Evolving

My young grandson rides with me

as I mow the day’s first swath

of the hillside pasture,

and then he rambles the woods beyond

the field’s edge, emerging

from the trees to wave, and I wave back

remembering that I too once

played at field’s edge and waved

to an old workman who went moving by,

waving back to me as he passed.

Wendell Berry, Leavings

Embrace

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Last weeks word- better late than never- Embrace

Where Is God? By Mark Nepo

It’s as if what is unbreakable--

the very pulse of life--waits for

everything else to be torn away,

and then in the bareness that

only silence and suffering and great love can expose,

it dares to speak through us and to us.

It seems to say, if you want to last,

hold on to nothing.

If you want to know love,

let in everything.

If you want to feel the presence of everything,

stop counting the things that break along the way

Lenten Traditions

For at least 10 years, it has been our tradition to attend a Lenten fish fry with our good friend Al. Al is such a selfless and good friend that he has done parish by parish testing and is able to steer us to the best fish fry in town. Tonight was a double bonus for me because it was in the basement of a building that DH and I lived in when we were first married. Several years ago our friend Cora began joining us for this outing. Sadly, the person who most looks forward to this outing (DH) had to work tonight.

Another tradition is to bring out this treasure of all treasures that my dearest pastor brought back from Israel for me. Photos do not do it justice. It’s one of those pictures where when you move it the picture changes. And so, we begin with this -

But if you move a little just so, you see this-

But hold on now………then there’s this…..

Have any Lenten traditions at your house?

Fidelity

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Today’s word was Fidelity.

I, having loved ever since I was a child a few things, never having wavered

In these affections; never through shyness in the houses of the rich or in the presence of clergymen having denied these loves;

Never when worked upon by cynics like chiropractors having grunted or clicked a vertebra to the discredit of these loves;

Never when anxious to land a job having diminished them by a conniving smile; or when befuddled by drink

Jeered at them through heartache or lazily fondled the fingers of their alert enemies; declare

that I shall love you always.

No matter what party is in power

No matter what temporarily expedient combination of allied interests wins the war;

Shall love you always.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Cindy used a sweet story from one of my favorite books ever- Fidelity by Wendell Berry- as a part of her sermon which she entitled A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. Fidelity.

Intention

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Our word for today was Intention. We had been invited to bring something that represents Intention to place on the alter, whether that be a personal intention or just a symbol of the word itself.  A few folks explained their symbol, most just left them there (and all of us to wonder!).

I loved this good word from Ken Sehested and his book In the Land of the Living.

Bright Sadness

(In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, the season of Lent is described as a “bright sadness”)

In the madness that surrounds us,

our lives, our community, our world,

we give thanks, nevertheless.

More is at work than we can see.

Lent is a time for clearing and cleansing.

Dustballs happen.

In the midst of life’s crippling failures,

we still give thanks.

In the midst of Fox News’ deceptions,

we still give thanks.

Nevertheless, nevertheless.

Lent is a time for checking appetites.

Longings and desires, created for pleasure

in God’s bountiful creation

have come unleashed.

Nevertheless, the bright sound of earth’s promise

brings joy to our lips.

Tether us anew to your Provision.

During Lent we follow Jesus into the desert,

grappling with the distorted longings and lusts that

corrupt the world and even our own hearts.

Even so, more is at work than we can see.

The Spirit is not quenched.

How can we keep from singing?!

Jeff Street Easter

We have a traditioin at Jeff Street, starting out on Easter with dark cloth on the windows and no color in the room with worship moving toward this great great celebration. No surprise to anyone who knows me, but every time I see that conga line while people are singing We Are Marching in the Light of God.........I cry. Too too dear to bear.
Before we totally leave Easter, check out my friend Suzanne's blog entry for Easter............http://queenoffun101.blogspot.com/

Dancing to the beat of the Resurrection Song!

Goodness is Stronger Than Evil, by Desmond Tutu

Goodness is stronger than evil,

love is stronger than hate,

light is stronger than darkness,

life is stronger than death,

victory is ours through him who loved us.

Maundy Thursday

.........But how would I react, I wonder
If You pointed to a basin of water
And asked me to wash the calloused feet
Of a bent and wrinkled old woman
Day after day
Month after month
In a room where nobody saw
And nobody knew.

(author's name not noted)

More than 30 years ago, my friend Suzanne shared this poem with our book study group and I have continued to think of it over all these years. I've made a lot of stabs at finding it with no success, until today! And how timely.
I shared a bit of it tonight as we sat around our beautiful table at church sharing a simple meal together as we prepared to follow the examples of Jesus in the simple acts of breaking bread and washing of feet in service to one another. I looked around that table, and I knew every heart and set of hands around it- every one a servant.
Michael washed my hands, I washed Di's. Di washed Dan's hands, Kendra washed Shameka's feet, around full circle. We served each other bread and cup in hushed darkness, whispering the words that matter- this is the body of Christ, for you my brother; this is the cup of salvation. We lingered in the silence, then one by one we left, each of us extinguishing a bit of the candlelight.
Servanthood is sacred and scarey stuff.

Palm Sunday

It just wouldn't be Palm Sunday for me without re-visiting my sweet friend Steven DeGeorge's take on it.

If Jesus Drove a Truck…

If Jesus drove a truck it’d be gray,

a 4 cylinder, and just enough to get Him where He needs to go.

With the 12 in the bed and a 3 speed on the column,

He’d be the talk from here to Mexico.

They’d say, “Who’s that man and what’s he trying to say?

If he’s so great, why is his truck so gray? And old? And noisy?

Well, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.

He’d drive that thing all over West Virginia,

telling stories to the miners and mechanics

and their families.

They’d have Him in for breakfast

and comment on His truck and how they’d fix it;

He’d say, “don’t worry. Where I’m going you never need a tune up.”

He’d take His crew up through Jane Lew

and on to Charleston and Beckley and Bluefield and Wheeling.

Well, He’d love the Appalachian Mountains

and all the people living round them would come to hear and see the miracles.

They’d say, “Who’s that man and what’s he trying to do?

Did you hear he turned those R.C. Cola’s into bottles of Blue Moon

the other night at a party?”

Well, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.

He’d walk on into church like He owned the place,

and they wouldn’t see much more than the dirt upon His face.

And then a man would come and ask politely

if he could show Him to the exits,

but He’d walk right past and take the podium.

He’d say, “Blessed are the poor mechanics,

blessed are the miner’s families,

and blessed are you who help the least of these.

And woe to you whose wealth is blinding,

for you the kingdom will be like driving

through the eye of a needle in a white-washed SUV,"

…and they’d get mad.

They’d get angry.

But I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.

Well just outside of Morgantown it threw a rod,

the truck broke down, and He sent His friends ahead

and they hitch hiked.

They found a room and just like He said,

there was a Schwinn and it was red,

and they brought it to Him

and He rode triumphant in.

Hosanna man lay your Carhart down.

He’s riding in, put your coat on the ground.

Hosanna man lay your flannel down.

He’s riding in, put your shirt on the ground.

Green Lent

Today's word was Dan's- Hootenany

Blue Lent

Today's word was Jackie's- Balance

Purple Lent

Today's word was Mollie's word- Adventure!

Red Week- Lent

The word for this week is Bart Irwin's word- Persistence- and the artwork was done by Cindy Weber and Bart.

We are continuing to use a word a week on our bulletin covers, the words each of us chose for 2009. The original work will be part of our Book of Words. This weeks word was Ellie Borders' word- Animal- and the artwork was done by Dan Trabue.

Lent- Orange Week

Cindy preached on the lectionary passage Genesis 17:1-16 about Abraham and Sara and the change of their names. Her sermon was "Naming our Change". We closed with one of my favorite songs.

I told Jesus it would be all right if he changed my name.

I told Jesus it would be all right if he changed my name.

Jesus told me that the world would be against me if he changed my name.

Jesus told me that the world would be against me if he changed my name.

But I told Jesus it would be all right if he changed my name.

Jesus told me I would have to work for justice if he changed my name.

Jesus told me I would have to work for justice if he changed my name.

But I told Jesus it would be all right if he changed my name.

I told Jesus it would be all right if he changed my name.

Lent- the Yellow week

I got the idea from Britt-Arnhild to focus on a different color for each week of Lent. We've decided to do that at church as well, with folks bringing in things each week for the alter of a certain color that represent a place they have seen God's presence during the week. This week, as you can see, is yellow.

I'm going to take the lazy way out tonight and just copy here the meditation I did for church today.

I'm sure many of you have been here on a Wednesday night or at a meeting or some other gathering around here when Cindy has asked us to be still and aware of God's presence within and all around us. Almost always once she says those simple words, I breathe in, breathe out, and I totally sense the presence of God.......within and all around. But sometimes when she calls us into God's presence........I am thinking.........”did I remember to turn the crockpot on?”
Sometimes when I am riding the shuttle to work and making my to do list for the day with some Michael Franti playing on my iPod, someone waiting on the corner catches my eye and they are so earnest and so dear that it catches my breath and makes me want to cry.
Almost every time I trace the corridors of my labyrinth I find God waiting for me at the center. But not always. And sometimes at the end of a long day when I'm throwing yet another load into the laundry, turning a pants leg right side out, I am certain that I have been joined, that some hand touches me and tells me that this is noble work.
All of this to say that I see God's presence, whether I try to or not. And that trying doesn't always make it so.
C.S. Lewis said that there are steps we can take to avoid God's presence. He suggests, “Avoid silence, avoid solitude, avoid any train of thought that leads off the beaten track. Concentrate on money, sex, status, health and (above all) on your own grievances. Keep the radio on. Live in a crowd. Use plenty of sedation. If you must read books, select them very carefully. But you’d be safer to stick to the papers. You’ll find the advertisements helpful; especially those with a sexy or a snobbish appeal.” (Christian Reflections, pp. 168-169).”
I hope that in the week ahead you sense God's presence within and all around you, sometimes because you sought it out, and sometimes taking you by complete surprise.

From dust you have come, to dust you shall return

I love Britt-Arnhild's Lent meditation today.

Nice article about different ways to pray during Lent.

Just in case you were thinking of giving up Facebook for Lent.......

A Lenten gift to the earth......