An Advent Offering from Donnie: Trust the Creator for All that I Have Not Seen…

Lil Smith
December 16, 2012
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donnie advent 2Luke 1:18-25

And Gabriel said.

you are to be a Dad.

And Zachariah said,

who me?

And Gabriel said,

yes, you.

And Zachariah said,

but I’m old

Elizabeth is old, too

you must be crazy.

And Gabriel said,

the Lord sent me with

this announcement but you

are having none of it,

And Zachariah tried to

answer but was unable

And Gabriel said,

God expected you to listen

so now you can listen but not speak.

And Zachariah had to go

about his work with no words.

And Gabriel said,

you’ll be okay

go to Elizabeth

And Zachariah went to Elizabeth

who indeed got pregnant,

And Zachariah wished he

he could say,

as the Lord wills.

All that I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peace,

Donnie Hawley

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An Offering from Donnie: A Struggle with Personal Pride

Lil Smith
November 4, 2012
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Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.  -Mark 10:47

 

Recently, my husband and I visited Hungary.  We spent a few days in Budapest; one thing we delighted in were walking tours of the various parts of the city.  These tours were lead by very knowledgeable young people intent on educating visitors about the past and present of their country.  The walks were FREE and well worth any tip you were moved to give to them.

The Hungarian history is varied ranging from the Celtics in the 400’s, to the eventual Christianization by King Stephen in 1000, to subjugation by the Communist government of the USSR.  The city reflects many aspects of those by- gone eras.

As we walked through the medieval city, I was struck by how modern Hungary was presenting itself.  Many of the building were in a state of disrepair.  The Communist domination had done little to keep the medieval buildings clean and repaired.  Some of the old buildings in Budapest were being cleaned only at eye level—the first floor.  I suppose the idea was to put the Hungarian best foot forward where most people looked. This was a struggle with national pride.  One that money can change.

As I walked looking at the buildings, it occurred to me that is the way we humans clean ourselves at eye level for others to see, a struggle with personal pride.  One that money can’t change, that is God’s job.

At various times in my life, I’ve been distressed by my need to show only the clean, sparkling parts of myself, my first floor. I eventually have had to beg my Lord for the grace of humility.  Little did I know of what I was begging!  It came to me from within and as a result of that begging that I had to acknowledge my pride before God.  I needed to intentionally look at my pride and call it what it is—sin.  Pride is the way the evil one diminishes the work of the Lord in my life.

I had to face my need for healing and realize that it is a gift that God freely gives to me whether I beg for it or not.  But like the medieval buildings that are partiality clean, I needed to beg for God’s mercy to clean the inside as well as my upper stories.  Being who I am, I will need to do so all of my life.

Scripture is replete with stories of God’s healings.  While I couldn’t come up with one centered on buildings, one of my favorites which always has a message for me, is the cry of the man begging at the city gate of Jericho.  When Jesus was passing by, the man called out to him and Jesus responded

Like the blind man, Bartimaeus, I need to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” and then tell him when Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:46-52)  Before Bartimaeus could receive the gift of healing, he had to recognize and acknowledge his need of healing.  I, too, need to spend time begging so that I will remember that salvation is a gift from God and has nothing to do with how clean and sparkly I am on the outside but how in need I am of his healing grace on the inside and all of the upper floors.

I know that, like the lovely buildings in Budapest, I am blessed with my share of God-given gifts, but mixed in with those is a need for healing that I sometimes don’t clearly see.  I am grateful for these gifts and I also beg for the honestly to acknowledge what needs to be healed.

“We all have to try to become holy on our own, and fail, before we can approach God with humility.”   Mark Salzman, Lying Awake

Peace,

Donnie

 

 

 

 

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An offering from Bev: Ocean Waves

Lil Smith
October 29, 2012
0

God is a bright ocean that distills and reveals hidden truths

so that my soul has a better understanding of how to trust Love,

and this water is a mirror in which You, Eternal Trinity, give me knowledge.  

–Catherine of Siena

 

I breathe in fully and slowly exhale.  I’ve come to the beach to spend an overnight retreat.  My breath becomes gentle and quiet as I simply relax into the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I settle comfortably and observe the waves breaking and rolling ashore, their continuous sound pulling me away from the busy schedule I’ve left behind for a few hours.

I consider the waves:  their constancy, their rhythm.  Like our breath, the waves come and go, a symbol of the Christian life of giving and receiving, emptying and filling, death and resurrection.

The wind that blows across the water forms these waves, just as the Holy Spirit breathes through our lives, stirring our longing, pushing and pressing us ever toward God.

One wonders what distant breeze began this wave’s journey that ends here, nourishing sea life, polishing cast off shells, washing sandy feet, imposing a constant and gentle rhythm on a restless soul.

Watching the waves moves us to reflect on the mysterious nature of God’s love.  God within us and still beyond our imagination.  God revealed to us and yet beyond our understanding.  Creator God, the very source of all life.  Self-emptying God.  God of the beginning of time, God of ages to come.  God of this very moment.

“Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Fill me with life anew,

That I may love what thou dost love,

And do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Until my heart is pure,

Until with thee I will one will,

To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Till I am wholly thine,

Till all this earthly part of me

Glows with thy fire divine.

-Edwin Hatch

Peace, Blessings and Joy,

Bev

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An offering from Karen: The Moon and the Stars Are the Same Ones You See

Lil Smith
September 29, 2012
0

The Moon and the Stars Are the Same Ones You See

Sydney Opera House Under Full Moon, September 2012

In 1960, when I was a 9-year-old Brownie Scout, I went “all the way” up to Camp Robinwood in Willis, Texas, now just a part of the I-45 Houston sprawl.  Fortunately, I don’t have memories of sleeping outside in the miserable Gulf Coast heat, sharing the space with the mosquitos, chiggers, poisonous snakes and everything else that goes with the Great Outdoors in that area.  (Guess who still isn’t a Nature Girl?)

My best memory is of our nightly stargazing sessions—who knew all that was up there in the sky?

Full Moon Telluride Colorado August 2012

Rhett, a counselor, told us to remember that at night, everyone in the world could see the same moon, and we became linked to each other whenever we gazed upon it.
And then she gave me one of my first tastes of the numinous:  all who had ever lived before us, including our ancestors, had been out on nights just like these, pondering the same moon.  What a sense of interconnectedness this little 9-year-old felt for the first time.

This powerful imagery resonates with me every time I travel.  My ‘spiritual practice’ (now that I’m on the journey, I have a name for it) involves finding the moon from a motel room, car window, or maybe even a more romantic sport, and then thinking about those around me doing the same thing, as well as all those back home—even if halfway around the world—and knowing this moon belongs equally to them.
God has His creation on display for all His creatures, and nothing about who we are or our worthiness can separate us from its magnificent, predictable glow.

One cannot pick up the paper or turn on the news without realizing how terribly polarized

our country and the world is right now.  Focus centers on what divides us; differences seem to warrant celebrations.  To me, the moon offers a graphic symbol of a better way:  what do we share in common–no matter what faith explanation one has for it.

More down-to-earth examples include unexpectedly coming upon a wedding party posing for pictures, watching a family strolling a new baby, kids walking home from school.   Anywhere in the world, these illustrate priorities for most people; they are the simple blessings which remind them of their creator’s love and provision—the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth in anyone’s faithspeak.

If only the world’s leaders could be so inspired.  I will keep the image of a 9-year-old school girl gazing at the moon in Tehran, a single mom being cared for by her church family in Denver and displaced children receiving humanitarian aid from Syria in mind as I meditate with the quotes and pictures I’ve included.

I took these two full-moons 6 months apart this year in Sydney, Australia and Telluride, Colorado.  I hope they, and the quotes, will speak to you as contemplating upon them has spoken to me.

May the moonlight shine upon your path,

Karen Robertson

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An offering from Bev: Where are you from?

Lil Smith
September 18, 2012
2

At a function recently someone asked me, “Where are you from?”  I answered in the usual way, giving the name of my hometown, but I secretly wanted to reply:

“I am from a song that was begun long, long ages ago,

breath and vibrations and imagination.

 

I am from where snow begins,

high in the sky, falling silently.

 

I am from a bird’s song

resonating from high atop an ancient oak tree.

 

I am from a chant sung by a Native American fore-mother.

 

I am from lullabies hummed by ancestors from across the ocean.

 

I am from my grandmother’s homemade biscuits, butter, and jelly.

 

I am from the back of a horse, saddled for me before breakfast by my grandfather.

 

I am from peaches and pecans from the trees in her yard and creamy,

Rich fudge from my grandmother’s stove.

 

I am from sitting on my grandfather’s knee and singing songs together on a road trip

halfway across the state of Texas.

 

I am from coastal sunshine, salt spray, and fish caught with my daddy.

 

I am from clothes beautifully crafted by my mom.

 

I am from sailing adventures with my brother.

 

I am from climbing trees and giggles with my little sister.

 

I am from games and cousins, and Christmas trees and camping,

and books and hymns.

 

I am from a place that, when I was 11 years old, was devastated by a hurricane

and resurrected by determination, faith, and countless helping hands.

 

I am from women and men who lived with Jesus

and taught others, who taught others, who taught others,

who taught my Sunday School teachers.

 

I am from many places, far from here.”

 

“And where are you from?”

 

Peace, Blessings, and Joy

Bev

 

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