The Wise Gardener

    This weekend Pastor Scott Fine (Mountain Life Church)  centered his sermon around the following quote:  "Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." (Galatians 6:7)  The remarks touched on different ways we can flourish:  reading scripture and really integrating it into our lives,  acting with intention and keeping like minded company were a few of his points.   The Bible is rich in agricultural and gardening metaphors and since I spent all of yesterday working in the yard,  it gave me time to think.

     The front of my house is shaded while the back is a sun filled meadow.  We live at 7500 feet above sea level and get lots of snow so these are all factors that the wise gardener must consider.  Shade loving plants thrive in the cool of the front porch whereas the meadow welcomes sun worshipers.  Hmm.  People are similar.  We all have the capacity to flourish  yet we need different environments. We all have unique lessons to learn.
       As I cleared the dead leaves in the front flower bed I was thinking that it would help the plants breathe easier.  God does the very same for us. " He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." (John 15:2)  When you take the dead branches and blooms off a plant, it allows the nutrition to go to the parts of the plant that are still vital and alive. I believe God gives us situations for our highest good.  I will admit that there have been times that I have questioned the wisdom of the Almighty.  However, I know my doubt is a product of my own short-sightedness.  I cannot see the big  picture until events have played themselves out.  Proverb 3:5-6 states: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."
     Jesus calls us to go and bear fruit (John 15: 16) and he gives the command: " Love each other."  He did not say love those who are easy to love, love those you agree with,  or love those who love you.  He meant everyone.  As Pastor Andy Stanley (Northpoint Community Church, Alpharetta , GA) said, "How dare we unlove someone?"   God knows the recesses of our souls.  He gives us people and experiences that open our hearts and shine light in every corner.  He truly is the Wise Gardener.   May you flourish.

     

His Grace is Sufficient for Me

     As if bronchitis and a sinus infection were not enough, my thyroid  (probably feeling left out of the general merriment) is also out of sync.  Surely I am one of the only people who could be sick for nearly a month and not lose any weight at all.  I was getting winded walking up the stairs and attributed that to the chronic wheezing in my chest.  Happily the wheezing is gone, yet the fatigue goes on.  An astute doctor checked my thyroid levels and lo, they are half what they should be to function normally.  So, now I will gradually increase the dose and check the serum blood levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) until I reach the therapeutic level.  Excellent.   
      At least there's an answer.  I was beginning to think I was losing my mind.  I certainly have NOT been losing any weight despite  strict diet and exercise.  I feel like I am trapped in someone else's body.  I've decided to take a new, radical approach, the hardest one of all:   Patience.  I will garden, walk, weight train, eat healthy, rest and get my medicine levels right.  I will not run until my heart feels like exploding.  I will not kick box until my lungs burn.  I will wait patiently. Supposedly, strength arises for those who wait upon the Lord.  I am now broken and I am ready to wait.  In 2 Corinthians Paul illustrates the Lord's view of weakness:  "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  I have tried everything else; it doesn't work.  I am ready Lord;  I will wait upon your perfect timing. So I wait, and hope the "weight" will cooperate.  May you walk in His light.

Go in Peace

     I have been out of commission with a bad virus this week.   I went to the doctor to keep my viral self from morphing into pneumonia.  (Although I am a nurse, it is very hard to listen to your own lungs!)  I have spent the better part of the week hacking and struggling to breathe.  I have been so uncomfortable in my body that I could not sit still.  It got me thinking about the interface of our spiritual and physical bodies.
     I've seen many a movie where the loved ones tell the dying, " You can go now, it's OK."  Until the other day, I never really pondered the necessity of this gesture.  If I were dying, and my son needed me, I would hang on as long as I could.  I know this because I know how stubborn I am.  I am sure that eventually the body would give out, but I believe the spirit has some say.
     When my grandmother was dying she said,  " I'm scared."  What did I say? I said nothing.  I regret this and I regret it deeply.  It would have been better if I had said, "I would be too" or  " I understand" or well, anything would have been an improvement over my non-response. 
      Next time, when a loved one is dying I'll do things differently. I will reply and I will honor that very delicate place where body and spirit meet.  If a soul is ready to cross over they need support and faith.  I believe there's life after death.  Do I understand the nature of it? No.  Do I believe there's part of us that endures? Yes I do.  The awkward part about having loved ones die is we tend to make it about us.  Their illness and departure is about them.  When they leave, our loneliness and sorrow is about us. There's a time and a place for both.  Next time, I'll do a better job.  May  peace, mercy and compassion be yours.

Music in My Soul

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
Lao Tzu

    I went to hear a Third Day concert last week.  They are a Christian rock group from my hometown, Atlanta.  There is a spectrum of opinion on what sacred music is or should be.  I endured the droning monologue  of a young, and very self important, priest a few years ago.  "Only traditional music can be sacred," he opined.  Blah, blah blah blah blah.  He droned on until I thought my head might explode.  I was attending a wake and not in the mood to argue so I simply left the room.  Music, like other arts is subjective.  I say that whatever brings your heart closer to the One, whatever gives you pause to consider the holy,  that is sacred my friends.   
   There were times during the concert that the entire audience sang the songs a capella.  It was a beautiful, sacred sound and surely heard by the universe.  Each of us brings unique qualities and gifts.  Each brings a distinct frequency to the world.  Find the music that resonates with you and let your soul rise up.  Be joyous.

A Spiritual Bouquet

    A bouquet is an arrangement of flowers that are given as a gift.  A spiritual bouquet is a collection of prayers, masses, rosaries or good works that are carried out for the intention of another.  Though traditionally a Roman Catholic devotion,  the idea could be used by any religious tradition.  It is a meaningful and very personal gift.
     In the book, 365 Mary by Woodeene Koenig-Bricker, the author states, " Unlike the old fashioned spiritual bouquet, yours doesn't have to consist of Rosaries or set prayers.  Instead, you could wish someone happiness every time you think of them this week. Or you could vow to remember them with positive thoughts every morning when you brush your teeth."   The possibilities are infinite.  Be creative.  Here's how to get started.
     The bouquet is usually presented as a card, though I have seen bouquets made by children that use colorful, huge posters.  With card stock as you base material, you can draw flowers, print out pictures or photos, or even make a collage.  Include a list of the devotions you will undertake or have already finished for the recipient.  For example, the inside of your card could look something like this:

A Spiritual Bouquet For You

1 Mass
3 rosaries
5 days of prayer upon arising or even brushing teeth
or even I will pray for your highest good when I am cooking or washing the dishes

     The devotions do not have to be complicated and the list does not have to be long.  It is the thoughts and intention that are important.  Things are temporary, but relationships and love defy even death.  If you know someone who has a big birthday or anniversary coming up, consider giving them a spiritual bouquet.    As Kahlil Gibran noted in his work The Prophet, "  You give little when you give of your possessions.  It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."   He goes on to say  "there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;  They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space."  I believe a spiritual bouquet is a wonderful simile for true giving.  Be like the myrtle; give an unseen, but deeply felt gift.
    

A Community of Believers

     Webster's defines community as" A population of people living in the same place and under the same laws."  Religion is defined as "the service and worship of God or the supernatural."  Herein lies my quandary:  Can one have community without organized religion?  I think you can.
      Many good works and many vile acts have been committed in the name of religion.  This isn't God's fault.  It is the result of human nature and free will.  In every moment of your life you are free to choose your response and your actions.  You are free to be an atheist or agnostic if you so choose.  History has shown us that power and greed warp human nature.  We can look back to the crusades and shrink with horror at the things done in the Lord's name.  Roman Catholics slaughtered  Muslims AND Eastern Christians.  The shameful degradation of holy places and wholesale murder of innocents is sickening.  Yet, this kind of behavior is still committed by many faiths today.
       Growing up Catholic in the deep South I was asked why I worship statues.  This came as a great surprise to me;  I saw statues as a visual aid and nothing more.  I had Baptists telling me I could still go to heaven as long  as  I "don't say that Hail Mary prayer."  The list goes on and I am confident that my Catholic brethren have equally offended other Christians.
       Some Catholics are offended by the very ideas contained in the book, Angels  and Demons.  They have every right not to read it or to read it and reject it.  For me it is a book that gave me food for thought.  Ideas are not frightening; Not thinking and making your own choices is frightening.
       When I reflect on organized religion, I find myself torn.  I love the rituals and ceremony of the church.  I like the rosary.  I love the symbolism of lighting candles for loved ones or for an intention.  However, I bristle at being told how to vote from the pulpit.   I think women should be priests if they hear the call.  I disagree with the Church's view on contraception. I do not think contraception and abortion are one and the same.
     In the end, I have learned to form my own community of believers who may call the Divine different things.  My  circle includes all believers in the One.  It would be simpler if I believed one set of tenets, but I DO believe in One Divine creator who defies definition and description.  Hinduism is not, as many believe, polytheistic.  There is one Divine that has many facets, much like the faces of a diamond.  This is a good metaphor for how I see the Divine.  It is so vast, so beyond our comprehension, that we have come up with various ways of describing it.  So I see myself as part of a worshiping community that goes beyond walls and culture to embrace the Light.  In yoga, the practice is begun and ended with the word, "Namaste", "the Light in me greets the Light in you."  Call the light by whatever name you will, when we pray, I believe our voices are joined. Namaste.

Why Mary Magdalene Should Be My BFF

     One of the things I admire about Jesus is that he is the way for anyone who chooses to approach Him.  The Bible tells countless stories of Jesus dining with tax collectors, the sick and lame and women of questionable reputation.  When an adulterous woman  was brought before Jesus, He said "Let you who is without sin cast the first stone."  This made an impact on the crowd.  Moments before they were self-righteous and ready to stone her.  After His comments, the crowd dispersed. Jesus told the woman to go and to sin no more.
      The story of Mary Magdalene is one that is open to debate.  Was she a prostitute?  Or was she an independent woman that did not fit the culture of her time?  I honestly don't know. The answer did not matter to Jesus;  he welcomed her into His circle.  He saw her as a soul on a journey
      When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of the miracle of the resurrection and I can't help but notice that it was Mary Magdalene who first saw the risen Lord.  That's right.  Mary Magdalene, a woman of questionable reputation, was the first to see the risen Lord.  For me, this is no accident.  Jesus message is  for all people. I am touched and humbled that Jesus chose Mary Magdalene as among the first to see Him.  For me, it speaks volumes about Jesus' message.
       Jesus was not interested in beautiful Easter dresses and fancy Easter bonnets.  He was not captivated by fame or connection.  Jesus was interested in  faith and love.  In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says," It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  But go and learn what this means:  I desire mercy, not sacrifice."    Just as He showed mercy, we are called to show mercy.  We are called to leave judgement to God.  None of us is perfect. None of us is without sin.   Because of our own imperfections, we are called to compassion.
     The concept of compassion is a common thread among the world's religions.  Buddhism has a strand of meditations specifically centered around loving kindness and compassion.  This type of meditation can be visualized as concentric circles.  You picture yourself in the middle.  You begin at the outer circle and picture an acquaintance.  You pray that they have peace, mercy and compassion.  You move inward praying peace, mercy and compassion for those you know AND those you know that are difficult for you.  Slowly you work your way  toward those in your inner circle and then yourself, concluding with "May I have peace, mercy and compassion" and finally, "May all sentient beings have peace, mercy and compassion."  
      Jesus gave two commands that echo these ideas on compassion:  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  I think the second command is often tougher to follow.  We are not called to be self righteous.  We are not called to look down on others.  We are called to radical, other worldly love.