden aspen leaves made me gasp with pleasure. The trees looked like they were covered with gold coins, a picture of God’s rich beauty and abundance.
The eucalyptus trees in Australia were a revelation. I had always loved the smell of eucalyptus trees when I visited Northern California, but I thought “eucalyptus” referred to one kind of tree. In Australia, dozens of species of eucalyptus fill the streets and parks, each species with a slightly different color or shape. Of the 700 species of eucalyptus in the world, most are native to Australia. Seeing all those different kinds of eucalyptus trees made me feel like a kid in a candy shop of trees, all of them intricately created by the Maker of all beauty.
Trees are used throughout the Bible as metaphors for various aspects of faith. The tree planted by streams of water in Psalm 1 bears fruit in its season and has green leaves even in a drought. Who is like that tree? A person who loves God, does what is right, and meditates on God’s law day and night.
The vision of God’s abundance described in Isaiah 55:12 talks about joy and peace, which will be so powerful that the mountains will sing and “all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” I read that verse for the first time as a very young Christian, during my photographing-trees-in-the-sun phase, and I posted the verse on my bulletin board because it was so vivid and joyous.
In John’s vision of heaven, recounted in Revelation 21 and 22, the river of life flows through the city, with the tree of life growing beside it, “and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev 22:2). The nations so desperately need God’s healing. I wonder if those healing leaves look like maple leaves with the sun shining through them. Perhaps those healing leaves are gold, like aspen leaves in the fall.
Trees take simple ingredients – carbon dioxide from the air, water and minerals from the soil – and turn them into beautiful branches and leaves, as well as delicious fruit and precious oxygen. Because humans and other mammals breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide, trees give balance, providing the oxygen that is essential for human life. Without trees, the rising carbon dioxide level of the air would make life impossible for two reasons: lack of oxygen for mammals to breathe and ever increasing temperatures caused by carbon dioxide’s greenhouse effect.
Arbor Day focuses on planting trees, these miracles of beauty and oxygen. The first known Arbor Day was celebrated in 1594 in Spain. The United States celebrates Arbor Day on April 27, and many other countries have their own Arbor Day. This year, to celebrate Arbor Day, plant a tree. Draw a tree. Photograph a tree. Look out your window or go outside and enjoy the trees that you can see. And don’t forget to thank God for trees.
For further reflection:
The Arbor Day Foundation provides a wonderful webpage showing the benefits of trees. Take a look here.
The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How they Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben will blow your mind. Did you know that trees communicate with each other? They do it through chemicals they release into the wind and through fungi and other plants in the earth. Take a look here.
by Christine Sine
Tomorrow Tom and I will help kick off the Inhabit Conference, one of our favourite events of the year. I relish the stories of good things happening in neighbourhoods around the world and rejoice with those whose lives are making an impact.
Here is the prayer that I will be sharing – as you can see it grew out of the prayer I shared on Monday as I reflected out what it would take to enable our neighbourhoods to flourish for all the inhabitants and for God’s good creation too. Enjoy
Sing praises to the God of all creation,
Shout aloud your delight to the Most High.
Choose to enjoy the glory of the everlasting, ever present One,
Who dwells with us here, and now and everywhere we go.
Our God is the God of all the earth.
Our God is the God of all our neighborhoods.
Let us center ourselves on God today.
Sit and listen to what delights God’s heart.
Breathe in the wonder of eternal love,
Dance to the rhythm of eternal breath.
Listening to the whispers calling you to slow down and take notice.
Our God is the God of all the earth.
Our God is the God of all our neighborhoods.
Let us center ourselves on God today.
Enjoy the beauty of divine presence, unfurling around us.
Gasp in awe at the fragrances, dance to the melodies.
God is renewing, restoring, resurrecting.
Until all becomes a fit place for us and for God to dwell.
Our God is the God of all the earth.
Our God is the God of all our neighborhoods.
Let us center ourselves on God today.
God is in us, God is around us,
Behind and before, on left and on right,
God who is One, God who is three,
This God is with us wherever we go.
Our God is the God of all the earth.
Our God is the God of all our neighborhoods.
Let us center ourselves on God today.
Amen
If you are going to be at the conference and would like to connect please email me at seasickdoctor@gmail.com
By John Birch —
Have you ever wondered what it would look like to welcome God home to an earth restored, transformed and made new? Have you ever thought about what it would take to transform our earth into a home that is fitting not just for humanity but for God?
Yes I know that God is present in all places and at all times, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that God finds all places and all times a comfortable place to reside.
This has been the focus of my contemplation over this earth day weekend. I have blogged about this before but stirred by Earth Day, I find it always returns to my attention at this time of the year.
Saturday was a glorious day here in Seattle with the sun shining brightly and warmly, burning away the lethargy and dullness that the last month of rain and cold has nurtured in me. As the sun warmed me, my thoughts kept returning to images of God’s new world. Beauty, peace, justice and compassion would surround us. Laughter, dancing, singing, playfulness and joy would be everywhere. Generosity, love, and unity amongst all people. Creation would be renewed and wholeness would flourish.
Is it possible? The imagery of the end of time we see in Revelation is of heaven coming down to earth, of earth restore and made new. Maybe total transformation is not possible in this present age but at least we can work for glimpses of it in anticipation of the day when Christ returns and all is indeed made new.
Revelation 21:1-5 The Voice (VOICE)
I looked again and could hardly believe my eyes. Everything above me was new. Everything below me was new. Everything around me was new because the heaven and earth that had been passed away, and the sea was gone, completely. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride on her wedding day, adorned for her husband and for His eyes only. 3 And I heard a great voice, coming from the throne.
A Voice: See, the home of God is with His people.
He will live among them;
They will be His people,
And God Himself will be with them.
4 The prophecies are fulfilled:
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
Mourning no more, crying no more, pain no more,
For the first things have gone away.5 And the One who sat on the throne announced to His creation,
The One: See, I am making all things new. (turning to me) Write what you hear and see, for these words are faithful and true.
What is Your Response?
As we celebrate EARTH WEEK, this week, spend time contemplating your images of what our earth could look like if it was once more a fitting home for God. God’s presence is already with us always, but to make this earth a home for God we need to put all our efforts in to transforming – not just our physical environment, but our relationships and our inner selves.
Take out your journal and write CREATE A FIT PLACE FOR GOD TO DWELL in large letters.
Prayerfully contemplate your statement.
Decorate the letters, in whatever ways your creativity inspires you.
Make a list of “the perfect home for God“. Maybe you want to watch a couple of those popular home renovation programs to inspire you first.
How is God prompting you to respond? What could you do to make this world a more inviting place for God to dwell?
by Christine Sine
April 22nd is such an important day to celebrate the goodness of God in creation.
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to record this podcast with Beth Bond at the Evangelical Environmental Network for their Mom’s group. I hope you enjoy listening to it.
I have also been doing some more research on plastic and how to decrease its use in my life. As a result I have decided to do away with plastic milk bottles and go with glass. There is only one farm in the Pacific NW that does this – Twin Brooks Creamery . With the deposit on the bottles my milk will be no more expensive than in plastic and I love their mission statement. We are a family owned & operated dairy that exists to glorify God through the stewardship of the soil and animals He has entrusted to our care, in the best possible way.
I also came across this great video – recycling plastic as asphalt sounds like a wonderful way to get rid of so much of what now goes in the landfill.
The photo above may not have anything to do with my post but as we celebrate the goodness of God in creation on this important day I wanted to share it with you. It is magnificent, awe inspiring and huge (6″ across)
Epipphyllum Unforgettable – 6″ blooms.
When we try, and use a little of our God given creativity, we can all make a difference in surprising ways.
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