Coattails

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eyes upon you." Psalm 32: 8

O, God

I feel as though I am riding
on the coattails of the Holy Spirit.
I feel that warm breath, the ru'ah
Blowing in my face and over me.
We are flying, flying forward.

The ride is both invigorating and uncertain.
Where are you taking me?
Where will I end up?
Will I be prepared?

God says, "I will instruct you and teach you
the way that you should go;
I will counsel you
With my eye upon you."

I need not fear, God
For you are in front of me.
You are like a parent
Squatting in front of a child
Who is learning to walk.

You encourage me
Watch and smile at each step I take
You cheer me on
And catch me when I stumble.

Wilderness

"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1

Wilderness
Unknown territory
Wary one looks cautiously around every corner
Stumbles along an uncertain path
Lips and mouth dry
Arms drawn in, close to the body, protective
Feels alone,
Desperate,
Fearful.

Wily evil one
Sniffs out the weakness,
The fear, the desperation.
Sidles up beside the hesitant traveler
Whispers in the ear, as if to be a trusted confidant.
Twists words and meanings
Into confusing and misleading messages
Meant to throw one off the path.
Feeds on the fear -
The strong scent of fear -
Like a blood-thirsty vampire.

But look,
Look!
The Holy One is there -
Always was
Always is and will be.
Ever faithful
Walks beside, accompanies
Carries the water to quench the thirst
Renewing presence.
Leads,
Gently guides the traveler along the rough terrain
Don't you see?
Don't you know?

Fear dissipates.
The wily one withers away.
Unsatisfied.

Food

"It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:4

It suddenly occurred to me today that the same part of the body I use for eating is the same part of the body from which I speak. My mouth is a tool used for both things. Not just eating. Not just speaking. Here are a few thoughts that came to mind when I read this passage:

• One does not live by bread ALONE. God's word is also food....words that come from a mouth. This picture of the bird and chicks is how I imagine God when I read this passage. God is like a mother bird that feeds her scrawny hatchlings - their mouths eager for this food that the mother bird offers. I need both earthly food and God's word to truly live.
  

• Eating is spiritual - or at least, should be. How many times have I gulped down a meal without taking time to really reflect on the spiritual nature of this act? I remember a prayer that we did in youth group once. Our instructions were to say a prayer before each bite of food we took. That's not a bad idea!

This week I was moved to tears when I heard about the food bank at St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. It began when an atheist, Sara Miles, walked into the church and a stranger handed her a piece of bread (communion), and in her words, "I knew that it was made out of real flour and water and yeast - yet I also knew that God, named Jesus, was alive in my mouth." Because of that experience, Sara says, "I came to believe that God is revealed not only in bread and wine during church services, but whenever we share food with others - particularly strangers." She has written a book about this experience in "Take this Bread."

Sara started a food bank at St. Gregory - and the amazing thing about this is where this food bank takes place - in the sanctuary, around the altar at St. Gregory's! All are welcomed - really welcomed with words of hospitality - and no one is turned away (see the amazing video below).

We are hungry for you, God. Feed us!

Tsunami

"Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them." Psalm 32:6

My morning ritual is to mix up some oatmeal and watch some of the morning headlines. I do it almost mindlessly, with an ear towards the talking heads on "Morning Joe" or the "Today Show." I am not awake, really. Just going through the motions in the morning. However, today I was jolted awake by the news of an 8.9 earthquake in Japan and the devastating tsunami that followed. A reporter was covering the story from the dark California coast. The sun had not yet risen there. He reported that Hawaii was preparing for a tsunami as a result of this quake - and, in fact, the whole US western seaboard was expecting a tsunami of some proportion. This was no day to go surfing, he warned. I guess not!

After breakfast, I began my morning devotions. Today I decided to read and reflect on the Psalm for this Sunday. I felt another "jolt" when I read verse 6 of Psalm 32, "the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them." I thought of the tsunami - that "series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water."

My prayers immediately turned to people and events where there have been tsunamis of other sorts - that sense of displacement followed by the onslaught of emotional or physical waves that threaten to drown us. That wipe us out. That have us just shaking our heads in utter disbelief.

And so I pray this day for the tsunamis experienced by:

the teachers in Wisconsin
my colleague whose mother was just hospitalized suddenly for pneumonia
a friend who is living along the rising floods of the Delaware River
Muslims and those of us who stand with them through the xenophobic hearings
my church
the people of Japan and others affected by the earthquake and tsunami
those who go hungry every day
people who are living in poverty while the rich get richer
(add your prayers here)

Save us from our tsunamis, O God of mercy. Do not let the rush of might waters reach us. Rescue those who already floundering in the floods. Bring them to safer harbors.

Anger

"Return to the Lord your God for God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing." Joel 2:13

Slow to anger? Really?

I, personally, am very angry now and I don't see how you can't be either. I would really like you to do something about it. Show your wrath for once!

How can it be that the proposed budget cuts will negatively affect people who are poor while the billionaires are left unscathed? Aren't you the slightest bit angry that our nation props up dictators in other countries who abuse their citizens? How about the way our government is now having hearings about the so-called "radicalization in the US Muslim community?" How can you not be angry at that? What about our nation's idea that somehow we are the chosen people? Doesn't that at least ruffle your feathers a bit? Does it even make you cry that our churches are torn apart by the pettiness of church members?

Slow to anger? God, for once, be ANGRY!

If you won't get angry then please show me how to channel my own temper. Show me how to channel it for good because being angry sometimes makes me immobile and ineffective.

In the meantime I will also pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done."

When will your kingdom come to finally end all the pain we cause each other? Come, Lord Jesus. Come.

Clean

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10

The first piece of directions given on the tube of caulk is, "Make sure the area is clean and dry." If the area is not clean and dry, the caulk will not fully adhere to the surface.

Windows of an old abandoned house often are so dirty that one cannot see through them very well.

Before a band aid covers an open wound, one washes the wound to make it clean. Otherwise the dirt gets trapped beneath the band aid and the person risks having an infection.

Clean -

Give me a clean heart, O God, so that what you have to say to me will be more likely to "stick," so that Iam be more able to see clearly the hopes and dreams you have for me, and so that I am healed.

Restored

Recently, I was invited to visit the "home museum" of 78 year old Ray Scheffy. Our three-hour tour was inspiring. I was struck by how this man saved instruments that were in danger of being destroyed and was able to restore them with relative ease. He seems to come by this talent for restoration quite naturally. He shrugs his shoulders as if to emphasize the effortlessness with which he does his craft.

Many of his instruments come from the 1800s and 1920s. Unusual and rare items. Player pianos. Victrolas. Radios. A Violano Virtuoso. Antique music boxes. Organs. Caliopes. Band organs. Mechanical music machines with stained glass covering window for viewing the triangle, xylophone, keyboard, and tambourine. Amazing wonders.

He saved them all.

I think his love for these instruments is best explained in the story he tells about a large French music box he has in his collection. (There must be another name for it, but it slips my mind.) It was made in France in the 1800s. This musical machine is almost as long as a piano. Inside is this large cylinder with pins sticking up on it. These pins are what helps to make the music. Ray had a heart attack years ago. He spent his time recovering by replacing all 5,000 pins so that this instrument's music could be heard again.

His love for these instruments - his appreciation for the music they make - is evident.

I couldn't help but think theologically about this! I was thinking about how I fail at many things. I fall away from God. There have been times in my life when I have felt that my life was almost as unsalvageable as these music machines. But, God sees something in me, takes me in and restores me so that my gifts can be used again.

He restores my soul.
Psalm 23

Check out this video of Ray Scheffy and his Music Museum!