Flutter Ballet

Last week I took a few days vacation and went to visit friends in Cleveland. Now most people this time of the year head to warm climes -- I headed north where winter still has a strong hold along Lake Erie. Despite the chilly cold and snow flurries, I had a great time. It is always good to connect with friends. While in Cleveland, I had the opportunity to go to the Botanical Gardens and dawdle awhile in their "Glass House." In the "Glass House" they have re-created two distinct habitats -- one mimicking Madagascar and the other a Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. One dry, the other humid. In the cloud forest section there were dozens and dozens of beautiful butterflies. These butterflies were fascinating to observe. I tried to watch every flutter and turn of their spritely dance, but it was difficult to keep up. Every so often, one would land on a stem or leaf and for a few minutes I could observe their intricate patterns and brilliant colors. Like a butterfly on wing life flees past with unexpected turns and happenstance meetings, a beautiful and chaotic dance that we are not able to predict. As I watched the butterflies, they did not always go where I thought they would. I could not determine any kind of pattern to their dipping and soaring and pirouetting in midair. So too, life may bring us to unexpected places or almost forgotten faces, and we turn in surprising new directions to continue the dance.

Progress Seasoned with Humility

Where would we be without good friends? I was talking with my good friend, Sharon (on the left in the above photo) the other day. In the course of our conversation, I shared with her that I had started this blog -- she just started laughing. She reminded me that she knew me way back when -- when I wanted next to nothing to do with computers, when I thought computers were tearing away at the fabric of community, when I would have rather directed a second week of vacation Bible school rather than get online. Ah, thanks be for Sharon who knows me well enough to know my foibles but cares for me in spite of them. These are the kind of friends that keep us humble. I suppose I will never be one to rush to acquire new technology but eventually I can be pulled into this century. Computers are indeed valuable tools. Computers may provide a modicum of social networking. Computers make many aspects of life a little easier to handle. This progress is to be celebrated. But less progress get too puffed up, it helps to remember that there are still some things that a computer cannot replace -- emoticons fall short of a genuine face to face smile; e-mails lack the rich personality of a handwritten letter; and my computer has yet to give me a hug! So Sharon helps keep me humble. Who helps keep the computer humble?

The Discipline of Gratitude

A spiritual discipline that helps keep me mindful of God's steadfast, abiding presence is a gratitude journal. One of the last things I do before turning out the light to go to sleep, is to write a prayer to God listing at least five things for which I am thankful that day. This is not an original idea -- I think I heard it suggested on "Oprah" years ago. It also certainly hearkens back to the old hymn "Count Your Blessings" and even further back to the Psalms that offer praise for how the writer has seen God at work. Of all the spiritual disciplines, this is the one I have followed most faithfully and most consistently over the years. Now granted, some days I have trouble coming up with five things specific to that day to list. On those days there is always the basic five I can go back to -- family, friends, my dog, a good job, a warm home, food to eat. However, I will take time to reflect on the day and try to come up with more detailed or timely items to list. Maybe I am thankful for the beauty of the forsythia blooming or for the smell of fresh ground coffee or for the kind words someone said or for making it safely home around the DC beltway. Often the items I list are events where I have seen God's gentle, persuasive presence at work in the lives and world around me. Pausing at the end of the day to write a little prayer of gratitude is a way to praise & honor God. It is also a way to lift my spirits. So for March 24, I am thankful for: 1. the modern technology of the Internet 2. a phone conversation with my mom who lives in Baton Rouge 3. a washer and dryer on the same level as all my living space 4. a few days off this week after Easter 5. Panda (my dog, see photo) sleeping at my feet as I sit here at the computer. Thanks be!

Holy Week

Today marks the beginning of Holy Week. Over the years, I have come to cherish these seven days -- days when Christians are called to be particularly attentive to the gospel accounts of Jesus' final days. This morning in worship we presented a Reader's Theatre style interpretive reading from the Gospel of Matthew. We had some EXCELLENT readers that were willing to do some focused rehearsing and pour their hearts into the task. Thanks to the hard work of all involved, the people present were able to have the story Jesus come alive in a meaningful way.
So often it is easy to just skip from the pageantry of Palm Sunday to the joyous festivity of Easter without pausing to reflect on what happened in between. A few years ago, Mel Gibson gave us his cinematic interpretation of what might have happened between Palm Sunday and Easter. And while I would take issue with Mr. Gibson on a number of points about the movie, I do appreciate that his movie helped to raise awareness of the events of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Our understanding of Easter celebration is deeper and fuller when we take the time to reflect on the events that led up to God's doing a new thing in the resurrection. Human sinfulness caused the crucifixion -- humanity took God's love incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth and rejected God by crucifying Jesus. Our sinfulness caused the crucifixion and sitting with the guilt and discomfort of that knowledge is important to help us realize our need for God. In the face of the crucifixion I think God pondered long and hard if God wanted anything else to do with humanity. Easter Sunday answers that question with a powerful YES!
Yes! God seeks us out to be in relationship.
Yes! God loves us so much that God sends us back God's son in the resurrected Christ.
Yes! God still has grace, mercy, hope and love for this tragic, pain-filled world.
Yes! God says yes to us even in the face of our harshest "No."

May you have a blessed and meaningful Holy Week!

Getting Started

Hi,

If you have stumbled across this blog you will realize that I am just getting this started. Hope to get it figured out and designed in the next couple of weeks.

Peace! Mary Kay