You were bought with a price – An offering from Rev. Lil Smith

Lil Smith
March 3, 2018
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21 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. Even if you can gain your freedom, make use of your present condition now more than ever.[a] 22 For whoever was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed person belonging to the Lord, just as whoever was free when called is a slave of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of human masters. 24 In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters,[b] there remain with God.  1 Corinthians 7:21-24

I visited the Holy Land this time last year, and now, I  often envision Paul by the sea…in prison…at Caesarea.  What strikes me is that Paul is in chains.  Yet, Paul’s letters don’t sound like Paul is in chains.  Paul has freedom despite the chains.  Despite the chains, Paul is free.

Friends, this is the true freedom that is the gift of God.  It is not the false freedom the world wants to possess. True freedom, despite our circumstance in the world, allows us to take a deep breath and choose to follow the One who creates, the One who redeems, and the One who encourages.

Holy God, may we embrace this precious freedom that comes at such a price.  Send us the gift of your freedom and Holy Peace that sets us free…even when we live in the chains of the world.

(c) 2018 Rev. Lil Smith
Spiritual Director and Supervisor
Retreat House Spirituality Center

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An offering from Donnie: Rejoice!

Lil Smith
August 7, 2015
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A few evenings ago my small part of North Texas was blessed with an almost unheard of late June rain storm. As the rain fell, I went out to sit in our covered patio to enjoy the air cooled by the rain and experience the night sky lit up by cloud to cloud lightning.

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

The thunder rolled almost continually and made me think that was what the author of Rip Van Winkle was describing as playing ‘nine pin’. Was God enjoying the game of lawn bowling and sharing it with North Texas? My preference was to think ‘yes’ and reveal in the thought.

As I sat enjoying this gift, I was reminded of Paul’s message to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice!” And I did just that, I rejoiced in the fire flies that flitted nearby, in the peepers serenading the damp night and thought of the other creatures living in my back yard, taking shelter from the rain. I was left with an attitude of gratitude for God’s generosity in his creation.

Paul continues to say…”whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Once we have learned this lesson of positive thinking and practice it with diligence, God’s peace will be ours. Rejoice!

 

Thank you, Holy One,

For the surprising ways

You choose to visit my life,

May I be open to your messengers.

Joyce Rupp

(c) 2015 Donnie Hawley

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An offering from Debra: Hanging on…

Lil Smith
August 5, 2015
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4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-6

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

Ahhhh.  The beauty of Lectio Divina.  When I first saw this photo I was turned off.  I’m not a fan of rodents, even “cute” little ones like this chipmunk.  But as I sat with it, I began to notice and think about other things.  Like the leafless twig-like structures permeating the landscape.  And the seeming impossibility of one of them being able to hold the weight of the chipmunk on its tip.  And the lone wildflower blossom decorating the scene.  I thought about the weight of my own burdens and how sometimes I think they’re impossible to carry.  And then I remember I don’t have to.  I remember the quiet strength of the indwelling spirit and how it is always there to shore me up, no matter how fragile I feel.  I think of the “blossoms” along my path, whether they’re dear friends there to brighten my day, a healthy body  still able to do anything I ask it to do, or the joy of impending grandmotherhood.   And I think of how much I and that little chipmunk share in the grand scheme of things, of how we and all of creation are connected at the most basic level.  And for today, that’s enough.

(c) 2015 Debra Cook

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An offering from Dorothy: Standing on a sturdy branch…

Lil Smith
August 3, 2015
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(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-6

The image of this chipmunk spoke to me loudly about my current living situation—hanging on and carrying on. My daughter and her family have been living with us for five months. Things are tense, and there is no end in sight. The chipmunk’s situation is precarious, but he trusts in the sturdy branch on which he stands, calmly chewing away on the piece in his paws. I, too, stand on a Sturdy Branch, One that will hold me up in the midst of the chaos of my life. The chipmunk reminds me to “be anxious for nothing “ (Phil. 4:6) and to “rejoice in the Lord.” He knows what all of this is about, even if I don’t. That knowledge builds my trust and lightens my load. My thanks to the chipmunk for the needed reminder.

(c) 2015 Dorothy Castle

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An offering from Deborah: Loving God deeper…

Lil Smith
July 29, 2015
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28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”  – Mark 12:28-31

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden
“I awoke, like most mornings, praying for my girls.”  And so began the email from my father in Houston.  The previous evening  my 90 year-old grandmother, who lives in Seattle, spent time lovingly praying over me during our short phone call. 
 
Prayer isn’t mentioned in this passage of scripture, but loving God is.  And  when we truly love him, don’t we also trust him and thus are drawn to surrender to him the deepest desires of our hearts?  As I humbly realized that the innermost longings held by my father and grandmother in those moments were providence for me,  I appreciated that this generosity sprung out of their profound love for God.

Is our love for God so abundant that it naturally spills over onto others so that, as my dad says, Jesus’ life is reflected?  If not, perhaps loving God deeper is the place to begin.
(c) 2015 Deborah Bouis
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An offering from Jeanene: Let love be…

Lil Smith
July 27, 2015
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28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:12-31

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

Fifteen years ago at the end of a retreat I was invited to write a note to myself.   My note said simply, “Let love be.”  I had no idea what it meant.  I recently reflected on the picture and Scripture shown above.   I wondered, how does a commandment of the law to love God, self and neighbor go from head to heart; from lofty ideal to humble flesh?  And then I remembered recently sitting face to face with my 11 month old granddaughter.  Delighted at her sweet, searching gaze, part of me was thinking, “Don’t you see what time, gravity, and being human has done to this face – – doesn’t it make you want to look away?”  Gratefully, in an instant I was lost in an eternal moment; defenses down; captured by surprising, irresistible innocent love.  And then I remembered that note to myself so long ago, “Let love be.” 

(c) Jeanene McIntyre

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An offering from Elaine: Lord open my eyes to the beauty around me

Lil Smith
July 15, 2015
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I’m reminded of last Thanksgiving and the pine cones that made up the centerpiece adorning our dinner table. My granddaughter, Anna, had picked them all up off the ground in her neighborhood.

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

I imagine her joy and excitement in finding one, then another, snatching them up and placing them gently in her little bag. This “fruit,” fallen from the tree, became a wonderful blessing to our family, a thing of beauty for us to share.

Lord, open my eyes to the beauty around me. I don’t want to miss even one little bit.

Yesterday, I saw the first tiny, tiny buds on the Rose of Sharon bush outside my kitchen window. I anxiously await the blooms, the mixture of pink and white, as two bushes have seemingly grown together into one.

Lord, open my eyes to the beauty around me. I don’t want to miss even one little bit.

(c) 2015 Elaine Weber

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An offering from Nancy Kate: Bearers of seeds

Lil Smith
July 13, 2015
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Pine cones, bearers of seeds, a hidden latent forest lying on the ground. Notice the seeds, notice the potential.

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

As a spiritual director I am always looking for what else is there than what is showing, more than what is said. What is the unseen God doing? What is the unseen love, grace, call that is inside the part we can see? From years of noticing seeds in students, to now noticing seeds in spiritual directees, I cannot see what is before me without wondering what more there might be. How did I learn to look at something or someone and see more than what shows? I honor those who have seen the seeds of goodness in me even when I feel protected by my outer shell. What is the invitation to accept what makes the seeds grow inside me?

(c) 2015 Nancy Kate Dunkerley

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An offering from Ellen: Part of a greater whole

Lil Smith
July 10, 2015
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As a young girl I played for hours in the woods near our summer cabin.

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

I would gather pine cones, inspect bugs, search for treasure, sit beneath a tree and read, hide in the shadows, and bask in the sunny spots. These many years later I still have a tremendous love for time spent in the woods. A walk in the forest is a reminder to me of the intricate and incredible design of our Creator. A forest contains an entire ecosystem of plants, animals, and tiny micro organisms. There is an interdependence among all of these elements. Each has a necessary function. A pine cone falls to the ground, containing the seeds of a future tree. Leaf mold fertilizes the soil. Tree roots prevent erosion. This reminds me of the body of Christ. We are all interdependent, part of a greater whole, each bringing our own gifts for the good of the community.God places a unique purpose in each of us. We need one another to thrive and grow just as all of the elements of the forest are needed for growth and regeneration. Praise God for all of creation!

(c) 2015 Ellen Mechler

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An offering from Nancy J: Chosen by God to be created and loved

Lil Smith
July 10, 2015
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Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes . . . we who stand before him covered with his love. (Eph 1: 4)

(c) Bonnie Oden
(c) Bonnie Oden

 

I notice the contrast between the pine cones and the trees . . . so many more cones than trees.  How were the cones chosen to become trees?  Was there something special about them?  Or did they just fall at just the right time, landing on the spot that would offer the perfect combination of light, shadow, water, soil, and room to grow?

 

Some cones thrive and grow, but even those that lie fallow and eventually decay are part of the beauty of the created landscape.  We all are special, but our real specialness comes from the fact that we were chosen by God to be created and loved.

(c) 2015 Nancy Jagmin

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