Water Is My Element

I really love water. My parents discovered when I was nine months that I wanted to be in the lake, not on the pier. Since I had not had my typhoid shot they filled a galvanized washtub with water from my grandparents’ house and floated it in the lake with a very happy me in it. I began swimming lessons when I was three years old. I almost drowned in the deep end once but that never stopped me.

When I was in college I got back into the pool, honing my freestyle until it was as smooth as I could make it. My goal was to have an efficient stroke that did not raise a big splash. I swam umpteen laps with a kickboard, and umpteen more with a float between my legs to make my arms work harder. I learned to breathe with just a slight turn of my head to the side. I never did learn a racing turn.

This past Tuesday morning, I got into the pool and swam my entire ¾ mile without anyone else in the water. I was in heaven. I did not have to worry about sharing a lane with anyone. I did not have to contend with waves from anybody swimming in another lane. I felt as if I were one with the smooth water. Speed is not my overall goal. The water is one place where I can be at peace. Even though I have found I cannot do my intercessory prayers as I swim, I feel as though my whole swim is a prayer immersed in the waters of my baptism.

Is there a place where you can be as much at home, and in God’s presence? Offer that place and time in it as simply of prayer of presence with God. Every breath, every stroke is a prayer. No words are needed. Simply be with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.

Keystone Prayer

We have been doing a lot of talking about prayer around Christ Crossman lately. While we have always known that prayer is important, we are coming to understand that it is a "keystone" habit for our congregation. A keystone is that stone at the top of the arch that holds the whole structure together.

Today, I had one of those aha moments where something I heard made so much sense. It was so obvious that I couldn’t see why I didn’t think about it before. “It” is a practice the presenter called “breakthrough” prayer. It is something I have actually done myself, but I had never thought to invite others into the practice as well.

What is the practice? Spending time in prayer in a particular place for those who will be in the space and for what will be happening there. So tonight, at the end of our Bead and a Prayer small group, we went into the sanctuary and each prayed silently, walking around the space at times, and sitting at other times. We prayed for meeting God there, for the people who would be in the space for worship, for those who take part in leadership, for those coming for the first time. I don’t know how each person chose the places they went, or how they prayed. I do know that this is important for us in moving forward.

I invite every group meeting for ministry, for fellowship, for study to close each session with this kind of prayer. Choose a different area each time. Bathe our space in prayer so that we will be ready to meet God, and to invite others to meet God in this space.

Take the practice into your own home as well, and into the places where you work.

Ephesians 3:14-21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

A Fringe and a Cord

Last night at A Bead and a Prayer small group, we talked about what ordinary things, like the beads, move us to think about God. When the Israelites were in their forty-year sojourn in the wilderness, they kept having a tendency to forget God, or at least what God had done for them. At one point God told Moses to speak to the people, telling them to make fringes on the corners of their garments and to put a blue cord on the fringe at each corner, so that they would remember God’s commandments.

A simple thing like a fringe and a blue cord was a tangible reminder of God. The little snow globe of the Pentagon that I bought last year when I was there for Kim’s promotion ceremony is a reminder to me to lift her, all who work there and all involved in our armed forces to God, and pray for peace. A cross that belonged to Don’s grandparents is a reminder to Jen of their faithfulness for so many years of marriage. The little cross that Nancy received at a retreat would be a reminder of God every time she touched it when she put her hand in her pocket.

What are the ordinary things in your life that remind you of God? The bread and the cup, the water remind me how God has worked through such ordinary elements to bring about so much grace and mercy. As you wash your face today, remember how God has used water to bless you. Look around you to find those reminders in the midst of everyday life that God is present and with you.

Numbers 15:39-40

You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God.

Prayer Beads and Grace

I am looking at the prayer beads I made in our Lenten group. They aren’t fancy by any means. I really

like all the prayer beads that everyone made. They are colorful, but I wanted mine to look a bit rough so it has small wooden and black stone beads.

As Barb led us through the process of making them, I found that I was moving ahead before I should. I ended up having to start over because I crimped a tube that needed to stay open until the end. Oops! Maybe that’s a metaphor for my journey. I work on steps, and hear the next step, and think I know what the next one will be, but I get it wrong. Fortunately, I was able to start over and not delay the whole group much.

In my faith journey, thank goodness that there is grace along the way. In my eagerness to progress, I sometimes get ahead of my self, finding that I needed to wait. There are always consequences to that misstep, usually small, sometimes larger.

At Midweek Prayer, we talked about when a veil lifts and we see and know what we have done, we get a taste of truth that does not sit well in our mouths, or our stomachs. For many who are not aware of the grace that helps us deal with the truth, they will often shut the veil and try to forget, or the taste will so overwhelm them they think there is no hope.

The grace is there, waiting to help us accept the truth, but not let it end with only acceptance. It will help us move on towards helping make right what we have done wrong. It will helps us grow in wisdom.

That grace is God’s love, offered to us freely in the fullness of the Three-in-One, giving us life, setting us free, helping us to “grow into the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ (RSV).” And so the opening of the veil to see the truth is a part of the grace too. May I receive it so.

Ephesians 4:13

Until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Offering Ashes in the World

Yesterday for the second year, we took ashes out into the world. Brian and Jeremy went to Starbucks.

The youth burn last year's palms
to make this year's ashes.

One of them told me about listening to the baristas call customers by name. It seemed a metaphor for being in ministry in the world.

For the first time, two of us offered ashes in the parking lot at church. To me, it seemed like a sacrament simply to be there, watching the people drive by. Each one has a story and a name that God knows. For each car that turned in to the lot, probably a few hundred others passed by. And of those, who know how many saw Nina and me, but we saw them, offering our presence and our prayers. The response of those who received ashes was full of gratitude. We also received a spontaneous hug, and hand warmers from a member of the Marine Band driving by.

After warming our toes and fingers, a few of us gathered in the Chapel for Midweek Prayer and ashes, a time for reflection. After the committal service at the cemetery for Gerry Davies, it seemed appropriate to offer ashes, reminding each of us that we are mortal, and that we are loved and known, calling us to turn around to hear the Good News of grace.

This evening, again in the Chapel, Jeremy and I sat with persons as they came to receive ashes. Some were from our congregation, but more were not. After receiving ashes, they went downstairs to Zumba.

Out of all those we touched today, twice as many were from outside the church as from our congregation. There seems to be a hunger for many people in the world for this offering of grace. I felt privileged to be a part of God’s flow of grace.

Joel 2: 13

Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

Out of the Depths

In several ways this week has been tough, some ups and more downs--not so much for me, but for people I care about.

I give thanks for love found for a friend.

I grieve for a friend who had bad news about a medical condition, that reminds me all too much about Jeff's journey.

I ache for another friend who had bad news.

We all mourn the loss of our Gerry, while we also celebrate her new life.

I think the psalmist can pray much better than I can right now, and so I join my voice with all of God's people who cry out:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my

supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.

More than those who watch for the morning, O Israel, hope in the Lord!

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. [Psalm 130]

Pray for all who mourn,

for all who sorrow,

for all in distress,

for all need a word of grace.

It's All Too Easy to Otherize Others

I briefly read part of an exchange between two colleagues on Facebook. I only read briefly because, I confess, I still get very uncomfortable with conflict. That is one reason why I host Holy Conferencing.* I have to make myself come face-to-face with my discomfort.

Coming face-to-face is important. When we keep ourselves apart from those who are different from us, it is all too easy for us to otherize people. I do not think that is a real word, but it seems appropriate to me. When I otherize people, I do not have to realize that they have feelings, hopes, dreams, loves, dislikes—just as I do. I can objectify them, and thus make pronouncements on them especially where we differ. When I can begin really to see them, I can enjoy our differences, allowing those differences to inform me about myself, and in the process helping me to come closer to loving my neighbor as myself.

I am only a small way along that journey. For every step I take, I find it so easy to take one back. I pray for grace and mercy as I walk it.

* Here’s a description of what we do in Holy Conferencing: The purpose of these gatherings is not to come up with the definitive answer, or a program that will be successfully presented at our churches. It is a process that helps us gather face-to-face and heart-to-heart, in a non-judgmental way, as we deal with, struggle with, wrestle with different issues. It is a process in which we will hopefully learn to listen to others even when we do not agree. There is no debate, no scoring of points, no experts. And unfortunately there is no way to offer notes to others unable to attend.  It is the face-to-face process that is the goal.  

Luke 10:27-29

He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Grace of Persistence

I have been a part of a couple of interesting conversations lately. They both had something of a similar theme—persistence. In one, persistence was regarded as something we do while waiting for moments of grace to enter our lives. In the other, persistence was regarded as a vital part of dealing with difficulties in life.

I think that persistence can well be a grace in our lives. Rather than simply waiting for good things to happen, or seeing just the good things as moments of grace, persistence itself, the act of waiting is a grace. It reminds me of a word that might seem rather old-fashioned these days—biding. An online dictionary refers to bide as archaic and defines it as to “remain or stay somewhere.” It also has a sense of waiting and tarrying.

So often we are trying to hurry through life, wanting to go from one “good” moment to another, instead of abiding, waiting, tarrying. This morning, as I was leaving the house after making sure that it was in pristine order in case someone wanted to see it with their real estate agent, I asked God to please help it sell soon. Then I realized that was not what I needed to pray, so I asked God to help with have patience during this waiting time. What can the grace be for me in this time of waiting? I am not sure yet--that insight usually comes after the fact for me—but I am sure that there is grace here in this moment, and in the very act of waiting.

While I cannot make something happen faster just because I want it to, I can refuse to live into the waiting. If I do that, I will not be open to this moment. I will be like the disciples who kept falling asleep in the garden. And so, my prayer is to bide, to wait, to tarry in this moment, to be open to what the very act of biding can teach me—that the grace of persistence is deeper than I can imagine.

Luke 11:8

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

Lessons from a Cypress Swamp

Great American Egret

At the Bethany Center in Lutz, FL, there is a cypress swamp between the cottages where we stay by Lake Mary and the building we meet in by Lake Martha. My 3-4 round trips a day give me about 2 miles total. From a bridge above the swamp, we can stop and observe. This afternoon, Larry, one of the facilitators, gave us a visual tour.

The theme of this workshop or Clergy Institute is The Geography of Grace, looking at our own lives and at our communities. After we had spent about 30 minutes observing and learning, Larry asked us to reflect on what the swamp might have to teach us about our own community.

In that small space thrives an enormous ecosystem. What we can see above the water in the trees has great diversity, as does the water level, and underneath the water. Spanish moss depends on the trees, while the tree does not really depend on the moss but supports it and tolerates it. How important is it to support ministries, programs or groups that may not “feed” the church directly still be an important part of the ecosystem to support?

Since the roots of the cypress trees are under water and cannot readily access oxygen, the tree raises up “knees” to absorb the vital gas. These knees might be right next to the tree trunk, or they might be several feet away. A knee that sits in the middle of several trees could belong to anyone of them. What ministry, program or group that appears unconnected really could be a vital source of oxygen and therefore life to the congregation?

I can apply the same reflections to my own life as well as our community. This is a deep time, and I am grateful to you all for allowing me to deepen in this way.

1 Chronicles 16:32-34

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good; for God’s steadfast love endures forever.