When I was in Denver a couple of weeks ago, Jennifer Herrick gave me the photo above. It is made completely of the words rest in the moment. It has been a wonderful inspiration for me as I contemplated life and faith this week.
These last couple of months have been rough ones for me. Many of you know that several weeks ago the building on our property on Camano Island was vandalized, and in spite of the sense of God’s presence with us in the discernment process we are going through, I still struggle with questions of what if? when? and how?
As well as that I have faced some challenges in my personal life. I have developed arthritis in my foot which has made two of my greatest pleasures – walking and gardening – impossible. Whether it is for a season or forever I do not know.
What I am learning, in the midst of these challenges is to let go, rest and enjoy the gifts of each moment. Paul’s words in Philippians come to mind.
I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Phil 4:11-13 NLT)
To rest in the moment, find our contentment in God and fully savour the depth of revelation of God each moment holds, we must learn to let go and be content no matter what our circumstances. Sometimes it is a letting go of things that we love to do or people that we care about. Sometimes it is a letting go of hopes for the future. Sometimes it is just a letting go of busyness and fast paced lifestyles. Whatever it might be, we will never learn to rest fully in the presence of God unless we can relinquish our desire to be in control of our lives.
What is Your Response?
Sit quietly with your eyes closed and your hands clasped gently in your lap. Take some deep breaths in and out and relax yourself into the presence of God. Read through Paul’s words several times or take time to contemplate the prayer and photo above. Savour the wonder of God’s warm embrace. What distracts your attention from being fully attentive to God? What resentments and frustrations surface? Where have you tried to control your life and so clouded your enjoyment of God in this present moment? How is God asking you to respond?
As I think of what it means to rest in each moment, I am reminded of Ann Voskamp’s words in her important book One Thousand Gifts:
Life is too urgent to be lived fast, too important to be consumed in a blur of activity, too precious to not take notice of the God moments, the God love that bursts out in an unexpected hugs and unanticipated beauty.
We love to be able to move fast, map out our lives and feel we are in control. Then we get sick, lose our job, our spouse dies. We lose control and in grasping to secure the reigns of our lives again we find we can never put them back together in the way they were before. We get angry, blame God, long for the things that are no longer possible, become resentful. In the process we often miss the God moments all around us.
What is your response?
Listen to the song below. While you do so look around you. What sounds, sights, fragrances that you don’t usually notice catch your attention? What new aspects of God do they reveal to you? In what ways do they encourage you to rest more fully in each moment.
Imagine if the local church became the place in culture to experience creativity, beauty and transcendence.
This compelling statement at the beginning of J.Scott McElroy’s new book Creative Church Handbook: Reclaiming the Power of the Arts in Your Congregation, really caught my attention. This probably does not surprise you as I am convinced that the stirring of imagination and creativity within all of us is an essential tool to help us move forward into God’s creative future. My own awakening of creativity over the last ten years has strengthened my faith in amazing ways so it has been a delight to read through this book and explore new and exciting ways to incorporate art and dance into the church.
This book is a wonderful place to start in exploring creativity within the church both as an expression during worship services as well as for outreach into the community. I was impressed at the breadth of Scott’s exploration of creativity and the thoroughness with which he details ways to use arts, music, and dance in a variety of ways.
My favourite chapter, however is his exploration of how to use creative arts beyond the church walls. He gives interesting examples of arts in use to reach out to the homeless, for healing therapy and to help connect businesses in the community to name just a few possibilities.
This book is a great resource for both novices and those already well seasoned in the use of arts in the church – a wonderful creative tool that will stir your imagination and that of your congregation in important ways.
It is still over a week till father’s day but I wanted to get this litany up early for those who want to use it to do some preparation for the day. I have interspersed scripture verses that help me to affirm the characteristics of God that I believe are also attributes of a good father.
God our eternal father,
Who made our earth and all it contains,
Today we thank you for the gift of fathers
And for the men who have fathered us as mentors and guides.
For us, there is one God, the Father who is the ultimate source of all things and the goal of our lives. (1 Cor 8:6 The Voice)
Generous and providing God,
We thank you for the good gifts you provide through fathers,
Guide them to be good role models and loving to all their children.
Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.[a] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. (James 1:17 NLT)
Blessing and just God,
We thank you for fathers who teach justice and uphold your truth,
Strengthen them to handle difficult situations in a loving way.
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (Eph 1: 3 NLT)
Protecting and kind God,
We thank you for those who father alone,
Support and guide them, help them to be a father like you.
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. (Ps 68:5)
Comforting and merciful God,
We thank you for good memories of fathers we have lost,
Continue to nurture and surround us with their love.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. (2 Cor 1:3-4,)
Inclusive and embracing God,
We thank you for welcoming us as a father into your eternal family,
May we cherish all your children as if they were our own.
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! (1 Jn 3:1)
Eternal, and home keeping God,
We thank you for preparing an eternal home,
Where all peoples will find a place of belonging and abundance.
There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? (Jn 14:2)
God our Father,
We thank you for your Father’s heart,
Bless through it all fathers, mothers, children and creatures of the earth,
Strengthen us all with your fathering love,
Enable us to become the loving, caring persons we are meant to be.
Amen.
This is the last of my series on God as Father. You may like to check out the full series:
Meditation Monday: The Father heart of God
Let’s Get Creative for Father’s Day
And for those who want to balance this with maternal images of God check out my posts from the week before Mother’s day:
Meditation Monday – Connecting to the Mother heart of God
Biblical Maternal Images of God by Shiao Chong
Maternal Images of God – a video and a prayer
Let’s Get Creative – Honouring Our Mothers
Saturday June 20th we are recording at the Shafer Baille mansion for an mp3 we are putting together of responsive readings, liturgies and songs from last year’s Celtic retreat. I am really excited about this project which many of you have hoped for and been prodding me to produce for some time now.
I have done my part in both writing and recording some of the liturgies. And my Australian voice sounds pretty good if I do say so myself. Our musicians Matt and Sundee Frazier have also done their part recording their songs, some written especially for the retreat last year.We have also recruited people to read scripture. Now, however we need some others to help. (no I am not looking for your money… yet!) We are looking for 4-6 people who would like to do some of the responses to my liturgies. Here is an example of what is expected: the responses are in bold.
Creator God, loving God,
Source of all life,
Compassionate, caring and generous One.
We gather in this place of your amazing generosity,
Surrounded by your rich abundance and lavish hospitality.
ALL: Hospitable and welcoming God,
We give you thanks,
for all you are and all you give to us,
through this visit to your creation.
We are blessed by your wild hospitality all around.
Berry-laden vines surround us,
Wild salad greens flourish underfoot.
Rich soil teeming with microscopic life,
Majestic trees nourished by its goodness,
Lush ferns growing in their shade.
ALL: Let us taste the goodness of our Creator,
And drink in the wonder of Christ’s sacrifice.
Let us eat of the fruits of the Spirit,
And partake of God’s overflowing generosity,
Let us join in the banquet feast of God.
In Jesus, you place the gospel at the center of our circle.
Together with Brigit, Columba, Patrick, Hilda, and all who have gone before,
you draw all of life into the sacred circle of your redeeming love,
through which all creation is related.
Jesus, you welcome all creation to your banquet feast.
ALL: Let us remember we sit at table with the oppressed and the marginalized,
And learn to share your generous and compassionate ways.
Nourished by faith, hope and love,
We welcome all who hunger and thirst,
And taste of the fruit of God’s spirit together.
If you live in the Seattle area, are available Saturday June 20th and would like to be a part of this I need to hear from you ASAP – just leave a comment below. Your reward – a free lunch, download of the mp3 and a chance to see your name in print.
A couple of days ago I was sitting watching the humming birds at our backyard feeder. They are the most amazing creatures whose very nature defies our understanding of the laws we think govern all of life. I am constantly in awe of their remarkable lives whose very existence reminds us that our God is a god of the impossible. Their wings beat at anything from 10 – 80 times a second, their heart rates can be as high as 1200 per minute. They must feed every ten minutes or so and yet many species migrate thousands of miles each year.
For example, most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds winter between southern Mexico and northern Panama. They begin moving north as early as January, and by the end of February are at the northern coast of Yucatan, gorging on insects and spiders to add a thick layer of fat in preparation for flying to the U.S. Most apparently cross the Gulf, typically leaving at dusk for a nonstop flight of up to 500 miles, which takes 18-22 hours depending on the weather. Before departing, each bird will have nearly doubled its weight, from about 3.25 grams to over 6 grams; when it reaches the U.S. Gulf coast, it may weigh only 2.5 grams. research suggests that many of them will return to the same backyard on exactly the same day each year.
Impossible you might think but why should any of this surprise us? I think that God delights in doing the impossible and loves to remind us of this in the creatures he created. After all it is not only the humming bird that defies our understanding. Bumble bees should not be able to fly according to the laws of aerodynamics. And that my golden retriever has a nose up to 30,000 times more sensitive than mine is truly remarkable.
All of this should give us hope – the God who delights in creating impossible creatures also delights in creating the impossible within and through our lives. Think of those that God has used to change history – a disgruntled tribe of slaves that fled from Egypt into the desert, a rag tag team of disciples that ran away when Jesus was crucified, a very strange and eccentric young man called Francis of Assisi, the mystic Madame Guyon who deserted her family to become a nun. That God could use any of them seems impossible, just as it seems impossible that God could use my life to make a difference in this world. Yet I have had the privilege of touching the lives of thousands.
God’s people are truly impossible people. Without God we can do nothing. With God we can do anything God asks of us and that is more miraculous than any of the amazing creatures that fill our planet.
Discernment works, and through the voices of many we find God’s direction. I am convinced of that as I sit here this morning reading through the many rich and varied responses to our newsletter about the damage at the Mustard Seed Village.
Thank you for all of you who responded with sympathy and encouragement to our plight and for the many who took time not to only pray, but to send us your thoughts and sense of God’s direction for us. We are extremely grateful for the Mustard Seed community around the world and the commitment to us that this has shown.
Discernment At Work
First we appreciate your affirmation of the pathway of discernment and reconciliation that we have chosen. This type of process is at the center of who we are as an organization and we are encouraged by your recognition of that. We have been deeply influenced and shaped by the Quaker listening process and seek to incorporate that in all that we do.
I pin my hopes on the quiet processes & small circles in which vital & transforming events take place. — 19th century Quaker, Rufus Jones
Several people commented that our question, “What would a gospel reconciler do?” was a very compelling one for them to grapple with in their own situation. Some reminded me of the meditation I posted several weeks ago encouraging us to “stay close to the cracks” because it is here that the light shines through. Thank you for the light that you are shining through the cracks in our situation. Out of this process came many other words of wisdom including these words from Deb Burger.
A Clear Vision For Our Building
Your responses made us realize that we have not clearly articulated our vision for this building. Yes it is a symbol of future hope as we look forward to the completion of a residential facility that we call the Mustard Seed Village. But it is far more than that. This building will become the Mustard Seed Centre for Imagination and Innovation.
What MSA has done well historically is inspirepeople to think beyond the status quo, to a brighter future characterized by shalom. We then connectpeople to create communities of re-imagination and collaboration. In these gatherings, we help people to create new ways of living as the people of God, both in the present and with an eye to future challenges.
The completion of this building will enable us to do just that. Located on this beautiful tree-covered property, which encourages discernment and reflection, it will enable us to inspire, connect and create in new ways. We will hold regular faith-based workshops on innovation and creativity; host seminars on sustainability and permaculture; experiment with new models of gardening, housing and business, as well as hold more regular spiritual retreats.
Establish Presence On The Land
The other message that comes through loud and clear is the need to establish presence on the land. This, we realize, has several components to it:
- First, we need to establish more of a sense of belonging in the local community. Brandon Bailey, pastor of Tidelands Church on Camano Island, commented that perhaps if there was a greater sense of how the project is “blessed to be a blessing” and worked out in a visible way among the neighbors, there would be less resentment. He is right.Because none of the MSA team live on the island or are involved with local churches and community groups, it is very hard for the Camano community to feel we belong. We hope in the near future to bring together a group of Camano residents who will help us rectify this. We would love to discover what dreams and hopes local people might have for this property and how it could really be a blessing to the community.
- Second, we need someone living permanently on the property. This would not only cut down the opportunities for vandalism but also make facilitating events at our new center easier and provide new ways for us to connect to the local community. We are looking into possible temporary solutions that would make this possible fairly soon and appreciate your continued prayers as we seek a way to make this a reality.As a first step, several have suggested surveillance cameras and motion lights, which we plan to install, but we are concerned that this could alienate rather than reconcile with those who are responsible for the vandalism. It is not a good alternative to someone living on the property.Because of the vandalism we will not replace the windows or complete this important building until the infra structure is complete and we have someone living on the land. We will also work with island residents to identify the culprits while also looking for a local organization that works in restorative justice so than when the perpetrators are caught we can continue our reconciling work.
- Third, holding more regular collaborative events would make the establishing of our Center for Imagination and Innovation possible. I am amazed at how many individuals and groups responded with requests to camp on the property, or hold workshops and other events. We believe that part of the pathway forward lies in identifying and networking with others who share part of our vision and are interested in collaborating. It is encouraging to see how many of the MSA community want to help make this happen.
We Cannot Do This Alone
It is obvious that our dream for an MSA Center for Imagination and Innovation will not happen alone. Here is how you can help this happen:
- First we need people. Will you help us establish a presence on this land? Perhaps you know of someone who would like to coordinate the ongoing construction. Would you like to be MSA’s representative on Camano? Or would you like to collaborate with us on future events?
- Second we need resources. To establish a permanent presence and use this property as the Center for Imagination and Innovation we believe God intends it to be, we need to complete the infrastructure. Would you help us do that?
If any of these possibilities stir a positive response within you, please let us know, and let’s continue the discussion.
The financial needs to complete the infrastructure on the land are as follows:
Septic
Well pump and water to the site
Access road construction
Utilities (power and communications)
Total site work
$10,000
$10,000
$32,000
$18,000
$70,000
Thank you for your ongoing participation as we move forward to establish the Mustard Seed Center for Imagination and Innovation on Camano Island.
Since writing yesterday’s post I have thought a lot about my reaction to the idea of God as father. Where does my struggle with God as Father come from? It occurred to me yesterday as I basked in the images of the loving, caring, generous father I wrote about that my struggle begins not with the patriarchal images that we often get hung up on, but with the expulsion from the garden of Eden. How could this possibly be the action of a loving, caring God I have often thought? More like the angry, violent parent I grew up with.
So today I want to do something that you might think a little strange. I am going to reimagine this narrative from the perspective of what I think a loving parent would do and why.
God the mother gave birth to humankind and God the father went out and built a home for his children to live – a beautiful garden dwelling that we call the Garden of Eden. In this wonderful protective environment men and women grew up, walking and playing with God the father and mother in the evenings. All their needs for shelter and food were met by God who hovered around them like a good protective parent. They had a few chores to perform but no responsibility to work for their own provision.
Then they grew up and into the rebellious teenage years when they started to look around and realize that there was a great big world outside the garden that they wanted to explore. In this world, their protective father warned them, there was both good and evil. It is a world, he told them, in which they would now have to toil for their own food and work hard to provide for themselves and their own children. But humankind did not listen. They no longer wanted to be protected from the big bad world, they wanted to find their own way.
So God let them go. God the father sent them away from home out into the world where they would have to fend for themselves. He had given them a good education in how to till the soil and make it flourish but only he knew how much work this involved. Mother God sewed clothes, gave them food and sent them on their way, knowing that life would not be easy for them and that hardship and anguish lay ahead.
God knew his kids would mess up – fighting and killing each other, oppressing and enslaving each other, show greed, prejudice, hatred. He knew he would have to continue watching over them rescuing them as a good father would when they got into trouble, healing them as a loving mother when they got hurt and providing for them when they used up all their resources. But God loved them and knew that for them to come to full maturity they needed to take responsibility for their own actions. To find wholeness and be able to embrace eternal life as God wanted them too he needed to let them go and allow them to make mistakes. He knew that only in this way would they really become mature adults.
I think that it is this kind of narrative that is hidden in the parables and miracles of Jesus:
Good Shepherd Jesus Mafa
God the father is the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find the one who has gone astray is God our father tirelessly following the most wayward of his sheep.
God the father is Jesus reaching out to heal the only son of a widow who has been ostracized by her society and has no means of provision or protection without him.
God the father is Jesus sitting on the mountain distributing 2 fish and 5 loaves to feed 5,000 because he wants to remind us of the generosity of good parents.
Rembrandt van Rijn, The Return of the Prodigal Son, c. 1661–1669. 262 cm × 205 cm. Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg public domain
God the Father, is the father who welcomes home all prodigal sons and daughters who have strayed, used up their money, become homeless, turned to drugs, or committed criminal acts and finally recognize that father together with God the mother, really does know best and will still provide a safe haven.
God our Father longs for us to come back home, and at great cost to himself, He has even set up a a well lit pathway – Jesus Christ the way, the truth and the life – to guide us.
For me personally, thinking about this imagery of a loving father protecting, providing for and guiding his children together with images of God the mother working together, is both renewing and healing. What do you think?
This is part of my series on God as Father. You may like to check out the full series:
Meditation Monday: The Father heart of God
Let’s Get Creative for Father’s Day
And for those who want to balance this with maternal images of God check out my posts from the week before Mother’s day:
Meditation Monday – Connecting to the Mother heart of God
Biblical Maternal Images of God by Shiao Chong
Maternal Images of God – a video and a prayer
Let’s Get Creative – Honouring Our Mothers
Anselm’s Prayer to St Paul: Our Greatest Mother
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