With Heart, Soul, and Mind
Throughout the world the numbers of infections from the pandemic climb, and the fractiousness and economic insecurity that dog the pandemic, continues. But in the midst of this disruption, are other disruptions, of a good nature, following as they do the inclusive ethics of our very own Jesus who welcomed everyone, without exception, without placing people in the tidy – but destructive – cubicles of categories.
As mostly young people take to the streets, demanding that we take seriously the care of the natural world and the care of one another, the spirit of Christ is alive and well under the grand cathedral of the sky. It has been let loose outside the tidy confines of church buildings, and this can only be a good thing for all those who cluster under the umbrella of a desire to ‘act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God.’
The stumbling block here, might well be the word God. I would suggest that we crack that little three letter word open, seeing it only as a place marker a portal through which the entirety of time and space may travel, and all manner of possibilities are birthed. We are to walk humbly alongside all that is unknown to us, all that is a mystery, and that includes the natural world – which surely reflects for us the essence of divinity – and the wonder of each and every human.
“May the Lord support us all the day long,
Till the shades lengthen and the evening comes,
and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then in his mercy may he give us a safe lodging,
and holy rest, and peace at the last.”
Call to Worship: Adaption from Statement of his own mission, St. John Henry Newman
God has created us to do some definite service. God has committed some work to us which has not been committed to another. We have a mission. We may never know it in this life, but we shall be told it in the next. We are links in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. We were not created for naught.
We shall do good; We shall do God’s work. We shall be angels of peace, preachers of truth in our own time and place, if we will but keep the commandments.
Therefore, we will trust God, wherever we are, we can never be thrown away. If we are in sickness, our sickness may serve God, in perplexity, our perplexity may serve God. If we are in sorrow, our sorrow may serve the larger purposes.
For the Divine spirit does nothing in vain. It knows what it is about. It may take away our friends. It may throw us among strangers. It may make us feel desolate, make our spirits sink, hide our future from us.
But, still, it knows what it is about.
Visiting Minister this Week
Rev. Nick Coates, minister at Red Deer United Church in Calgary, speaks about loving our/the enemy and offers an original look at what that enemy might be. PechaKucha is a format that comes from Japan that is popular these days. It is a way for a person to present big ideas in a relatively short amount of time - under 20 minutes - with visual assistance. You choose 20 or fewer slides and speak briefly as each slide passes. Have a listen.
Reformation Sunday, last Sunday in October
Rev. Trisha Elliott, a United church minister offered a series of blogs on the reformation two years ago, Here are the links to the five blogs that she presented on the 500 anniversary of the reformation.
A Theology of Halloween, from our friends as the SALT Project.
In this age of pandemic, in many communities Halloween will be different this year, another reminder of how “normal life” has changed as we travel together toward an eventual vaccine. But by the same token, it’s all the more reason to pause and reflect on this strange, remarkable holiday, both so we can catch some of its spirit in new ways this year and so we can look ahead to celebrating it with gusto in 2021.
For the Quilters, A Historical Biblical Quilt created by Harriet Powers
Harriet Powers, born into slavery outside Athens, Georgia, in 1837. Her quilts used a combination of hand stitching, machine stitching, and appliqué to form small detailed panels telling a larger story, like a graphic novel. This storytelling style of quilting has roots in West African coastal communities, and likewise, Powers’ artistry mirrors the complex rhythms of African-American folk music. Her quilts record legends and biblical tales of hope, perseverance, and divine justice. Her masterful Bible Quilt created in 1886, now hangs in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Powers' work is now considered among the preeminent examples of Southern 19th-century quilting.