Attraversiamo

Yes, it's a sunfish sailboat, in our sanctuary. In ancient times, artists used to portray the church with the image of a boat....so we did, too. On the final Sunday of our series from Unbinding Your Heart, we imagined ourselves, the wind of God's Spirit, filling our sails, crossing over, with well-tended spiritual lives, to an ever-deeper faith. With eyes and hearts open, receptive to what's next, we envisioned crossing over to share our faith with people who do not yet know God’s love.

When we started this adventure, six weeks ago, no one knew what God would do, if we started praying like we never prayed before, if we gathered in small groups for conversation about why it matters that we are Christians. When we started this adventure, six weeks ago, our boat was rocking gently on placid water, ripples just beginning to flow out from our center.

Who knew that God would bring new people into our lives and deepen the relationships among us? Who could imagine the spark that would expand our worship life? Who expected the flow of faith stories, shared from the heart, awakening us to God's activity in our lives? Who would have guessed that our small groups would not disband after six weeks, but would value what they shared together so deeply, that they would find a way to continue? Who anticipated new ministries emerging, as the Spirit whispered in listening ears and open hearts?

Attraversiamo is an Italian word that means 'let's cross over.' In her book, Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert calls it her favorite Italian word, as she describes dragging her friends across the crazy traffic of Rome. If Italian had been Jesus' native language, we'd find this word sprinkled all over the gospels, for Jesus often crossed over to people and places that needed to be touched, to be blessed by God's love. In this painting, by our resident artist Chip Stevens, Jesus is crossing the Sea of Galilee, where his disciples are caught in a storm. In a brash moment, one of them, Peter, stepped out of the boat, believing, he too could walk on water. When fear got the best of him, and he started to sink, Jesus reached out to steady him. Peter and his friends found, in Jesus, a companion they could trust, whose love and faithfulness would cross over the chaos of a stormy sea to steady them.

Who knew that over the six weeks of Unbinding Your Heart, we too would experience Jesus, crossing over to us...with courage that deepened our faith...with love that opened our hearts...with compassion that steadied us, as we stretched and took risks, together. And, who knows what will happen next?! Attraverisamo...let's cross!

Blessings,

Cheryl

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

Unbinding Your Heart

Unbinding Your Heart will begin on 10.10.10, as we meet in small groups, once a week for 6 weeks, to read and discuss a book together, pray together, and talk about our experiences of God together. This will be a new experience for our congregation. We've never done anything quite list this before. Our intention is to grow closer to God and to learn to share our faith. It’s that simple….and because it's new, it may take some getting used to.

Some of our church's leaders have been for a 'test drive,' using a resource called "Unbinding the Gospel, and powerful things have been happening in their life with God. As we now invite the rest of the congregation into the experience, my blog will be a way to document what God is doing. I want to begin by sharing a bit about what I've gained, over the past year, through Unbinding.

I’ve gained Love. It's true. The more I open myself to God, the more I know that I am loved. I've found I need a boost to stay grounded in God’s love. For me, it’s easy to slip into a pattern of prayer and study of Scripture that’s all about getting ready to lead worship…My God time can become more about work than about love. The Unbinding prayer journal gave me a guide for my God-time that is simple and clear, new ways to pray, Scripture that isn’t for preaching, and a couple of helpful God questions to ponder, and carry into my day, so God’s love stays with me and flows through me.

I’ve gained Life. I've found that the more I bring of myself, into my relationships with others, the more LIFE pops open with vitality, creativity and possibility. Out of the experience of sharing in a small group, using Unbinding the Gospel as our guide, many of us have found more ways to share more of ourselves. Text messages fly through cyber-space and my cell phone rings with words of comfort or inspiration, with a beautiful photo, or with the poignant question, “How may I pray for you today?” Email exchanges offer updates on our lives, and in face-to-face conversations, we’re learning to be authentic, to be real with each other. Yes, we’re all busy. Our lives are full of activity. We’re surrounded by people every waking minute of the day….and taking time to connect in these ways connect is good. It’s life-giving. It brings well-being in Christ, even on our most difficult days.

I’ve gained ‘Holy ground.’ I've found, the more we hang out with each other and God, the better chance we have of encounters that are precious, even sacred. It takes time. It takes trust. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. But I have found that when I go there. When we go there, in community, with God...Our stories come out. God in our stories comes out, and we are deeply blessed. Among the most sacred moments I’ve had in ministry was one that happened just a few weeks ago, when a small group of leaders asked God to bring to mind an important time in their life with God…and powerful stories were told.

I want nothing more for you, than what I have witnessed with my own eyes and experienced with the unbinding of my own heart, over the past year. Love, Life, Holy Ground. True riches of God, for shrewd servants. This fall, as we make ourselves available to God in small groups, in daily prayer, and in our Sunday morning worship, I wonder what else God will do? The picture at the top of this posting is a soul collage I made, to express what I have experienced through Unbinding the Gospel. What do you see?

Blessings,

Cheryl

The Light Is Changing

All summer long, I've been sitting outside, first thing in the morning, with a cup of coffee, my journal, and my Bible. And the sun, high in the sky, has softly warmed the place I sit. I know it's been happening gradually, a bit at a time, but this morning, I noticed a distinct change in the light. The sun looks lower in the sky. It's rays are filtered through the still green and full leaves of the tree. But now I sit mostly in shade. The dew is heavy on the grass. It sparkles where sunlight falls. The glass table-top in front of me shimmers, almost rainbow-like, with sunlight reflected in the tiny dew droplets. Behind me, the tomato plants hang heavy, still waiting to ripen. Gradually, they soak up water and bask in the warmth of the sun until, one day, they will turn from green to red. They will be ready. This is the gradual, yet inevitable pace of the changing of the seasons. It's mid-August. Before we know it, fall will be here.

What I have observed today, in the changing of the light, in the turning of the seasons, can also be true of God's work in our lives. Often, it is gradual, sometimes imperceptible, until one day, suddenly you notice it. Something has shifted. Something has grown. Something has ripened. Something is ready. In my Bible I read, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live, I live by faith in Christ who loves me. I do not nullify the grace of God..." -Galatians 2:20,21. Apparently, Paul noticed the light changing, too. Not by his own effort, but by the love of God. Soaking up God's grace, and basking in the warmth of Christ's love, may the changing of the light keep us mindful of God's subtle but sure healing power at work, in us.

Blessings,

Cheryl