​I’m reading about holding environments right now – the idea that what we experience when we’re young influences our experience of trust as we grow. If we find what we need often enough as a youngster, we believe that the universe is benign and helpful. If we don’t, then we try to create a different reality and turn away from what surrounds us. I don’t know what it means about me, but I do tinker a lot! I’m always imagining how things could be better. Perhaps it’s part of growing up around the idea of Zion – God’s kin-dom here on earth.
 
On Sunday, we meditated on Psalm 139, with those familiar words: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” As I settled into silence, I realized that this scripture is all about a present holding environment, in that God knows me intimately, knows everywhere I could possibly go and everything I could do. No matter what, God is present.
 
This brings an image to mind: you and I are floating on a salty body of water (like the Dead Sea or a float tank) that will effortlessly support our bodies, letting us lay back and relax. Yet we thrash about with our arms and legs, trying to stay vertical, refusing to let go and rest. Here is some wisdom from our church administrator’s handbook that can remind us to follow the rhythm of our lives and participate in life around us rather than managing it all!
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BRINGING BALANCE TO LIFE

All life needs a rhythm of rest. There is a rhythm in our waking and the body’s need for sleep. There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night and night into morning. There is a rhythm as the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter. There is a tidal rhythm, a deep, eternal conversation between the land and the great sea. In our bodies, the heart perceptibly rests after each life-giving beat. The lungs rest between breathing out and inhaling. We have lost this essential rhythm. Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing. Because of our wish to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go. We bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good comes only through unceasing, determination and tireless effort, we can never rest. And because we need rest, our lives are in danger.
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Sabbath is a gift of God to remind us and give us permission to rest, to bring balance into our lives. Even our dedication to the service of others as ministers, when not balanced with healthy living, can lead to suffering in ourselves, our families, and in the ones we are trying to serve. Even God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). We rest to bring balance to our lives, to see the goodness that God has placed in all creation.  

Community of Christ Church Administrator's Handbook

​I love stories like Narnia where there’s a magical, fantastic world that touches ours! This happens in our world too: it’s called thin places, where everything feels holy and you feel more like yourself than you ever have before. In a thin place we experience a reality that extends beyond what we can see or touch – the reality that we are surrounded by the movement of Spirit and the love of God. Thin places may be called Lummi Island or Samish Island (or Jasper National Park or Hills of Peace!). These are places that call to our soul, where we long to be.

Baptism is a thin place too. We place ourselves in the water, allow ourselves to be immersed, and encounter God in a new way. God doesn’t love us more after baptism because that’s impossible! God already loves us 120%. We do become partners with God in a new way, though, finding consolation in one another and spending time together.
 
So while I may never talk with Aslan, I can continue to treat this life like a sacred pilgrimage. I can look to the sacraments for those moments of union with the divine that grow my soul. I can spend time with my beloved creator and learn how to participate in life fully rather than sleepwalking through it. I can be invested in the lives of those around me, seeing God’s presence and fingerprints in each one. Where is your thin place? How will you dwell with God? Let the still, small voice call you into a new corner of your world, where something fantastic is waiting to be revealed!
 
*Adapted from the Vancouver congregation’s baptism service
May 8, 2022

It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with you through these messages. It’s becoming apparent over the months that the feeling tone of the ones I write is more like our Disciple’s Generous Response rather than our Daily Bread! Part of my spiritual journey is to keep close tabs on the health of my heart (both physically and spiritually) and generosity is a great metric for heart health. Where my treasure is, there my heart is also. Just like my sermons, I’m ‘speaking to the mirror’ with these messages, reminding myself of what I already know leads to life.
 
Two aspects of heart-healthy stewardship come to mind right now. The first is our camping season! This year we move back into a fee-based camp experience where we know exactly how much camp costs in advance and what we are expected to contribute. Our directors are assembling registration information right now to make this clear. This is an opportunity to let our values influence our budgets in the next few months, allowing us to respond generously to the opportunity to gather again. What if you are not able to go and experience camping in person? I wonder if this is also an invitation to extend grace to others in the form of donations so that they can experience one of our most wonderful offerings as a church.
 
The other part of heart-healthy stewardship addresses the news cycle. I was in airports a lot this weekend, journeying to our friends in Saskatoon, and was struck by the numbing that watching loops of news can bring. It’s heart-breaking, but the situation in Ukraine is not improving! I can keep my heart open and respond by once again donating to those helpers who are on the ground doing their best to end suffering. I can light my light in the face of darkness and tend the flame, partnering with the Holy Spirit in divine work.
 
May our faithful God bless and keep our hearts!  ​