a box...a bulb...and a brush

"Life in the Spirit is like plugging into an electrical current." When I read these words in my prayer journal from Unbinding Your Heart, I remembered some images I'd pulled from magazines for soul collaging and got to work! I cut and pasted them into a composition that has been inviting my reflection this week.

The warm background colors are vibrant, warm and energizing. They represent the adventure our church is sharing together, that our faith may be vibrant, that our church may be bold in sharing the love of God with others around us. At the center is a big red box, tied with a raffia bow...the gift of Jesus...for us. What is in the box? This question could be an invitation to curiosity and wonder...what gift has Jesus given us? The question could also be an invitation to unwrap the gift. As Jesus said, "those who love me will keep my word...and we will make our home with them." (John 14:23) Imagine digging into the Scriptures, digging into life, as you would a brightly wrapped package. Rip off the paper, if that is your style. Or, gently pull off the tape and and let the paper fall. Open the box, dig through the layers of tissue, discover what is there, for you. Take it out of the box. Examine it, learn about it, delight in it. Hold it in your hands. Wonder why Jesus picked this gift, for you. Wonder what to do with it.

The bulb on the box glows with the electrical current of the Spirit. When it's plugged in, it sheds light on what is there to see. It also fires the synapses of memory and brings to awareness the knowing that lives in our memory. Jesus said "the Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you." (John 14:26) This glowing bulb is, to me, an image of what can happen, through prayer. Not always, as in cause & effect. Sometimes, even when plugged in, a bulb fails to glow....when forces beyond its control interrupt the flow of current. What are those forces in your life? But, to be sure, if the bulb is not plugged in, it will be dull, dark, unable to fulfill the purpose for which it was made.

And the hand of God is the Source of it all: the vibrant colors, the gift, the current. God's hand holds a paintbrush, with loving intention, infinite imagination, and belief in our creative potential. Sweeping the broad canvas of our world and brushing from the palette of our lives, what is God making visible, through us?

A box, an incandescent bulb, a hand holding a paintbrush....what could this trinity of images suggest about our congregation's life in the Spirit?

Blessings,

Cheryl

The Cat Who Came To Church

As I was pondering what to write about, in my next blog posting, an answer wandered through the door. This beautiful cat decided to join us for worship today. As the people arrived, so did the cat. She'd enter the building and someone would put her back out. Then the next person would come along, and in she would follow, until she was sent out again. Finally, I suggested we just leave her be. As the congregation settled in for worship, so did the cat. I was amused when I remembered that in some traditions, today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, and some churches do a blessing of the animals. "This cat knew where to come, to be blessed," I quipped to the congregation. Did she ever!

Throughout worship, she wandered. She walked down the aisles, along the pews, and under them. She sat in the laps of some parishioners and rubbed the ankles of others. As I stood in the chancel to read a storybook, the cat came forward, her tail brushing the hem of my robe, much to the congregation's delight. When she was within reach, hands of parishioners reached out to pet her, even to hold her, for a moment or two. When she was in sight, all eyes followed her. When she climbed up onto the organ bench and sat in the organist's lap, we smiled! Most of the way through the sermon, I figured I might as well weave this unexpected experience into the message. I was talking about experiences that stop us and show us something that already exists but we haven't noticed....signs we might catch, out of the corner of our eye, messages we might receive, if we stopped to read them, that remind us of God's love and the hope that is always there, right under our noses....waiting for us to notice.

I couldn't help speaking about the cat as such a sign. In what ways does God wander through our lives? What experiences of faith and life get our attention and prompt us to reach for God? How does our faith bring a smile to our face and give us delight? What is it like, when God's Spirit brushes the hem of our lives? As I talked about her, the cat laid down on the floor, front and center, looking out at the congregation. I saw in her attentive gaze, the love of Jesus. I wonder if she found a blessing this morning? I know we did, because she found us. As we begin our congregation-wide experience of "Unbinding Your Heart, " Who knows what other unexpected surprises and unanticipated blessings lie ahead?!

Waiting and Wondering,

Cheryl