JANUARY JUMP START

 A January Jumpstart sounds pretty jazzy.  

That’s what we’ve needed as we slog through another month of COVID while it flairs in parts of our country.  

It seems as if our ‘get up and go’  got up and went.  

For most of the country it’s cold and windy and not too much fun outside and the mask is the ‘in’ item of the day.  Which color or pattern matches my outfit today?  As for me, I simply throw on my plain white, soft cotton one or double mask with a blue paper one underneath.  

I am either working at home where I spend hours on Zoom or I am at the church office where I interface with co-workers only for meetings and worship services.  

Needless to say, my soul-battery has been drained many times as I teach and listen and commiserate and pray with others.  

The commiserating is simply sharing empathetic words with another who is having a hard time with this isolation.  My soul-battery needs a daily jumpstart because I’m busier than I’ve ever been . . .  too busy.  

The most aching of souls are the ones who thrive when in community.  They need that kinetic sense that one receives in a crowded room.  It’s the vibes of conversation, of seeing facial expressions up close, of jostling, elbow to elbow, with a pack of people that gives them the jumpstart.

I am blessed that I can hide behind a book or spend hours on my computer and be perfectly satisfied.  Until . . .  until I also find something lacking.  It’s that ol’ soul-battery that surprisingly gets drained.  Why is that?

“No man is an island, no man stands alone,” states the refrain from a well known song from scripture.  We were not made for isolation.  We were made to be in community, to jostle elbow-to-elbow, to share and receive wisdom from one another, to cry or laugh with each other.  We are meant to ‘jumpstart’ one another as we share, encourage, exhort and play together.  Because our community interaction has been so very  limited for nearly a year, we feel an emptiness that seems like a drained battery.

So, what do we do about it?

There are a few ‘fixes’ that most of us have be using.

First, we connect with one another in as many ways as possible.  

Phone calls and text messages go only so far.  

FaceTime is a bit better but that’s mostly for one-on-one conversations.  

Another solution we’ve been indulging in is Zoom meetings.  

Yet, even with Zoom, all I see is a distorted head from the neck upward that may be in such poor light that I barely see expressions. 

I cannot easily read the body language.  Try reading faces in 10 to 30 tiny squares.  The more people on a page, the smaller the face.  Jumpstart!!! please.

The next best alternative is to gather together, with masks,

chairs six feet apart, and simply enJOY seeing entire bodies.  

Do we dare?  

Indeed we do.  

I have heard so many creative options that are actually working.  Friends of mine live in an area where temps are only as low as the 40s in the early evening.  They purchased ski leggings and parks so they can dine outside in ‘safe space.’  The adventure of donning layers of clothing to dine out becomes a jumpstart for the week.  

Another friend attends a weekly bible study in the leaders’ driveway.  Each brings their own chair, water, bible and anything else they need as they sit six feet apart, masks on, in an ellipse.  They get to see one another even if they are bundled up.  Facial expressions may be difficult to read but reading body movements of one another seems to satisfy the soul as they discuss how Jesus feeds them with his word.

During the winters we are blessed to live in an area that is considered the tropics.  Yet, I find myself wearing winter clothing most days.  

We have enjoyed an exceptionally cool winter that enables us to embrace many outside activities including daily walks.  Hubby and I look forward to our prayer-walks when I do not have early morning meetings.  No masks, plenty of cool breeze, energetic limb movement and words that feed our soul seems to jumpstart us at least five days a week.  

January jumpstart may happen due to these desperate COVID days but  I believe we are learning new habits that we can use for the rest of our lives.  We are determined to fill our souls in creative ways so that our soul-batteries are never totally drained.  Perhaps you have created new ways to fill your soul-battery when you feel as if you are alone a bit too much.

Jumpstart may mean creating habits that begin the day.  

Make a ‘must-do’ list.  Must have coffee or tea, must sit in my favorite chair as I read the paper, must have at least 20 minutes for self.  Perhaps we can add a few more minutes each day to read inspiring words from a book of meditations or from holy scripture.  

Perhaps we can tuck into that schedule of habits three minutes to talk to God . . .  or just listen and wait.  Breathe in . . .  breathe out.

Ahhh, feel better?

Use some of those habits throughout the day to keep your battery full.

Breathe in . . . breathe out . . . share moments of gratitude with one other or write these moments in a journal.

At the end of the day, let’s count our blessings.

Give thanks that today we are alive and able to breathe deep.

Give thanks to God for creative ways you have jumpstarted your battery.  Praise the Lord with simple words like: Thanks, nice, love it. Praise God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the creativity given to us to jumpstart our soul throughout each day.

DECEMBER SPARKS NEW LIGHT

 Do we live by the Law or relationship?  It’s not easy to answer.  During this past year we encountered people who have reacted to the unknown with fear or anxiety.  Laws and rules give some people comfort.

  Making wise decisions according to our own best interest and the interest of others seems, for many, a challenge.   We seem to have a sense of paralysis or COVID19 fatigue.  We are tired of being careful.  

We are tired of ‘enlightening’ others as to why we all must remain vigilant on every front.  Instead of caring for another, living in relationship, we seem to be retreating to our lonely corners.  We are tired of trying.  

We are all just plain tired.

The Law of Moses was designed to keep God’s people
focused on the Lord’s Presence.   To live by the Law is one way of creating a fence or parameter of protection from our sin-filled selves.  For God’s Chosen people, the Law was a welcome change to direct their path after having no sense of hope for generations.  

The Law gave them purpose, direction, discipline, balance, a way to embrace the covenant relationship they’d lost.  God made a covenant with Abraham which was passed to Isaac, then to Jacob and through many generations.  

It’s covenant relationship that is of the upmost importance.  God sought relationship through the Law but the Law, with so many rules surrounding the Law, seemed to separate the Chosen People from God.  

Yet, Laws do not kindle that spark of hope which keeps us going through the darkest days.  

Darkness surrounded God’s chosen people on all sides.  Corrupt kings, greedy governors, non-empathetic emperors, prideful pharisees, sulking sadducees and other leaders seemed to dismiss the cries of the faith-filled Jews.  

All seemed unable to ignite a spark of HOPE.  

  

The fire in the leaders had gone out.  Exacting the Law and prideful arrogance seemed to be the rule of the day.  

Was there none left to stoke the fire that kept God’s remnant alive?  All was dark, oh so dark, neglected, hopeless. 

The souls of  of God’s chosen seemed shriveled up.  Yet, this is what the average person in the marketplace saw.  Those who were the ‘movers and shakers’ of the day seemed to breed darkness while a tiny flicker of light was about to ignite in the faithful.   

God’s plan was well in hand.  God knew that the covenant-spark would pass through the people God chose and would never be snuffed out.  God’s plan was to ignite this spark with an explosion of new life, in God’s perfect timing.

God spoke to Mary through Gabriel.  She affirmed God’s words.  Mary, who maintained an intimate relationship with God, received the Spark of hope, a new creation, because she said, ‘yes.’  

Joseph, who also retained that same intimacy with God, was specially chosen to protect Mary and guide this Holy Family through their arduous journey to Bethlehem.  Joseph was used by God to ‘cover’ Mary as she gave birth in an open lean-to where animals were fed.  

God planted His seed in Mary and, by doing so, this Holy Family, totally obedient to God, revealed to humanity the Holy Trinity through the birth of the Word made flesh.

Before creation, all was black-dark.  Then God spoke.  Creation began.  Light pierced the darkness and, with light, humans could see all of God’s creation.  And then it happened again.  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God . . .  and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

 And the Word became THE word.  THE LIVING WORD . . .  the Word was but a spark who was from before creation.  God ignited this ‘Spark’ in a new way.  

This Spark who was always with God . . . was God.  This tiniest spark of God’s Presence spent nine months within Mary’s womb.  

A tiny spark that would light up the world, was carried by faith inside Mary and protected by Joseph.     Mary was called to be the new Ark that held the New Covenant, Jesus, the Christ.

It takes one spark, nestled in a pile of hay, to create a flame that can grow into a consuming fire.  ONE spark in the dark can illumine the blackest of black.

The Spark of Life, the Word, burst forth to ‘catch’ those seeking to be one with God.  This little Flame of God’s presence became a Fire in the hearts of those who understood.  

This Spark drew people from all over the known world.  God in the flesh, Jesus, the Christ, became the  flame to be planted in the souls of all humankind.  

Why did it take so long?  What was God doing?   

Why couldn’t the average person in the marketplace see any sign of that Spark of God’s presence?  

People were drawn to the magnificence of the temple, not to a family of three residing in Bethlehem, in a feeding station for animals.  

Yet, God drew the lowly, the ones who communed daily with God, the ones who could embrace the Spark of God in the flesh into their soul, who would be mesmerized by the new Light guiding them.  

Those sensitive to the spirit felt the Spark of new life, Jesus, the Christ, the only begotten of the Father, God

from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, of ONE Being with the Father, through Him all things were made.  

May we all glory in the explosion of God’s presence in us as we continue to celebrate Christ in the Mass . . . Christ-Mass.   

Merry Christmas!   

Amen

NOVEMBER NUGGETS

 IT'S ADVENT !

Almost the last day of November and we prepare for the 'coming' the 'New Light' that pierces the darkness.

We prepare for the grand celebration  . . . of the birth of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

And it all began in the Garden.

In the Beginning was  GOD . . .  

In the abyss . . .  in the nothingness  . . .  no time, no space, black-dark . . .  so black-dark that nothing of human comprehension existed. 

God BREATHED life . . . God placed AIR into the abyss . . .  fresh air. . . 

Then God created a spark of what we call LIGHT . . .  one speck of light.

Then there was LIGHT.

LIGHT penetrated the abyss of dark and from God’s breath, LIFE began.  

God formed, created, breathed, made . . .  all that was perfect.

It was a GARDEN

God breathed life into molecules of dust and life began . . . WE were created.

And THEY said, “It is good.”  [The full presence of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit . . .  One . . . before time began]

The GARDEN was a perfect place for ADAM [man] and ADAMAH [woman] to reside forever.

Perfect temperature, perfect humidity, perfect days and nights.  

A time for everything under the sun . . .  

a time to be awake and a time to sleep . . .  

a time to live in JOY.  

A time to TASTE,   SEE,   TOUCH,  LISTEN,  SPEAK,  

remain quiet,  be alone, be together, BE.    

ALL WAS GOOD!

LIGHT was separated from the dark and there was day and night.

But even at night there was no complete darkness because God created lights in the sky . . .  

lights that pointed THE WAY . . .  

light pierced the darkness at all times.

YET GOD expected only one thing from ADAM AND ADAMAH . . .  just ONE.

God said, "For YOU  to live in perfection, in absolute purity of MY presence, you must never eat of the fruit of this tree . . .  the TREE of the KNOWLEDGE of GOOD AND EVIL.”

THIS IS THE CHALLENGE we continue to face today:

“You must never” . . . Ahhhhh, the spell is broken.  

How many times have we been told since childhood . . . 

“Do not” . . .  How many times has that been an open invitation to defy the RULE!   

The RULE . . .  broken,  shattered,  smashed to smithereens.

New words, new concepts PIERCED PERFECTION . . . 

SHAME, REGRET, FEAR, IMPERFECTION, SELF-DOUBT which leads to inferiority, self-loathing, anger, hate . . .  JUDGMENT of self and others.

DARKNESS . . . a new kind of darkness . . . fell over the GARDEN

OUT . . .  OUT of the Garden . . .  INTO the darkness of pain and toil and impurity.

Soothing pools of water turned against ADAM and ADAMAH and became  pounding rain that turns to sleet then hail then icy snow . . .  then dries up and becomes salty-dry . . . 

too hot to breathe. . . .dusty-dirty and shriveled up and there is no GARDEN left at all.

SO we now live in a world other than what God desires for us.

Yet, God IS.  God created US, HUMANITY, for HIS glory.  

God allows His Creation, Humanity, CHOICE.

We can return to the GARDEN again or not.

We can live in PERFECTION again or not.

AND WE AWAIT HIS COMING IN GLORY !!!

And so it is, this time of year, ADVENT, that we who have invited God’s presence into our lives throughout the

CELEBRATION OF CHRIST'S BIRTH . . . have the opportunity to return to God's garden.

God CALLS us to return to HIS Garden.

It's dark in this world but there is a beacon of LIGHT that shines through that darkness . . . just one star in the sky is necessary to lead us back to The ONE.

 Each of us can see at least ONE point of light, some can see more.  The more intimately we know the ONE with whom we are joined, Jesus, the Christ, the more light we see.

Darkness still surrounds us, and always will.  

Yet God’s LIGHT shines through this darkness.  

If we follow God’s Light . . .  He will show us the way to become totally ONE with Him . . . total perfection . . .  at some point we will be IN THE GARDEN AGAIN.

It's our choice when that will become a reality to us.

Just as God commanded Adam and Adamah to follow ONE precept in the Garden, So does God command us to follow the ONE-ness of God's presence.

His command:  BELIEVE !

God said, “Understand US as ONE.”  Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.”

BELIEVE THAT God is Three, yet ONE.  

God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit . . . from before the beginning of creation.  No one can come to the Father except through His Son . . . . .  Jesus and the Holy Spirit are ONE . . .  GOD was and is and always will be ONE.  

We are in the Garden with the ONE  TRUE God. . .  and we await HIs coming in Glory. . . His return upon this dried up place where, too long ago, there was a garden of perfection.

Not so fast!

One other caveat to God’s COMMAND . . . 

drop all our BAGGAGE  . . . 

chuck it.

BAGGAGE =  SIN 

Drop the SIN . . . all of it. 

LET GO!

Stop blaming the world, circumstances, others, for who you have become.

God created you as perfect in his own eyes.

God created you to live in HIS garden.

No more judging, anger, frustration, stepping outside of the God’s precepts.

STOP !        BREATHE !!     REJOICE !!!

We are human beings, fallible, weak, seeking the perfection we will not have by worshiping that which is in this world.  Only in God’s presence, His Garden, will we be like Him.

YET, our time we now have in this IMPERFECT world is our practice place.

We who have said YES to God, through His Son, are expected to FOLLOW Him.

How do we follow Him?

By following His POINTS OF LIGHT?

And where are these Points of Light?   

During this time of ADVENT we take a pregnant pause and follow the Words God gives us, His direction, from the dark days of emptiness into the magnificence of God’s LIGHT.

Let’s take this time of pregnant anticipation to ponder the GIFT of  LIGHT that was and is and is to come.

Let’s ponder the reality of each day becoming shorter, of darkness taking over the light a few more minutes each day.  

        The WORD of God will light the path as we walk in the 

garden.

Let God ‘lighten’ our path as we embrace His Presence.

Let God direct us as we anticipate the celebration of new birth, as we anticipate the celebrate of THE LIGHT that will soon pierce the darkness and explode into 

NEW SPARKS of LIGHT in our own lives.

Do we dare say the name of the ONE whose birth we annually celebrate?

Do we dare say JESUS was and is and forever will be LORD of our Lives?

Is He truly LORD?

"In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God and the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us . . ." [John 1] and then he was savagely mocked and beaten and executed in the worst possible manner . . .  for US!

So that OUR SIN would be taken upon Him . .  all of it.

It was not the agony of being pierced by huge nails and pinned to a piece of wood.

It was not the agony of hanging until His breath was squeezed out of Him.

It was not the agony of unquenchable thirst, open wounds, piercing sun sucking even more life from His body.

It WAS the agony of taking all our baggage, all our black-tar-humanness upon Himself . . . our SIN . . . and by doing so SEPARATING from THE PRESENCE!

For one instant, TIME AND SPACE did not exist.

For one instant everything went BLACK - DARK . . . 

totally black dark.

For one instant the Son was separated from the Father . . . 

For one instant they were NOT one.     

FOR US!!!

Yet God made this choice for US . . . in the same way that WE made the CHOICE to follow HIM and embrace ALL OF GOD: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

So, knowing this, knowing the GIFT we have, let’s embrace a few points of LIGHT that will lead the way to our return to GARDEN LIVING.

God wants this for us.

God chose HIS path to us.  

We said ‘yes.’

"Yes" to God’s only begotten Son, "Yes" to a love that is so incomprehensible that we do not know how to embrace it.

        GOD so LOVED US that he came to us, and helped us to be born anew, totally helpless, in need of feeding, in need of total attention in order to grow and BE and thrive.

Just as we anticipate the ADVENT of this annual celebration of the birth of that babe in the manger, it is also a celebration of OUR ‘new birth.’

When did you realize you could do nothing without the unconditional love of our Lord?  

When did you step back from ‘doing’ it all and ask to be fed with the spiritual food that is required so that we might grow and thrive in one-ness with God in Christ? 

When did you discover that, without the nutrients of God’s Word, without the consistent conversation  . . .  the listening . . .  the silent pondering . . . the active asking?

Without the consistent activity of the Holy Spirit within us we are but empty shells that cover empty souls.  

Let’s take a walk in the Garden and see what the Lord shows us on our journey.

We must ASK  . . .  

We must allow the Holy Spirit within us to drink into our soul all the treasure set before us.  

The garden is teaming with an abundance of God’s presence for the soul.  We must be willing to receive.

 [Remember, the Holy Spirit was called into us at Baptism and is ‘sealed’ in us so we know we are Christ’s own forever.]

This old hymn will draw you back to the Garden.

Sing it out loud or within your soul.

In the Garden  by C. Austin Miles

I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses.

And the voice I hear, falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

[refrain]

And He walks with me

And He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own,

And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

He speaks and the sound of His voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

[refrain]

I'd stay in the garden with Him

'Tho the night around me be falling

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

[refrain]

"In the Garden" (sometimes rendered by its first line, "I Come to the Garden Alone" is a gospel song written by American songwriter C. Austin Miles (1868-1946) a former pharmacist who served as editor and manager at Hall-Mack (not a typo, different from Hallmark)  publishers for 37 years.  According to Miles' great-granddaughter, the song was written "in a cold, dreary and leaky basement in Pitman, New Jersey that did not have a window in it let alone a view of a garden."

OCTOBER OPINES

 Sunny, cool October brings forth fond memories.

Actually, today is COLD, rainy, blustery and yet beautiful at the same time.

I love the Fall season and October celebrations are usually prolific in Pennsylvania country.  

Pumpkins, gourds, dried corn stalks and a wide variety of dried flora fill the front of the average home up here.

Normally we look forward to the prolific country Fairs, one in each borough.

People from far and wide are invited to ‘come and see’ and linger awhile as we drink in the prolific harvest.

Not this year.

COVID has stopped most community activity.

Yet, the autumn decor is still prolific.

When we take our walk my head swivels from one side of the street to the other as my thought linger with the creative combinations of natural vegetation.

Much is simply plucked from the family garden or the neighboring farm.

We intentionally make time to drive through the newly harvested farm country just to linger in the simplicity of empty fields.

Fields once filled with tall stalks of corn are now open patches of dirt with beige leftovers sticking through the soil.

Soy and potatoes have been scooped up with a vast expanse of earth left behind.

Farm houses, each with its varied decorations, can be seen across the fields.

Flags fly and copulas stand tall on homes and barns with a weathervane here and there.

The brisk wind clears the leaves from trees as leaf colors change from pale green to yellow or bright rust, red, gold and brown.

Our de-light-full Maple trees are hanging on for dear life as the Lantern Fly [a new little beast to these parts] sucks the sap and takes life from the trees.  Scientists are working hard to provide ways to keep the trees alive. 

We, the people, are invited to stamp out these spritely little ‘flyers’ as best we can.

“Come and See,” is more difficult this year but there are plenty of people from other states who are exploring the swaths of patches that, when flying overhead, must look like a patchwork quilt.

It’s all good.

We are a hearty folk up here with endless creativity.

Sharing our creativity to add beauty to what could be a desolate time of year is very inviting for any and all who wish to explore endless miles of open space.

Beauty helps us B R E A T H E.

Beauty gives us hope that God’s touch is always with us.

Beauty reminds us to pause.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder . . . so trite yet so true.

An empty desert is as beautiful as a hundred floral bouquets.

Rolling hills are as beautiful as a swamp filled with intriguing plants.

Dying plants and trees are a sight to behold.

Come and See!

Isn’t that what Jesus told those who would become His disciples?

Come and see this how beautiful life can be in the midst of oppression, disease, poverty and the darkness that life can pile on us.

Come and see a new way of being.

Come and see a wonder-filled path with God by faith through His Grace.

Come and see how the Holy Spirit works within those who choose to ‘die to self’ in baptism and live a new life in Christ, Jesus.

Come and see how God’s presence can draw us into renewal, hope, JOY!

The beauty of this earth . . . the natural flora and fauna . . . shows us God’s creativity and touches our own creativity which was planted in our soul by God.

That same creativity calls us to come to Him, just as we are, shriveled by life’s challenges, feeling pruny from all the our cuts and bruises, or just plain in need, to let our Lord carry the load of living that seems so ‘daily.’

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30

 ‘Come . . . see . . .  embrace . . .  BE . . . with Me,’ says Jesus.

Come and see that life can be beautiful, no matter our circumstance.

Even with COVID lingering at our door, we can come to our Lord and feel His presence as we embrace the October beauty around us.

Come and see . . .