Quicksilver Art and Spirit

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

River from the Temple

December 14, 2010

Despite the fact that winter is still officially four days away, the weather here in the Sacramento Valley has been gray, overcast, and cold. A friend of mine says it's perfect for fishing for steelheads. I say it's far too cold to go out in 40-degree water for fish I could find at the supermarket.

Those in the Midwest and East, however, might well scoff at us out here on the Left Coast with our thin blood and mild temps, given the pounding they've taken over the past week. I mean really? The collapse of the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome calls up an image of End Times without even trying. In case you haven't watched it more than 100 times by now, it's here (plus about a million other places you can find) http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Unbelievable-video-of-Metrodome-collapse-from-in?urn=nfl-294816.

Armageddon, the sports writer called it. Nonsense. It's only heavy snowfall, pure and simple, just the kind of thing that reveals us Californians to be climatically wimpy compared to places that get four actual seasons of weather. It's just a call for engineers to think about a better dome.

If we think at all about End Times, one thing we have to realize is that they're not all about destruction. The prophet Ezekiel writes about End Times related to the river of life in the Hebrew Bible. A selected portion of this poetic book follows. Imagine if you encountered a river teeming with every kind of life-would it be how you imagine Armageddon?

Prayer: "Heavenly One, keep me open to the healing only you can bring, while remaining compassionate to those who only see you as a judgmental God. Amen."

Ezekiel 47:6-12 (The Message)

^6-7 He said, "Son of man, have you had a good look?"

Then he took me back to the riverbank. While sitting on the bank, I noticed a lot of trees on both sides of the river.

^8-10 He told me, "This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En-gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.

¹¹ "The swamps and marshes won't become fresh. They'll stay salty.

¹² "But the river itself, on both banks, will grow fruit trees of all kinds. Their leaves won't wither, the fruit won't fail. Every month they'll bear fresh fruit because the river from the Sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

How unexpected it would be if a local river joined the sea and turned the sea into fresh water. Yet that is exactly what the river flowing out of the Temple to the Dead Sea was capable of doing. It reversed the deadly saltiness of the sea and produced healing fruit on its banks. The early Christians had similar symbolism; the river of life flowed from the throne of God.

Not everyone can get the message. My friend looks out at this weather and thinks it's time to go fishing. I look out and think it's a great season to remain warm and dry indoors. A football stadium roof fails, and one person says it's like doomsday. Many others just think it's time to re-engineer the roof. Likewise, some people read the Bible and see clear signs of destruction at every turn, in every prediction. Many others understand the blessed omens floating like leaves on the river of life's current.

There are hundreds of ways in which we experience healing in this human existence, only a very few of which are visible or tangible. Some will find it hanging out on Solomon's Porch with friends(see older posts) while others will find it in solitary Bible study. But Ezekiel tips us off that the river of life is there for all of us.

Prayer: "Great and loving God, your word is miraculous in its healing for those who truly trust you. For those who are skeptical, for those who laugh at believers, we ask that we may be emboldened to share the narrative of our own healing that they may experience the same joy. Amen."

Blessings as we dance in the river!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Hanging out at Solomon’s

December 13, 2010

Entering into Advent's third week, many of us are hitting one of the dreaded seasonal deadlines: shipping gifts in time for Christmas without paying premium rates! Personally, I'm too stressed about finals to worry about it so Dan is pretty much taking on all the out-of-town packing and shipping chores. I figure all of us could use some deep breathing and chair yoga right about now or it would be very easy to overload. OK, I'm speaking for myself. I need some deep breathing and chair yoga in order to prevent overload. Would you like to join me?

First, remember how we let our hands hang comfortably down at our sides, feet flat on the floor. Inhaling, lift hands above our heads, palms together. Exhale, bringing arms down again to your side. Sit tall at each exhale, as if a string fastened to the top of your head is gently lifting you up toward the ceiling. Repeat 6 times, always breathing slowly and steadily through the nose.

Prayer: "God, when the world and so many within it are in need of your healing touch, remind us through your word that you are always there, actively engaged wherever true healing occurs. Amen."

The Apostles Heal Many

" ¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. ¹³ No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. ¹⁵ As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. ¹⁶ Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. "

At church as I've listened to our Advent services for these past three weeks, I've appreciated our pastor's sermon series on the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, after the book of the same name by UMC Bishop Robert Schnase. The book outlines and discusses such issues as radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission, and service. Bishop Schnase opines that these concepts, when put into practice by a community of faith, result in a truly transformative congregation. In other words, real lives are changed. People encounter God, develop their spiritual lives, grow meaningful friendships and mutually supportive relationships, and change the communities in which they live. Others outside the church come to know God. Good fruit comes of such engagement.

If you look at the young Christian church, the church which is described in the book of Acts, it isn't difficult to see that the ideas my pastor has been talking about and Bishop Schnase has been writing about are essentially the same ideas that Peter and the apostles practiced. In fact, they were so engaged and passionate that the Holy Spirit filled their little community, and lives were transformed in ways that could only be called miraculous. People so believed that they were God's people doing God's work that they thought they would be healed just by lying under Peter's passing shadow! That is pretty strong faith.

While we don't have the same kind of expectations of the church today, the church still is a body in which God's spirit runs wild, just waiting for the opportunity to change peoples' lives in miraculous ways. Healing takes many forms, and God is willing to act today to bring God's best to all who long for transformation. Prayer still has the power to bring us into ever deeper relationship with God and with one another!

Lives can be changed. Sometimes it can be radical, as subtle and quick as a shadow passing over us. Sometimes it takes more time and persistence. But God's longing to heal our lives is authentic. We can believe it when we look upon the manger and the child who arrives there.

By the way, if you're curious, Solomon's Portico was one of the two important colonnades of the Jerusalem Temple. It became common knowledge that Peter and the gang hung out there every day, something which the growing group of Jesus-followers came to depend on. Wouldn't it be great to know there was a place to go where you could find welcoming like-minded people who would offer you radical hospitality, you could worship God, be transformed spiritually, and stand up for social justice today?

Actually, there is. I go there every Sunday. You can too!

Many blessings!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Mary’s Magnificat

December 12, 2010

This is an important Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, the day when we light the third candle, that of "Joy". It is also called the "Mary candle" in many traditions and in an Advent wreath comprised of purple and rose (pink) candles it is the pink one. Its color sets it apart from the more somber purple associated with penitence. I don't know who first came up with this ritual in the early centuries of Christianity, but for some reason they thought penitence and joy couldn't coexist in the same candle.

Since I decided to use all blue candles in our wreath this year, it's a non-issue around here. Anyway, the joy is overwhelmingly present, coinciding as it does with the half-year anniversary of the day my husband and I made our wedding vows. It doesn't matter what color the candles are; we're still pretty sappy around here.

In entering in to the scripture, I invite you to imagine you are sitting in the room with Mary and Elizabeth, her cousin. When you are ready and centered, invite the Holy Spirit to help you listen.

Prayer: "God my Savior, fill me with a spirit willing to hear you and praise you as Mary did, anticipating the joy that is ours through her willingness to serve you. Amen."

Luke 1:47-55

⁴⁷"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, ⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; ⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. ⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. ⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. ⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; ⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, ⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

As noted in the Student Bible, NRSV c. 1996, "Saying yes to God usually involves sacrifice. It did for Mary, who endured the doubts of her fiancé and the scorn of neighbors who saw her pregnant before marriage. Saying yes meant bearing the pain of childbirth. It meant fleeing to far-off Egypt to protect the baby from Herod's soldiers. It meant raising a child she did not entirely understand. Most of all, it meant watching her son die on the cross."

She said yes to all of this perhaps little realizing that the difficult end of Jesus' life would mean allowing him, her Savior, to hold her as she had once held him, a helpless infant. I imagine she hardly thought of the long-term consequences; isn't it grand to trust God as much as that young woman did on the day she prayed and sang the words we read today?

When teaching my confirmation classes, I ask students to write a poem of praise like Mary's in their own words. You might want to do that as well, or instead you might want to read Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of Mary's hymn, called "The Magnificat", from Peterson's work, the Message Bible:

Luke 1:46-55 (The Message)

And Mary said,

I'm bursting with God-news;
I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It's exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

Jesus pulls us out of the mud! He sets us, starving, down at fine tables filled with a banquet. It is definitely the time to anticipate God's healing, our theme for the coming week!

To celebrate, spend some time as you enjoy your Sabbath rest thinking of all the ways you can open your life to God's healing, and give thanks.

Prayer: "With our hearts we praise the Lord. Help us to start this week with a commitment to continue Christ's compassion and caring. Amen."

The following links for further reading today are from the PC(USA), Office of Theology and Worship.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Sunday, December 12, 2010, the Third Sunday of Advent (Year A)

First Reading Isaiah 35:1-10

Psalm Psalm 146:5-10

Gospel Luke 1:47-55

Second Reading James 5:7-10

Gospel Matthew 11:2-11

Not Forgotten

December 11, 2010

Today is the last day of the 2^nd week of Advent, the last day marked by the "Shepherd's" candle in the Advent wreath. We've considered the idea of Dreaming this week-what the nation of Israel might have been dreaming the Messiah would bring, what we might be dreaming today, and how we might be a part of making dreams come true.

Before we leave the theme, I want to consider shepherds one last time. The shepherds are the ones who work for the common good, who do the heavy lifting when it needs doing, and are often in the background, unremarked and unthanked. On the hillsides outside a small town long ago, they waited in the darkness, but God did not forget them.

Many unremarkable people have been important to the unfolding of God's story. We would not even know of their existence but for the fact that God did not forget them.

Prayer: "God of Shepherds, as I consider the hastening of Christ's birth, let me be open to see the shepherds around me. Amen."

1 Samuel 2

Hannah's Prayer

¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:

   "My heart rejoices in the LORD;
   in the LORD my horn^[a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
   for I delight in your deliverance.

² "There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

³ "Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴ "The bows of the warriors are broken,
   but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
   but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
   but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ "The LORD brings death and makes alive;
   he brings down to the grave and raises up.
⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
   he humbles and he exalts.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
   and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
   and has them inherit a throne of honor.

"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
on them he has set the world.

Hannah was one of many unremarkable people whom God did not forget. She was a barren woman who ended up the mother of Samuel, one of the most remarkable characters in God's story. Her hymn of praise and thanks foreshadows that of another unremarkable person, Mary, mother of Jesus. But that can wait. We were talking about shepherds.

Something I noticed when Dan and I stayed with friends up in Mendocino and attended the sheepdog championship was how contrary the sheep could be. The dog and shepherd are timed as they attempt to herd three sheep from one end of the stadium to the other and back, through a number of obstacles. Most of the sheep seem uncooperative at best and just damned wrong-headed at worst.

This all makes shepherding seem like a tough job. But really, don't we encounter people every day in our lives who get the sheep through the gates, patiently keep them all within the flock where they belong, and make sure they're bedded down at night? Don't we know people who get up at the same time every morning, catch their bus or fight the traffic to the office, or pad out to the kitchen in bare feet to make breakfast? Don't we often see the same toll booth operator at the same mundane job, or the barista who knows what kind of latte we want before we even ask? The unremarkable people who make our world run right are those shepherds.

They're in my family, and yours. The father who goes off to work every day to provide for his family. The older sister who babysits the younger kids while mom's at work. The uncle who stops by every time it snows, to shovel the walk. The son who helps with the housework.

Most of the time the deeds of these shepherds go unremarked, but as Hannah said,

"for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed. "

As you pray, think of the shepherds in your life, knowing that they are not forgotten by God and lift them up. I think God might be pleased to know that you haven't forgotten them either.

Prayer: "For those you have sent into my life, God, I give thanks for the blessings brought, and as you brought a son to Hannah, you are bringing a Son to the world. Amen."

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Déjà vu All Over Again

December 10, 2010

Some who read this will remember a time during the Cold War when, convinced of the planet's impending annihilation, protesters carried signs and street preachers warned, "The End is Near". Like Roy Delgado's cartoon: Bedraggled long hair and beard, sackcloth robes, bare feet, either carrying a picket sign or wearing a sandwich board.

Political cartoons have so much to say. They encapsulate the essence of a position, a message, or an argument for or against. They comment, sometimes bitingly, sometimes gently, from the pages of our newspapers or, now, on countless websites. Many have suffered at the heavy hands of their governments over the centuries. Goya, Daumier, and Picasso are but three who come to mind that could not publish or show some of their political art for fear of retribution.

Peter, Paul, and others who lived and worked in the Christian community in the first century were apostles; first -generation people who had had a personal experience of Jesus in their lifetime. Their belief in a reordered new world disturbed the Roman authorities. Their message was concise, and alarming.

Let's center with some deep breathing, and allow ourselves to come to prayer and stillness.

Prayer: "Divine Love, You are the bringer of peace. Show me how to wait for your coming. Amen."

" ¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^[a] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³ But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. ¹⁶ He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. "

In addition to the funny little cartoon character, you can probably imagine the bumper sticker that was prevalent around Y2K (remember *that* fiasco?) which read: "Jesus is coming! Look busy!"

Peter isn't urging people to do that. Notice how he says "strive to be found by him at peace". He is asking Christians to set aside the anxiety they may have at the radical change Christ brings to Creation, and be at peace with God and with one another. Counting on God is the only way to achieve this peace, knowing surely that God is in charge of the when, the how, and wherefores. To borrow yet another piece of popular imagery, think about the "I love logistics" ad on TV right now.

It's safe to give thanks, to be in right relationship and at peace with God. We can have the patience Peter encouraged. He may have been a fanatic street preacher with a scraggly beard, but he got this part right.

Sweet dreams!

Prayer: "O holy God, I dream of being at peace with you. Help me to lay down everything I am carrying with me that keeps me from a righteous relationship today. I want to be free to know you. Amen."

For further reading:

Psalm 146:5-10

Ruth 4:13-17

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Dream a Little Dream

December 9, 2010

As we continue thinking about our theme, Dreaming, you are invited to consider what the people of the time might have been dreaming about in connection with the coming of the Messiah. This time, to help bring a different part of the brain into the reflection, a suggestion is to take a piece of scratch paper and pencil. Just have it handy beside you. Try reading through the scripture three separate times. Each time, see if a particular word or phrase stands out more than any other, almost as if it rises, shimmering, in your mind. Jot it down if you like. Take a moment to breathe deeply, and come into prayer when you are relaxed and centered.

Prayer: "Praise the Lord! You are the Lord whose realm was in Israel's dreams when the Psalms were written, and who we worship today. Let me dream alongside your people of all generations, Lord. Amen."

Praise for God's Help, Psalm 146

" ¹ Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD, my soul.

² I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³ Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
⁴ When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
⁵ Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.

⁶ He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
he remains faithful forever.
⁷ He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,
⁸ the LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.
⁹ The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

¹⁰ The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the LORD. "

This is one of those Psalms written as an extravagant hymn of praise to be used in community, sung at temple worship. Its message exalting God's reign differs from many of the other praise psalms, though, in that it contrasts God not with false deities but with human leaders. In it, the people dream of a time and a fulfillment far beyond the promises of any earthly king.

Thinking of the word or phrase that surfaced and stayed with you while reading this psalm, try this for a closing prayer: go back and pray Psalm 146 as if it were a personal prayer original to you. Emphasize or linger on your word or phrase if you like.

Finally, share with God what your own dreams are.

I give thanks for every one of you!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Well, All Things Considered…

December 8, 2010

Every day when we get home Dan and I exchange news over the dinner table and take time to evaluate the day's happenings. This day I had to say, "Well, all things considered, it was a pretty good day." And it was pretty good, actually. I got to go to my classes, learn more about my pop art hero, Wayne Thibeaud in my art history class, discovered that I don't have to sit for half the final exam*, do an impromptu pen-and-ink portrait in drawing class, and as if that wasn't good enough I got to ring the bell for the Salvation Army! (Thanks, Toni!)

Of course, Dan picked up on the "Well, all things considered" part. There's usually a shadow side even to the greatest joys of life. Before we touch on that, you are invited to center, take a minute to become truly present to this moment and venture. Breathe….

Prayer: "Loving God, we dream of days that can progress perfectly from the time we awaken refreshed after a good night's sleep. Too often we awaken dreading what the coming hours may hold. Remind me of your continuous care and mercy when I am apt to forget."

Today's scripture comes to us from the seldom-opened file, "Words We Wish Jesus Had Never Said".

³³ "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Sound familiar? John the Baptist liked that "brood of vipers" epithet also. (See this column for Dec. 6) Sometimes we can ignore John, and sometimes we can talk our way around Paul, but when Jesus himself holds forth on a subject, it's pretty difficult to shut him out.

You see, Jesus doesn't equivocate very much when he's teaching. You either love or you do the opposite of love: you don't give a rip. You either bear the fruit or: you're not contributing. I believe that our personal motivation either brings up good things out of the depths of the soul or it brings up garbage that gets dumped in the streets of your world. There are no statements such as, "Well, all things considered…"

December 7^th was widely remembered as Pearl Harbor Day, a day which the late President Roosevelt claimed would live "in infamy forever." It was a day the world will look back upon for decades and wonder how to avoid war in the future. 2,000 Americans died on Dec. 7, 1941. People of conscience everywhere have worked steadfastly to avoid repeating the kind of conflict that led to such destruction. It was not the kind of time when anyone would have said, "Well, all things considered, it was a pretty good day."

A woman who probably won't be remembered forever died on Dec. 7, 2010. Her name was Elizabeth Edwards. She died of cancer. Under other circumstances she might have occupied the White House as First Lady. Instead, she lived a very challenging existence, by most measures. At the end, I wonder how she imagined this day would be evaluated by history. As I consider her story, I can only say sorrowfully, "Well all things considered, it was a pretty good day." Rest in peace, Elizabeth. I hope you had many good days.

We sometimes wish not to be reminded by Jesus, John, or anyone else what responsibility we have for the making of peace. Most of us certainly don't have the opportunity to affect the peace of the world on a grand scale. Yet, here we are, "Dreaming" in the light of the Peace candle. What will come out of our mouths? What will be our fruit? What opportunities might we seize for the making of peace in our own small worlds?

Prayer: "Prince of Peace, help me heed your words so that when I have the chance to engage for peace, I am not reduced to lamely saying 'Well, all things considered, I did the best I could.' Amen."

Peace be with you! (And I'm not just saying that.)