1 Creation

SACRAMENTALITY

St. David's observes the Creation Cycle, beginning St. Francis Day (Oct 4) and carrying through to the beginning of Advent. It's a gift to focus on the sacramentality of all God creates.

Our first reading highlights this beautifully:

All creation is a sacrament, a visible sign of the invisible presence. The sacramentality of the creation comes first of all from the fact that the Creator leaves an imprint on every creature, as an artist leaves something of himself or herself in every work. Each fragrant rose or singing bird, every cell or atom, bears some imprint of the divine creative love that brings it into being. Each individual, essentially related to God by its indelible imprint, exists in the divine presence and mediates the divine presence. This relationship to God gives each being its worth and dignity, its mystery. Because of this relationship, the entire universe and each creature in it can function as a sacrament or sign of God. All creation mediates and expresses something of the mystery of God to those who can read the signs.

--Charles Cummings, Eco-Spirituality

Not Against Us

Studs Terkel's favorite interview was with C. P. Ellis--a former Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in Durham, NC. It's a nearly miraculous story of the changing of a heart--and an astonishing example of "Whoever is not against us is for us."

You can read portions of that interview here.

Getting Our Salt Back

Jesus said, "Anyone who causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better if a great millstone where hung around his neck and he was thrown into the sea." Lord have mercy.

In my twenties, before I had children myself, I used to watch parents with their children and think how much better I would be at this one day. Ha.

Later, during a really hard time as a parent myself, I realized love and fear were all mixed up together in me, body and soul. Wishing to protect my child I often intervened in unhelpful ways. Sometimes my 'cure' seemed as bad or worse than the 'disease'.

Jesus said that salt can get mixed up with other stuff and not really be salt anymore. Love often gets mixed up with fear and is really not love anymore. Good intentions can have bad results if we don't learn how to separate love from fear.

Salt is a good thing. It represents what is savory and preserving.

Jesus said everybody will be salted with fire.

One thing this can mean is that the very times when we're most confused or hurt or down on ourselves can become the beginning of the path we take back toward saltiness, toward wholeness. Pain signals that something is wrong and can easily become the motivation to make it right.

Fire (difficult times) can be how we get our salt back--ff we want it back badly enough.

Practical (very practical) Spiritualty

Simplicity by Anne Staub

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom."

We preachers could say simply that on Sunday and sit down. (Not that we will.)

When reading James I often imagine someone listening to the typical preacher and thinking Yada, yada, yada. Cut to the chase.

The Epistle of James certains does that--cuts to the chase. It asks us not to worry too much about what to believe but to get on with embodying what we value. And he suggests that we value gentleness and wisdom.

And then, simply, simply, get on with it.

Hear endeth the lesson.

New Life for a Crab

A crab doesn't exactly die in order to live. But molting (the soft-shell stage) must feel a lot like it.

A blue crab's internal self grows almost continuously. It's shell--not so much. The shell has to crack open for the crab to survive its own growth. A fascinating process.

A blue crab can't choose not to grow in order to survive. Humans have that choice--and it's one of our great conundrums.

One Life

Mary Oliver, whose birthday is Thursday of this week, rather famously asks, 'What will you do with your one wild and precious life?'

Jesus famously asks ,'What will it profit you to gain the whole world and forfeit you life?'

I am asking at the beginning of the week, 'Do we hear those questions more as related or unrelated?'

Speaking Truth to Power

I always take special notice when Jesus speaks truth to power. It's a hard thing to do, and he does it consistently and wisely throughout his ministry--to his family, his neighbors, to scholars, to religious and political leaders. The world needs more folks who know how to do that.

But in this passage about a Gentile woman with the troubled daughter, Jesus is the power being spoken to. He has the power to heal, but it's not in his job description. However, it is in this mother's job description to intercede...and to intercede.

And what happens? Jesus makes a very significant exception--because this Gentile has both compassion and chutzpah.

Because of what she is able to do, what almost didn't happen does happen, and the world, in small ways and large, is changed.

Always Helpful

Bill Loader has, as usual, a good take on the gospel for this week.