Category: Uncategorized

Finding God is not always easy. I have most often been able to find God within a community of faith. But going it alone has been difficult for me. It’s not that I believe one can only find God in a church, but a church environment does provide a conducive atmosphere for meeting God, at least for me.

In several months, I haven’t found a replacement for my “home” church back in Little Rock. I have come to believe that Macon simply has no church that can replace my Little Rock church. In the meantime, I have to nurture my deep need to worship God.

Worship within a community of faith has been a big part of my life for so many years. Worshipping God alone, outside of a faith community, is more difficult for me. But I know it is possible, and it is necessary for my spiritual well-being. What is most important is being constant and faithful in search of my relationship with God.

On my good days, I can more easily find my way to God. But in days of pain or anxiety or worry, God seems far away. It is my challenge to find God on the good days and on the not-so-good days.

I recently came across these meaningful words:

The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of the pain, thanking God during the trials, trusting God when we’re tempted to lose hope, and loving God when God seems so distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope. At my darkest, God is my light. At my weakest, God is my strength. At my saddest, God is my comforter. – From Spiritual Inspiration

I do not always know my own heart, but God knows my heart. No matter what I say or what I do, God looks into my heart to see who I really am. I do not often look into my heart to truly know what is there, but it is true that God knows the intent of my heart. That can be disconcerting.

I have thought a great deal about caring for my heart, about filling it with purity and all things good. But before I can change anything, I have to look into my heart and honestly see what is there. I have to honestly become aware of what is in my heart.

The Bible tells us that those who are pure in heart are blessed. But it’s not that easy to make sure that our hearts are pure. There are so many assaults around us, things we see and experience every day. Violence, racism, hatred, disrespect, the abuse of children, disease, hunger, general meanness . . . Watching that, even from afar, all hurts the heart. Unfortunately, we cannot control what we are exposed to every day, and we don’t have the ability to make the world a kind and gentle place.

That’s what makes it so important that we reflect on things of the heart. Give thanks for our heart relationships. Meditate on all that makes for a pure heart. Love freely and lavishly, with all our hearts. The Bible says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” – Proverbs 4:23 NASB

Engaging in this magnificent thing we call nature will make an enormous difference in caring for our hearts. John Muir describes it so eloquently:

This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls.
“John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir,” (1938).

So I plan on coming up with ways of enjoying the eternal “grand show” – maybe watching a sunset, or watching the wind blow through the leaves of a tree, or praying, or meditating, or watching a gentle Autumn rain, or walking through a forest. I plan on doing whatever it takes to help me watch over my heart with all diligence. I plan to awaken to new possibilities.

Carl Jung wrote this: “Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”

I am a tree person. I am constantly looking for ways to describe the stately beauty of a tree, so I love the words of William Blake:

The tree, which moves some to tears of joy, is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity… and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the person of imagination, nature is imagination itself.

I have always loved trees and found comfort under their spreading branches. Apparently, I am not alone in my love of trees. A website called treepeople.org agrees with me about the eternal value of trees.

If you’re interested in the more practical side of tree-loving, treepeople.org suggests these fourteen reasons to plant, care for, and defend a tree’s standing. Some of them might surprise you.

Trees combat climate change
In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles.

Trees clean the air
Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.

Trees provide oxygen
In one year, an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people.

Trees conserve energy
Three trees placed strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50 percent.

Trees save water and help prevent soil erosion
Shade from trees slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. Most newly planted trees need only fifteen gallons of water a week. On hillsides or stream slopes, trees slow runoff and hold soil in place.

Trees provide food and create economic opportunity
An apple tree can yield up to 15-20 bushels of fruit per year and can be planted on the tiniest urban lot. Aside from fruit for humans, trees provide food for birds and wildlife. Fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold, thus providing income.

Trees heal
Studies have shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with less complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue.

Trees reduce violence
Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear.

Trees mark the seasons
Is it winter, spring, summer or fall? Look at the trees.

Trees add unity
Trees as landmarks can give a neighborhood a new identity and encourage civic pride.

Trees provide a canopy and habitat for wildlife
Sycamore and oak are among the many urban species that provide excellent urban homes for birds, bees, possums and squirrels.

Trees block things
Trees can mask concrete walls or parking lots, and unsightly views. They muffle sound from nearby streets and freeways, and create an eye-soothing canopy of green. Trees absorb dust and wind and reduce glare.

Trees provide wood
In suburban and rural areas, trees can be selectively harvested for fuel and craft wood.

Trees are teachers and playmates
Whether as houses for children or creative and spiritual inspiration for adults, trees have provided the space for human retreat throughout the ages.
Listen to the trees as they sway in the wind.
Their leaves are telling secrets. Their bark sings songs of olden days as it grows around the trunks. And their roots give names to all things.

― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

Sometimes storm clouds gather, even on the clearest of days. It can happen quickly, blocking the sunlight almost instantly. It’s especially true of storm clouds of the soul. They cover us when we least expect them.

Yesterday, a very dear friend died in her sleep. I was really heartbroken, my sky suddenly filled with dark clouds. But it is a part of life. She lived a good and long life, filled with love and joy, and loved by all who knew her. There were times in my life when she was like a mother to me. Everyone will miss her, but more importantly, they will give thanks for a life well lived.

Storm clouds will come over us. That is a reality. They will fill our skies often. But they will eventually clear and give way to blue skies. They always do.

So today, I give thanks that storm clouds do not devastate us. They are nature’s way of reminding us that life is both sunshine and shadow, and that in both, we will be okay.

When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.
― Haruki Murakami, From Kafka on the Shore

I’ve been thinking about fear and courage, hoping that when I have fear, I will also have enough courage to face it. Soon I will begin an evaluation process for a kidney transplant. I have to admit that my primary emotion about that is fear. I have been doing well and feeling well on dialysis for a year. The thought of major surgery terrifies me.

I often think of one of my favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

People who know me well will tell you that I am not an adventurous risk-taker. You will not find me bungee jumping or skydiving in this lifetime. I would never climb a mountain, or ski down a huge slope, or ride on a motorcycle. All in all, I avoid fear at all costs. I’m no good at fear.

So contemplating surgery is not high on my list. The fact remains that my doctor highly recommends a kidney transplant, and his advice is hard to ignore. He’s taking the long view of my life in saying that a transplant is the way to go. I’m taking the immediate view of life, which tells me that I am afraid.

So I think I need to take this process day by day, certainly not knowing what my health outcome will be, but trusting God to take care of me. I don’t want to be consumed with fear. Rather, I would like to feel a little more courage. I recently heard that courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.

That sounds like a plan. I don’t feel so courageous about this transplant possibility today. So I’ll try again tomorrow.

Columbine, Sandy Hook, Umpqua Community College, and last night Northern Arizona State. The list of school shootings goes on and on. An insightful article written by Professor Bill Leonard of The School of Divinity at Wake Forest University laments this kind of terror in a classroom of students. He writes, “I’ve spent much of my adult life in the sacred space of classrooms, where student and teacher alike should confront the vulnerability of life and death ideas, but not life and death itself.”

The shooting at Umpqua Community College represented the 45th school shooting in the first 274 days of 2015. Freelance Journalist Mike Rosenberg writes that this was the “299th mass shooting of the year (with 4+ people shot) in the United States, more than 1 per day.” (http://t.co/oXeszlYWmI #NAU — Mike Rosenberg (@RosenbergMerc) October 9, 2015)

Professor Leonard goes on to say,

. . . as I said just a few months ago, a few months before that, and I said each time we see one of these mass shootings, our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It’s not enough. It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel. And it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America — next week, or a couple of months from now.”

Something must change in our country. Journalists, law enforcement officers, politicians, citizens wax eloquently about the desperate need for change. But does our country have the political, moral and ethical will to actually bring about a change that saves innocent lives? I’m not sure. Unfortunately, no one seems sure that we collectively have the courage to change things.

I find no remedy, but I do find some comfort in the song recorded my SAM Cooke in 1963.

Oh, there been times that I thought I couldn’t last for long;
But now I think I’m able to carry on;
It’s been a long, a long time coming;
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.

It’s a beautiful tune that longs for change and a better life. Any one of us could sing those words, longingly, hoping for change in the midst of difficult circumstances, whether societal or personal.

Dr. Leonard is correct that our thoughts and prayers are not enough. Real change will require that we take our heartache, grief and tears and allow them to compel us toward a sustained effort of letting our congressional representatives know that we demand more responsible weapons reform. There are good minds in our country that can figure out changes that make sense. We need to hold them accountable for using their minds to do so.

We must also keep reminding ourselves that there is always hope, and that change really is going to come. We may not see how, but believing in hopeful change can make for a positive difference in our world, change that is both past due and necessary. People of faith don’t give up. We pray on, and as we’re praying, we make those phone calls that tell Congress where we stand. But until the day of real change, it helps me to recall the words of Sam Cooke’s song:

It’s been a long, a long time coming; But I know a change gonna come.

Listen to the song on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/42382933

These days, I pay close attention to my physical health. A small infection could turn into a major health event. A day of not doing my dialysis can result in what my doctor says, “You will get sick.” Too much phosphorus in my diet can end up badly. So I am very careful about my physical health.

But I am also careful about my soul, because the soul affects every part of my being. Yet caring for one’s soul is not so easy to do. Macrina Wiederkehr says this:

There is a way that the soul can get crowded out of one’s day. The soul is a bit shy and does not demand center stage. She lives a life of her own, and yet there are soulprints in every fiber of your being, even in things you’ve forgotten. The soul is the keeper of memories. She knows where beauty is stored. She contains the memories of your entire life. Deep in your unconscious she stands guard. If you are in need of a particular memory, she can reveal it to you and help you to bear both the beauty and the pain. She knows all about the gold in your memories.

~ From “Gold in Your Memories” by Macrina Wiederkehr

Yes, it is true that there are soulprints in every fiber of my being. The soul plays its role in the very center of my psyche and keeps me spiritually and emotionally well. So I plan to take a few extra moments each day to care for my soul. I will sit quietly, listen to music, watch the wind blow through the trees, enjoy a sunset, meditate, pray, whatever activity helps me get in close touch with my soul. Dwelling in that kind of quiet space helps me bear both the beauty and the pain of my memories.

Listen to the song of your soul. Listen well. It may be a joyous song or a melancholy one. It may be a song of victory or a song of loss. The important thing is this: whether you pay attention or not, your soul is singing. It does that to express your innermost thoughts, desires, or hurts.

The tragedy is if we’re not listening, never hearing what the soul truly longs for, never knowing the real condition of the soul. You see, the soul is the gentle part of us. It seldom overpowers the physical part of us. It does not often fight to get our attention. It just quietly holds every emotion we place upon it and sometimes struggles to avoid hurt and damage.

Throughout my life I have talked about the invisible wounds of the soul. Therein lies the problem. We tend to let our souls languish in a silent place, nursing all kinds of wounds and scars. But the upside is that, regardless of the level of brokenness we may have experienced, the soul cannot be damaged beyond repair.

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold. Rather than throw out something that was once useful, gold is used to put the pieces back together and repair the broken places. They believe that when something has sustained damage and has a history, it actually becomes more beautiful. All of us have damaged souls in need of repair. The good news is that our souls can be whole again.

The remedy? The repair? It is simply to care for the soul, to listen for its song, to spend time nurturing it, to encourage its healing. Only then can we be whole and healthy. Listen! Your soul is singing. Take just a few quiet moments, sit with yourself, and, with expectancy, truly hear the song of your soul.

Lynda Poston-Smith sings “It Is Well with My Soul” on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCpTq5hlWulhOfY48xsJ_ulA

Thank goodness for a quote I heard today: “My current situation is not my final destination.” It helps to keep that in mind. But there are times in life when too much is just too much for the psyche. Any combination of factors can put us at high risk, a heavy work load, too many unreasonable expectations, the loss of a relationship, financial stress, physical discomfort. Any one of these can harm us. A combination of one or more can take us down.

Unfortunately, we do have those impossible times that we are caught in, and there’s no way out. Our only choice is to plod on as best as we can for as long as it takes. It helps if we know that the present situation will eventually come to an end. It helps to breathe deeply and stop to get a moment of perspective. What helps the most is to release a valve, any valve that is almost ready to burst.

But how do we do that successfully? The answer is different for every individual, but one thing remains constant. There are several “valves” that make up our life situation. It’s not so hard to name them when we’re in the midst of a bind. The thing we must do, though, is to pick out one of those at-risk valves, pay a minute of attention to it, grab a wrench, and release it a bit before it bursts.

Releasing just one will help. Don’t forget that when you feel as if you’re in danger, there are many ways we can handle this. One way is finding a place of serenity, and retreat to that place, even for a few minutes. The place can be a lush woodland setting, a place beside the sea, a purple sunset, a mountaintop, or even under a comforting tree in a park. Another way is to treat yourself to a good meal, watch a movie that you like, listen to some music, or read a book.

Still another way is modeled by Jesus during the times he was overwhelmed by the crowds of people pressuring him.

A great crowd kept following Jesus and pressed Him from all sides so as almost to suffocate Him. But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. (Mark 5:24; Luke 5:15-16)

Lynda Poston-Smith sings this comforting hymn:

When the storms of life are raging, stand by me (stand by me);
When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea;
Thou Who rulest wind and water, stand by me (stand by me).

In the midst of tribulation, Stand by me (stand by me);
When the hosts of hell assail, and my strength begins to fail,
Thou Who never lost a battle, stand by me (stand by me).

In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me (stand by me);
When I do the best I can, and my friends misunderstand,
Thou Who knowest all about me, stand by me (stand by me).

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCpTq5hlWulhOfY48xsJ_ulA

Finally . . . It’s October’s bright, blue weather right here in sunny Macon, Georgia. The rain is past and gone, at least for now. It’s a lovely day. And it reminds me of the poem, “October’s Bright Blue Weather” by Helen Hunt Jackson. Enjoy!

O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather;

When loud the bumblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And goldenrod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When gentians roll their fingers tight
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October’s bright blue weather.

O sun and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October’s bright blue weather.

Just a little time each day for being close to God can change one’s life. Pick your time, pick your place, and God will meet you there, ready to hear about your day and about your life. Like a best friend, God listens to us without judgment. Like a parent, God grieves with us when we share our losses. Like a great physician, God offers us remedies to heal the soul.

For me, the quiet time I spend with God each day is a necessary time. It helps me make sense of my life. It calms my Spirit when I’m anxious. It gives me a chance to honestly express my losses. It teaches me how to grieve them appropriately, and then to pick myself up and move on with gratitude for another day of life.

I like this quote from St. Therese of Lisieux . . .

Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in golden places. God comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to Him – the heaven of our souls.

Offer your soul to God for a few brief minutes every day. You’ll be glad you did.

Just read the daily news . . . love is in short supply. Gun violence continues to assail us. The disdain among people with differing political opinions is rampant. There is a sense of homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and generally a hatred for people who are “not the same” as we are. We want it to be different. And yet, we feel helpless about how to make it so.

And then, even beyond societal hatred, there are individuals who feel discarded and unloved. There is nothing more devastating to the human spirit than to feel unloved. The Bible assures us that there is a love that is beyond all others in the book of Romans.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39

God’s love or us is unending and eternal. When all about us is rife with hatred, we can rest in God’s gracious love, always. Blessed Julian of Norwich wrote these comforting words:

Our soul is so specially loved by a God, who is the highest,that it goes far beyond the ability of any creature to realize it . . . There is no creature who can realize how much, how sweetly, and how tenderly our maker loves us. And therefore, we can, with God’s grace and God’s help, stand in Spirit, gazing with endless wonder at this lofty, unmeasurable love.

Today, no matter what is going on around you, may you “gaze with endless wonder at God’s lofty, unmeasurable love.

Sometimes dreams are tossed and blown. Sometimes you must walk dark pathways. Throughout the years, I have listened to hundreds of people telling stories of their broken dreams. One of those people lost custody of her children through no fault of her own. The court placed her children with their abuser, and she languished for years without them. Any dreams that she had ever had for her children were shattered.

She fought the court, many times alone, and without help or comfort. To this very day, she struggles to be allowed to spend time with her children. I have watched her persevere, never giving up, no matter how alone she felt.

Tragically, her story is not an unusual one. I have counseled many mothers who lived similar stories. Statistically, there is no good news. Abusive parents are more likely to seek sole custody of their children than nonviolent ones, and they are successful about 70% of the time.  (American Psychological Association, Violence And The Family: Report Of The American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force On Violence And The Family, (1996), available at http://www.apa.org/pi/viol&fam.html)

Always, I found it nearly impossible to comfort a protective mother who had lost her children. They each walked a very dark and lonely path, through storms of the spirit. Remedies to help them get their children back most often failed. So I was left with only one message: that no matter what, God would walk beside them through it all.

When you pray, please remember the mother I mentioned in this post. She struggles still, and would appreciate your prayers and positive thoughts. She is a courageous woman who only wants the best for her children. Here is what she expressed recently:

God is doing great things through me! I’m happy to be the face of justice and change for victims of corruption. The only thing a caring parent should ever have to do if they fear for their child’s life or safety is pick up a phone or drive to a facility. What’s been done here is a disgrace to what our country was founded upon. It makes me extremely disappointed in our system, and angry enough to join [in the struggle] in hopes of change.

I know, beyond a doubt, that she does not walk alone. There is a song that has always been very meaningful to me and to many others. These are the lyrics:

When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of the lark.
Walk on through the wind. Walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone.

Listen to “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at this link:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xSmUe4RX7xE

The Scripture is filled with women who are leaders and role models, women who have qualities we should emulate, women who have stories to tell. The following vignettes describe only a few of them.

May you have the wisdom and courage of Deborah!

Deborah, a judge of Israel, was a speaker of wisdom. Deborah was a prophetess, but when war came she led the out-numbered and badly-equipped Israelite troops to a great victory. It was a David and Goliath situation. She chose the most able military general and told him what he must do. (Judges 4:1-11, 5:1-18).

May you have the strong faith and the close relationship with Jesus that sisters Mary and Martha had!

Mary and Martha entertained Jesus in their home. They were friends who had many conversations with Jeses. Later on, Their brother Lazarus was dangerously ill, and in desperation, Martha and Mary sent for Jesus. He delayed coming, and in the meantime Lazarus died. When Jesus arrived, both Martha and Mary reproached him for not coming sooner. But Martha also made an extraordinary statement of her faith in Jesus, that Jesus could raise her brother from death. Jesus went to the tomb, prayed, and called to Lazarus. Lazarus came out, alive, from the tomb. (John 11:1-44)

May you be courageous enough to save a life like Miriam did When she saved her baby brother, Moses, and also be spontaneous enough to sing and dance during hard times!

Miriam became the leader of the Hebrew women when they and their families escaped from Egypt. On one occasion she and the women sang the Song of Miriam; it is one of the few poems that survived from the ancient world. (Exodus 15:20-21)

May you have the resilience of Tamar who endured being raped by her brother and yet went on to live a full life!

Her father could not say ‘no’ to his children, especially the sons, and they grew up unruly and lawless. When they hurt other people or did great damage, he let them get away with it. There were tragic results when their lawlessness got out of hand – as it did when the girl-child Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon. Tamar went on to live a full life, and her brother, David, named his daughter after her. So her niece was Princess Tamar. (2 Samuel 13)

May you live your life like the aging prophetess, Anna, who recognized Jesus as an infant in the temple, proclaimed him the Messiah, and began to praise him!

Anna was constantly at the Temple, day and night. Prayer in the Temple was the focus of her whole life. She was a holy woman concentrating all her remaining energy on communion with God. At one moment described in Luke’s gospel, Anna stepped forward and, overcome with sublime joy, began praising God for what she knows has happened. She ‘saw’ what others could not see. Her reaction was immediate and dramatic: she spoke in as loud voice, telling anyone near her about this extraordinary child. Here, in front of their eyes, was the Messiah who would bring redemption. (Luke 2:38-39)

May you believe, as the Samaritan Women did, and then share your beliefs with others who also come to believe!

Jesus and his disciples stopped at a roadside well. He met a Samaritan woman. She questioned him boldly and became convinced that he was the Messiah. She then went back to her town and told everyone about Jesus. Many believe. (John 4:1-26)

May you be faithful to the end as was Mary Magdalene, who was the first to tell her world that Jesus had risen from the dead!

Mary Magdalene was present in each of the four accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. All four gospels mention her, faithful to the end. Mary watched as Jesus’ body was sealed inside the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. She confirmed that he was really dead. She and the other women prepared the spices needed for proper burial of Mary Magdalene was at the empty tomb on Easter morning. She witnessed the resurrection. On Easter morning Mary found that Jesus’ body was no longer in the tomb. She was the first person to witness the resurrection, a world-changing event. She is called “Apostle to the Apostles,” since the risen Jesus told her to “go and tell.” (Mark 15:40-41, Luke 23:49, Matthew 27:55-56, John 19:25)

Reality or vision, this we have seen. If it had lasted but another moment, it might have held forever! But the world rolled back into its place, and we are here. And all that radiance lies forlorn, as if it had never stirred.

These words written by Edwin Muir in “The Transfiguration” describe for me a moment, just a brief moment, when I am able to transcend my daily grind. It describes a moment of ecstasy, and how such moments so quickly end. Consider the story of the transfiguration of Jesus.

Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.                                               – Matthew 17:1-8. New American Standard Bible (NASB)

What an astounding experience for Peter, James and John, an experience they would never forget. The Bible says that they fell to the ground, face down, in terror. And then the same One who had just been transfigured miraculously before them, now touched them with a gentle human touch and said, “Do not be afraid.”

I imagine that Peter, James and John were dramatically changed by this experience, that their souls were filled with awe . . . for a while. But like all humans, they soon went back to life as usual.

Yes, we do on occasion experience moments of spiritual ecstasy, small, radiant miracles that leave us in awe of the greatness of God. But the miracles are fleeting miracles. We don’t stay in those moments for very long, and as Edwin Muir said, “the world rolls back into its place, and all that radiance lies forlorn, as if it had never stirred.”

A Transfiguration Prayer

Take us up to the mountain, O God! And let us see the Christ transfigured.

Lead us up to the mountaintop when confusion rages within us and our anger releases its fury, For there on the mountain, the days and nights of our inner chaos can transform.

We know, God, that even in holy moments, we may find nothing. But we also know that we may find ourselves, or see the face of hope, or experience a fleeting miracle. So help us, God, to keep holy moments and divine appointments.

Help us keep holy moments, that the presence of Your Spirit might dwell with us in double measure. Help us see the light of glory, and, with great joy, behold on the mountain peak the purest light of all.

And then, with hope in our hearts and without fear, help us move with courage toward an even greater glory by following you through the valley of shadows. Amen.

I wonder at times what the future holds. I can contemplate that for only a moment, because thinking about it longer than that frightens me. Will I be alone? Will my health continue to deteriorate? Will I experience financial hardship? Will aging get the best of me?

So you see why I can only spend a very short time contemplating such questions. They are all about the future, and no one can predict the future. We are not even sure we will have a future. And the past is just a basket full of memories, some good, some not so good.

What we do have is now, this present moment with all its possibilities. In this moment, we have the power to choose. We can make this moment whatever we can dream. We can make it life-giving. Life is available only in the present moment. “If you abandon the present moment, you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

The Bible is full of wisdom on living the present moment to the fullest.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34, NIV

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-19, NIV

Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. – James 4:14, KJV

Psychologist Abraham Maslow taught that the ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) wrote about the present moment in his ‘Self Reliance’ essay in 1841:

 . . . man postpones or remembers; he does not live in the present, but with reverted eye laments the past, or, heedless of the riches that surround him, stands on tiptoe to foresee the future. He cannot be happy and strong until he too lives . . . in the present.

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift. The truth is that the happiest people are those who are completely present, who can give all of their attention to the present opportunity. Psychology calls it mindfulness, a state of active, open attention on the present. Mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to one’s present experience.

As you go about your day, be grateful for the fullness of each moment. Experience peace with your past, trust for your future, and embrace joy in your present moment.

May God grant you the gift of now.
Amen.

Being one with God seems like a difficult thing to do, downright impossible, in fact. We pray, we read the Bible, we listen for God’s voice, but there is nothing. Not a sound! Not a divine transcendent moment! Not a feeling of awe! There is nothing!

No wonder we find it so hard to make time for meditation and prayer. There seems to be nothing in it for us. And yet, our faith tells us that God is ever near. Our faith convinces us that God is with us.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.       – Psalm 145:2

I have no sure-fire formula for meeting up with God. But I do know that we have the mind to know God, the wisdom to find God, the patience to wait on God, and the ever-present hope of finally embracing God. The prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas is one that I speak during my times of meditation. Perhaps you, too, will find it uplifting.

Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. – St. Thomas Aquinas

In the end, we lean on our faith and do our best to find God. And sometimes we discover that God really is near, that God is before us, behind us, beside us, under us, over us . . . within us through the Holy Spirit.

Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
– Sarah F. Adams, 1841

Listen to “Nearer, My God, to Thee” on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PKsr49csFYk&autoplay=1

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. – James 1:17

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindness indeed never ceases, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.… Lamentations 3:21-23

We have a faithful God whose lovingkindness never ceases, whose compassions never fail, whose faithfulness is new every morning. This is a God in whom there is no variableness, no shadow of turning. We can count on it in sunshine and in shadow.

As of yesterday, I have been out of the hospital for a full year. Yet, in 2014, I spent at least a third of the year in the hospital. I am very grateful for my health this year. Yes, my kidneys have failed; I have dialysis every day; and I am being evaluated for a kidney transplant. But what I know from my experience with serious illness followed by relatively good health is that, through it all, God has been faithful.

I love the way the hymn says it: “Thou changeth not; Thy compassions they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.”

Thanks be to a faithful God.

Listen to the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fzntMXAGTVA&autoplay=1

Struggling for justice and mercy is not easy. Kelly Renee Gissendaner, who was executed in Georgia despite a plea for mercy from Pope Francis, sang “Amazing Grace” until she was given a lethal injection. She was put to death at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday after a flurry of last-minute appeals failed, the first women to be executed in Georgia in seventy years.

This blog will neither affirm nor condemn the death penalty. Rather, it will mark this execution for its historical, moral, ethical and spiritual significance. For after seventy years, it is a significant event.

Like thousands of others, I kept vigil in my home last night, praying, waiting for word, and hoping that Georgia’s Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court or a federal appeals court would affirm requests for a stay of execution.

Jeff Hullinger, a journalist with NBC station WXIA who witnessed the execution, later told reporters that Gissendaner appeared “very, very emotional.” He added: “She was crying and then she was sobbing and then broke into song as well as into a number of apologies … When she was not singing, she was praying.”

Thousands pleaded for mercy. Others called for justice. In times like these, we must hope that justice and mercy is always a struggle for our nation and for us, as individuals.

“…whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:8

“. . . Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering . . . and all for your love’s sake. Amen.” ~ From the Book of Common Prayer

May each of us find comfort in listening to the hymn, “Amazing Grace” on YouTube.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C2arm5ydeJc

All around me are people. All about me is my work. There is always so much to do, so many important things on my plate. With a full and bright career, I have been blessed. But when the work day is over, I face my loneliness. I face my losses. I acknowledge that those who loved me are simply not around anymore.

This wasn’t my life plan, not what I would have chosen for myself. Yet, it is reality. It is raw and it is lonely. I wonder where to turn, but in the state I am currently in, there is nowhere to turn, no one who can help. I am in this place alone.

Even the words of the Psalmist don’t seem to help that much: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” – Psalm 147:3 NIV

The comfort of friends doesn’t help much. Prayer doesn’t help much. Tears don’t help much. Even working my fingers to the bone doesn’t help me forget that I feel so alone. Still, I am comforted when I meditate on these words in 2 Corinthians and in Romans 8.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9; 18
For I believe that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18-23

Whenever I am feeling loneliness and despair, I think of these verses from the Bible, and I remember the words of the hymn, “Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.”

Listen to the hymn “Come, Ye Disconsolate” on YouTube:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?autoplay=1&v=mNqzhfB4y1I