by Andy Wade – originally posted here on February 9, 2017
“My granddaddy always said, if you got a problem you can’t solve, it helps to get it out of your head. Pie, it’s good.” These words from Men in Black III caught me off guard. But when I stepped back I realized it’s really a great lesson for us Jesus Followers. Watch the clip then check out my comments below.
Don’t you just love J’s response, “…you know, we’ve been doing smart stuff. We’ve been following clues, doing real police work… it might be time we do something stupid, somethin’ that ain’t got nothin’ to do with nothin’. You know what K, now I want some pie!”
So often our spiritual growth and creativity is stymied precisely because we’ve spent too much time focusing on “the problem”. We need to set it aside and get away. We need to eat some pie!
As K and J are at the diner eating pie, J is agitated. “World class serial killer out there, and we’re having pie!”
“I sense you’re not embracing the concept here” K responds. “Pie don’t work unless you let it.”
It’s a funny line, but how often have I gone on “retreat” only to take all my problems with me and stew over them the whole time I’m away. It’s like I’ve never heard Jesus’ words:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mt. 11:28-30
Just like pie, retreats, whether extended and away from home, or mini-retreats right where you are, don’t work unless you let them. Too often I’m like the young ox yoked to the mature lead ox. Instead of letting the mature ox carry the weight and let me follow him through the fields, I plunge ahead attempting to lead the way and, as a result, end up pulling his weight and mine until I crash into a heap of exhaustion. Can you relate to that?
I know my tendency is to go, go, go. It’s difficult for me to stop. In fact, it feels “stupid” to stop and do nothing – eat some pie, rest. How will I get everything done if I don’t keep going? Consistent with God’s upside-down Kingdom, forward progress, whether spiritual or on a particular project, requires us to rest.
I rarely solve problems by banging my head against them without a break. In fact, most often breakthrough comes as I let it all go and I’m drifting off to sleep, soaking up the warmth of a morning shower, or outside plunging my hands into garden soil. Like stopping to eat some pie, disengaging from the issue often frees my mind to rest, allowing new insights and creativity to emerge.
There’s a reason God didn’t suggest, but rather commanded, we take a day of rest each week. Our souls need it. Our bodies need it. And if we’re honest, we realize our communities, our churches, our involvements all need us to rest.
During this season of Epiphany, I find the simple reminder to rest a powerful invitation from God. Soon we’ll be transitioning from Epiphany to Lent, a season more noted for times of rest and reflection. Why not begin now? Why not enter into God’s rest today, allowing Jesus to carry the burden of the yoke across our backs? Simply recognizing our need and God’s invitation may be the greatest epiphany of the season.
Will you join me?
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by Christine Sine
On the first Sunday after epiphany, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Baptism of Our Lord. The Church recalls Our Lord’s second manifestation or epiphany which occurred on the occasion of His baptism in the Jordan. Jesus descended into the River to sanctify its waters and to give them the power to beget sons of God. The event takes on the importance of a second creation in which the entire Trinity intervenes.
In the Eastern Church this feast is called Theophany because at the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan God appeared in three persons. It is celebrated as an integral part of the Feast of Epiphany. The baptism of John was a sort of sacramental preparatory for the Baptism of Christ. It moved men to sentiments of repentance and induced them to confess their sins. Christ did not need the baptism of John. Although He appeared in the “substance of our flesh” and was recognized “outwardly like unto ourselves”, He was absolutely sinless and impeccable. He conferred upon the water the power of the true Baptism which would remove all the sins of the world: “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who takes away the sin of the world”.
Baptism of Christ – Francesco Alban
Many of the incidents which accompanied Christ’s baptism are symbolical of what happened at our Baptism. At Christ’s baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him; at our Baptism the Trinity took its abode in our soul. At His baptism Christ was proclaimed the “Beloved Son” of the Father; at our Baptism we become the adopted sons of God. At Christ’s baptism the heavens were opened; at our Baptism heaven was opened to us. At His baptism Jesus prayed; after our Baptism we must pray to avoid actual sin.
A prayer of proclamation!
John is baptising when Jesus draws near. Perhaps he comes to sanctify his baptiser; certainly he comes to bury sinful humanity in the waters. He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake and in readiness for us; he who is spirit and flesh comes to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water.
The Baptist protests; Jesus insists.
He is the lamp in the presence of the sun.
The voice in the presence of the Word
The friend in the presence of the Bridegroom
The greatest of all born of woman in the presence of the firstborn of all creation.
The one who leapt in his mother’s womb in the presence of him who was adored in the womb
The forerunner and future forerunner in the presence of him who has already come and is to come again.
John is baptising when Jesus draws near. Perhaps he comes to sanctify his baptiser; certainly he comes to bury sinful humanity in the waters. He comes to sanctify the Jordan for our sake and in readiness for us; he who is spirit and flesh comes to begin a new creation through the Spirit and water. (From Micha Jazz)
A Ukranian Theophany hymn.
To Jordan’s water, to Jordan’s water Christ comes to be baptized. John the Forerunner, John the Forerunner, Now humbly steps aside. Christ Our Lord is baptized. Salvation is now realized. Skies of heaven open, God the Father spoken, O’er the Jordan a Dove, Holy Spirit of Love – Revelation from above.
Three Persons in God, Three Persons in God, Are now revealed to us. Father and Son, Father and Son, Holy Spirit – One God. Christ Our Lord is baptized. Salvation is now realized. Skies of heaven open, God the Father spoken, O’er the Jordan a Dove, Holy Spirit of Love – Revelation from above.
Saint John the Baptist, Saint John the Baptist, Foretells release today. The Lamb of God, the Lamb of God, Will wash our sins away. Christ Our Lord is baptized. Salvation is now realized. Skies of heaven open, God the Father spoken, O’er the Jordan a Dove, Holy Spirit of Love – Revelation from above.
by Christine Sine
In a couple of weeks I will celebrate my 72nd birthday. It is almost 60 years since I became a follower of Christ, and as I told a couple of young friends recently my faith is much stronger, more compelling and more nourishing than it has ever been. They asked me why and it has taken several days of reflecting to be able to provide a satisfactory answer. Here are the factors I believe contribute to my strong faith. This seemed such an important topic as we enter the season of Epiphany that I thought I would share my response with you.
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- I never stop learning. One of the most vital aspects of my faith is my desire to keep learning from friends, colleagues and spiritual mentors. Honesty with those around me about my spiritual struggles, my highs and lows, then listening to their advice is a great way to continue growing in my faith. I also learn a lot from reading. The two most stimulating books I read last year were This Here Flesh by Cole Arthur Riley and Sacred Earth Sacred Soul by John Phillip Newel. Both of these books stretched my understanding of God, of who God intends me to be and of how I should act in this world.
- I know God is a mystery I will never fully understand. Like many of us I began my Christian life thinking I understood everything about God, but the longer I am a Christian the more aware I am that I will only ever be able to understand a very small part of who God is and what God is doing in our world. My life must always be open to mystery. I live in the tension of knowing questions are more important than answers. It is both liberating and restful.
- My faith is an embodied faith. I ground myself in creative practices and acts of compassion and generosity that change with the seasons and the times. To be honest, as a young Christian I quickly became bored with the ways I was taught to pray and read scripture. It was very disconnected to my daily life. It was only when I worked in the refugee camps in Thailand in the mid 80s and was confronted with the horrors of war, violence and hunger that I really started to grow. My faith moved from my head to my heart and my soul as I reached out to the needy people around me and began to realize that faith is as much about who I am and how I act as it is about what I believe.
- My faith is not just rooted in scripture, it is also rooted in the earth. When I connected my faith to my gardening and recognized how God was revealed through my sowing, planting, growing and harvesting was another milestone in my faith development. In my book To Garden with God I share some of the lessons that transformed my thinking and lodged deep in my soul. Then I started creating contemplative gardens, another step into garden spirituality and further transformed and nourished me. I shared some of this in Digging Deeper The Art of Contemplative Gardening but continue to learn and to grow in this area.
- My spiritual practices are creative and change with the seasons. It was asking the question at the heart of my book The Gift of Wonder “What are the childlike characteristics that make us fit for the kingdom?” that moved me energetically into creative spiritual practices that made me feel I had entered a new world of awe and wonder. To live in awe and wonder and the creativity it inspires within us is, I am increasingly convinced is to live close to the heart of God.
So now that we are in the season of Epiphany, what are the practices that vitalize my faith?
First, on Thursday, the Eve of Epiphany, I Chalked the Door in a fun process that will continue to bless me and hopefully others as we walk through the door that was blessed by this process.
Second, I walked around the house, blessing each room I walked through. There is something very special about living in a house which one feels is blessed by the presence of God.
Third, partly inspired by Saturday’s retreat “Following the Star Into the New Year” I created a new contemplative garden over the weekend. A wonderful stimulus to further reflection and prayer.
I have also instituted a couple of new practices for the season. In the mornings I use the Pray as You Go App which provides a beautiful 10-15 minute prayer and scripture meditation. Very enriching! I also use the weekly prayers from The World in Prayer which helps me focus beyond myself to the larger world and its needs.
What are the practices that enrich you during this season?
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by Tom Sine
“Resolutions That Are Good for the Soul” is a very encouraging read by Rev. Tish Harrison Warren published in the New York Times on January 4, 2023. She begins: “I love the intentionality and the thoughtfulness required to make a resolution.” She explains that she is personally drawn to resolutions that “provide the grace to try new things.” Warren contests that “The point of resolutions shouldn’t be to add another task to our busy lives…The point is that renewal is always possible, and with grace we can all try new things:we can continue to grow and change.”
Rev. Tish Harrison Warren invited a few other authors to join her in this commentary about creating resolutions for this new year. I will also include two of my favorites.
Begin the day reading about faith
“I am going to use New Year’s to try and bring the practice of beginning the day with a physical book about faith into my everyday life.”
Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America
Confront your sorrow.
“I love how ‘courage’ derives from the Latin word for ‘heart’. In the coming year, I want to courageously acknowledge specific ways in which my heart has been broken – by people, by racism, bu institutions and even by God- so that I can pursue the healing I need. If we want to be agents of healing to our hurting world, we must courageously and continuously pursue the healing of our own hearts.”
Rev. Michelle T. Sanchez, author of “Color-Courageous Discipleship” and “God’s Beloved Community“
I would like to suggest some other resolutions followers of Jesus might consider. In 2020s Foresight: Three Vital Practices for Thriving in a Decade of Accelerating Change, I pointed out that one of the most serious blind spots in many of our churches is that most of us tend to operate like “it will always be the 90s”. As a consequence, most of our churches and those we serve locally and globally tend to get hammered by change more than they should!
I also point out that urban planers and environmental planners are trained to not only anticipate new waves of change but aggressively research innovative ways to respond before the waves of change before they fully arrive. 2020s Foresight is designed as a study book to enable groups in churches to become more foresightful and more innovative.
Christianity Today reports the recent waves of change from the first waves of Covid have been devastating for many churches. According to the Barna group, one in three practicing Christians stopped attending church during COVID; and regular church attendance dropped “from 34% in 2019 to 28% in 2021” (Here’s Who Stopped Going to Church During the Pandemic, Wang & Elhage, 2023). Church leaders need to not only be concerned about declining numbers in our churches. We also need to share the extent to which our declining attendance is impacting volunteering and giving in our churches. How can we empower our neighbors locally and globally, many of whom will continue to hammered by new waves of covid as well as accelerating waves of climate change in 2023 and beyond?
I invite you to consider adopting some new years resolutions like:
Resolving in 2023 to attend a church where you feel safe.
Christine and I attend Seattle Mennonite where they voted to to maintain a mask policy to significantly reducing the risk of contracting covid as well as provide a video option. As a consequence this church has experienced very little decline in attendance and outreach..
Resolving in 2023 to increase the giving of our time and resources to significantly increase the well being of families both locally and globally as our vulnerable neighbors face daunting new challenges.
Resolving in 2023 to carve out time to be present to God in daily reflection on Scripture and prayer in increasingly turbulent tomorrows.
Resolving in 2023 to join innovative leaders in our churches who are learning to anticipate and creatively respond to the new waves coming our way in 2023 and beyond.. We have the opportunity to join those who are creatng innovative ways to both be a difference and make a difference.
For those who are interested I am available by Zoom or in person to enable those in your community to learn new ways to both anticipate and creatively respond to new waves of change that reflect the ways of Jesus. Contact me Tom Sine twsine@gmail.com
We begin a NEW SEASON of the church year today! It’s Epiphany! We celebrate the Light, Jesus, coming into all the World, for ALL THE WORLD, for EVERYONE!!! This Saturday, January 7th is Orthodox Christmas. I love both because we can keep the celebration going longer and we can retell the story of God with us again. This is especially good for those of us who felt like December 25th got here much too quickly this year or if you missed the celebration due to weather and travel messiness. So Happy Christmas and Happy Epiphany!
I love new beginnings! But I believe that before we can go forward, we need to look back and consider where we’ve been. This helps us notice what God has been up to in our life and encourages us to pay attention going forward. Below is a meditation you can do on your own, or with your family, church community or small group. I’ve included a PDF at the end that includes several photos of doors to use to consider what door you might need for the year ahead. At thinplace house church this week, we began our time together with a lectio divina listening to Revelation 3: 18-22 in three translations
“Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
“Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
After listening to the passage, we considered the doors and what Jesus is I have always loved doors! So I take photos of them when I travel. You might start a collection of doors in your neighborhood or on your adventures in the new year to remind you of the God who opens doors!
OPENING THE DOOR
MEDITATION
OPENING THE DOOR to the NEW YEAR
Crossing the threshold into what God has in store for You!
Consider this past year .
Where have you been?
How was your journey?
Was it a season of open doors or closed doors?
Was it a season of slammed doors or one of doors opened in invitation?
Talk to Jesus about this. Take some time.
What kind of door represents your last year?
Closed Doors?
Open Doors?
As you approach and cross the threshold, and as you open the door to the New Year, what do you need to leave behind?
What do you need to drop?
What do you need to drop or leave behind so you can follow more closely to Jesus?
Author CS Lewis says that you cannot receive the new gifts God wants to give you if your hands are filled with too many packages.
Are you carrying too many packages today?
What packages do you need to drop or let go of? Talk to God about this.
Allow Jesus to show you what you need to put down and what you need to let go of in order to move through the new door of the New Year.
Are you carrying too many packages?
DOWNLOAD OR PRINT OUT THESE PDFS of DOORS
DOORS A PDF.. DOORS B PDF DOORS C PDF
What is God’s Invitation?
Which door inspires you?
What is the invitation?
Which door is being opened for you?
What Is Jesus inviting you to in the New Year?
Choose a door from the PDFs
You might cut out the door and carry it with you to consider how you can open the door to Jesus this year.
Watch for NEW DOORS
As you open doors in your house, going in and out, or opening closet doors or doors at a shop/store…consider the doors Jesus is opening for you. Consider and ask Jesus to open new doors of creativity, hope, inspiration, joy, compassion for you in the New Year! Watch for NEW DOORS!
I will give him the key to the house of David–the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. Isaiah 22:22
Dear Godspace community,
The Following the Star retreat with Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine is only a few days away but there is still time to sign up.
Here are three reasons to attend:
- Resolutions usually fail in the first month of a new year, but intentions can stay with us throughout the year. This will be part of the focus of this retreat.
- We need creative prompts like Lilly and Christine provide to stir our imaginations and help us discern the path ahead. God often speaks through this type of exercise.
- We need a community of like minded people who help us to shape our dreams and hopes for the future. Through interaction with both Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine as well as other retreat participants, you will find the community you need to make this happen.
Please register here and join us online January 7th for this fun retreat. Hope you can join us!
O God, you trace my journeys and my resting-places and are acquainted with all my ways.Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, but you, O God, know it altogether.You press upon me behind and before and lay your hand upon me.Where can I go then from your Spirit; where can I flee from your presence?Even there your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast.– The Saint Helena Psalter Version
Following The Star Into the New Year
In January we celebrate Epiphany and the coming of the Magi to visit Jesus. Like them, many of us feel we are on a long journey following a star that is sometimes bright and shining, sometimes completely hidden yet still guiding us towards Christ. 2022 taught us important lessons that will shape the coming year. We sense God wants to do something new in our lives and we want to follow in the right direction.
Join Lilly Lewin and Christine Sine online Saturday, January 7th 2023 from 9:30 am PT to 12:30pm PT as they help us reflect on the past year and take time to hope, dream and pray for the year ahead. We will engage in some fun practices like chalking the door and interact with each other in ways that strengthen our faith and draw us closer to God.
Click here to register! We are once again offering several price points to aid those who are students or in economic hardship.
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