Monthly Archives: July 2023

On Enjoying the Walk…

14 Friday Jul 2023

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He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.  Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  (Isaiah 40.29-31, ESV)

Photo credit: https://www.henryford.com/blog/2023/05/10-ways-walk-better-health

I was reading today about a running method many marathon users use to help them sustain their pacing.  It’s called the “run/walk method.”  To sustain pacing for the marathon, a runner could choose to run for five minutes and walk for one throughout the race.  The challenge for the runner is to use this method throughout, especially at the beginning, when adrenaline is running high and it may feel like capitalizing on energy is a good idea.  Instead, keeping the run/walk pattern allows for the stamina for many runners to complete the race.[i] 

I’ve been thinking that my sabbatical has been utilizing the run/walk method by accident.  The twelves weeks had included multiple trips, punctuated by periods of 4-5 days at home between trips.  This week, one of those trips was cancelled due to weather complications, so my “walking” time at home has been more like 9-10 days.  Initially I was irritated by this disruption in my rhythm.  But as I lived this week a little differently, and as observations about the week have percolated up from family members, I have realized the gift of this rhythm disruption.

In the midst of this rhythm disruption, I have been able to more leisurely take naps and rest – something I would have limited if I knew I was approaching another “running” cycle.  I have also been able to be more thoughtful about time with family – whether an impromptu lunch with a kid at home, going to a community show with a kid instead of encouraging my spouse to do so, and just having some fun together time.  I’ve also been able to create quiet time in town – finding a place to tuck away in my local library.  It has not been the week I planned, but in many ways, it has been a week of blessings – certainly blessings I wouldn’t have enjoyed were I not on sabbatical in the first place.

I wonder what rhythm disruptions God has been gifting you lately.  Have you noticed them?  Have you been able to see them as invitations instead of annoyances?  I suspect the Holy Spirit does a lot more disrupting that we regularly notice.  Our invitation today is to settle down into a walk to see where the Spirit will guide us.

[i] As relayed by Curtis Zackery, in his book Finding Soul Rest:  40 Days of Connecting with Christ (Bellingham, WA:  Kirkdale Press, 2020), 52-53.

Sabbatical Journey…On Spacious Skies

07 Friday Jul 2023

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Oh beautiful, for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain

Grand Teton National Park (reuse with permission only)

Our last couple of days on our cross-country journey are mostly comprised of driving – seeing more states and the scenery of this country.  On days like today, when I literally see amber waves of grain, and I have already seen purple mountain majesties, I am once again reminded of part of why we did this trip:  to see the beauty of God’s creation in its many forms.  Today we drove on a road lined with trees – something we have not done in weeks.  Some days the vistas were all in hues of reds, oranges, and browns.  Other days were vivid greens.  On other days we could see nothing but blue skies.

In the Book of Common Prayer there is a collect for joy in God’s creation.  It says, “O heavenly Father, who hast filled the world with beauty:  Open our eyes to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works; that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, we may learn to serve thee with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.”[i]  This trip has been one that has certainly opened my eyes to see God at work in God’s creation.  It has been a feast for the eyes, and no matter how many pictures I snap, I will never capture the true beauty of this gift God has given us.

Today, I invite you to take a look at God’s creation around you.  Certainly, traveling thousands of miles around the country will inspire you, but so can pausing at a flower bed, gazing at an old, wizened tree, or taking in some clouds or stars.  Watching a world of beauty whirl around you – something entirely not man-made – may give you the gift of perspective, humility, and joy.  God has great plans for you, and gifts you beauty everyday!

[i] Book of Common Prayer, 814.

Sabbatical Journey…on Embracing Both-And

06 Thursday Jul 2023

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Touchdown Jesus (photo by Emily Liechty; reuse with permission)

In our sabbatical travels today, we met up with friends on the campus of Notre Dame.  None of us knew much about the college except their history of football prowess, their religious roots, and their devoted fans.  But a tour taught us so much about their history and current student experiences.  We learned that about 80% of the current students are Roman Catholic, there are chapels in every dorm, Mass is offered nearly 160 times per week, and we lost count on the number of Marys we saw on campus.  We also learned how many of the art pieces on campus have football references:  Touchdown Jesus, First Down Moses, and Holy Handoff.  But even more intriguing is the equal focus on academics, service, and community.

When I was in college, I quickly realized that being an active person of faith put me in the minority.  Academics were important, as was an active social life.  But religion, despite the prominence of Duke Chapel on campus was sort of an awkward subject.  I found a community among campus ministry, but the idea of chapels in dorms, or regularly offered masses was unimaginable.  Because I was involved in campus ministry, particularly at a university with a Divinity School, I received a balance between faith and intellect.  In fact, that balance is probably what shaped my own call to ministry.  But my experience was certainly not the norm.

Notre Dame seems to have found the art of “both-and.”  Notre Dame is both a religious institution and an institution focused on academic excellence.  Notre Dame has managed to embrace both athletics and the intellect (although, the construction of first stadium had to be funded by the first football coach because the administration thought it was more important to teach young men).  Notre Dame has managed to embrace both religious devotion and self-deprecating humor.

I wonder what lessons the larger Church might take from Notre Dame.  Where might we need a fuller embrace of the “both-and” mentality?  How might we be both fully faithful and fully of the world?  I imagine in order to share the Good News of Jesus in Christ, we might need to hone our ability to embrace the both-and of sacred and secular.

 

    

Sabbatical Journey…on Choosing Unity

05 Wednesday Jul 2023

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License Plate Game (reuse with permission)

As we celebrate the 4th of July today, I cannot think of a more appropriate activity than to be on a cross-country trip.  Our trip so far has given me a renewed appreciation for the vastness of our country, the unique topographical beauty in each state, and the tremendous diversity of people.  Though we call ourselves the United States of America, sometimes I think we forget what an improbable arrangement we have – that these fifty states, in all their glorious diversity, are united as one.

Traveling through the country these last eighteen days, I have seen both signs of our political divisions as well as indicators that there is more in common between us than different.  I have also seen that experiencing each other in our own settings, learning about each other’s heritage, remembering that the creation of this country was done on the backs of so many oppressed peoples, helps me remember that being united states takes work.

Often when I am doing premarital counseling, I will tell couples that marriage is a choice – not made one day in beautiful attire with all your family and friends – but a choice made every day, over and over again.  Only when we make that daily commitment do marriages thrive and can be filled with love.  What I appreciate about the Fourth of July is that it is our annual reminder that we have to choose to be united over and over again, so that we might thrive and be filled with love.  I realize that may sound overly romantic, and in our current political times even impossible, but that we live in such a place that allows for differences and disagreements is a true gift that can help in the midst of our divisions.

As fireworks go off tonight, my prayer is that we renew our commitment to care for one another and respect the dignity of every human being in this country.  We know that we are all made in the image of God – even those folks with whom we disagree.  I offer the following prayer from the Book of Common Prayer for you tonight.  May we take up the mantle of being united once again.

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace:  Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  (Book of Common Prayer, 258)

Sabbatical Journey…on the Ties that Bind

04 Tuesday Jul 2023

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Sisters (reuse with permission)

When I was growing up, my brother was my best friend.  As a preacher’s kid, we moved around a lot, always relocating in the summer, and so for every move, he was the only young person who knew me until I could make friends when school started.  So, by default, we became close over the years through the common experience of being the new kid on the block.  That did not mean we did not have our fair share of fights and bickering, but in the end, we knew we needed each other and how important our companionship was.

When my husband and I had two children, I hoped the same would be true for them.  But there are all sorts of factors that are different for them.  For one, they are both girls, which can change the dynamics.  Two, they are a little further apart in age than my sibling and I are, so there are some maturity gaps.  And three, I know the relationship between every set of siblings is unique – some are very close, some are strained, some have falling outs, and some remain best friends far into adulthood.

One of the tremendous gifts of this cross-country trip has been watching my children form bonds.  Of course, there has been the typical sibling bickering (“She’s on my side!”), the rowdiness that comes from being cooped up in a car for hours on end, and the whining that even adults do when we’re not being intentional.  But there has also been a tremendous amount of laughter (lots of new inside jokes being formed), caretaking that only a big sister can offer, and learning new things together.  I imagine these twenty-one days will be days that build the foundation for a lifelong friendship – not just family ties.

As I have been watching our children’s relationship grow, I have been thinking about the relationships in my life.  One of the themes of my sabbatical has been reconnection.  Our time in pandemic meant that many of my friendships were harder to maintain because we simply could not see one another.  As I have forged renewed relationships with my family during this trip, I am also reminded how intentionality can help with my friendship ties.  Just like our relationship with Jesus needs tending, so do our earthly relationships.  I invite you to reach out to a relationship that needs tending today.  Your point of contact may be the only reminder to them and you how you are a beloved child of God.

Sabbatical Journey…on Being the Church

03 Monday Jul 2023

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Several years ago, I encountered a mobile chapel at General Convention.  The idea was that if people are being taken away from church on Sundays by sports, competitions, or other commitments, bring the church to them.  The mobile chapel was set up so people could go in for personal prayer, but there was also a set time for the distribution of Eucharist with a priest.  It was a creative expression of an ever evolving Church.

Travelers Chapel, Wall Drug in Wall, SD (reuse with permission)

On today’s leg of our sabbatical journey, I felt embraced by several other folks bringing church to me.  The first encounter was at Wall Drug, the famous roadside attraction and tourist stop in Wall, South Dakota.  Among the drug store, gift shops, stores, and restaurants is a “Travelers Chapel.”  The Chapel is always open, offering a peaceful setting for prayer.  Amidst the consumerism and loud animatronic singing, the Chapel is like an oasis for all of us passing through.  Somehow, Wall Drug managed to bring church to me today.

The second encounter came as we checked in at hotel tonight.  A laminated card was left on the nightstand.  The card is basically a greeting and blessing for all who stay at the hotel.  I confess I have never received such a note at a secular hotel, and I was thoroughly humbled by the witness of love of the management and staff of this hotel.  Once again, church found its way to me, this time at a Comfort Inn and Suites.

Hotel Note in Albert Lea, MN (reuse with permission)

Far too often I hear churchgoers complaining about how fewer people are making their way to church.  Today I am reminded that our work is take church to others.  Jesus was always commissioning people to go out and witness God’s love and redemption.  Our work is no different.  I wonder what unique way you might figure out how to be someone’s church today.

Sabbatical Journey…On Weariness and Gratitude

01 Saturday Jul 2023

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Montana Driving (reuse with permission)

Today was a driving day for our cross-country trip – perhaps the longest driving day of the trip.  All told, we were on the road, with multiple stops, for about 10-11 hours.  By the last hour, I was engaged in an inner complaint fest:  the trip felt like forever, I was stiff from the ride, and I just wanted to be in the next location and stretch my legs.  But when we arrived, I was glad I had kept my complaining to myself.  First my younger child exclaimed, “That wasn’t so bad!  It went by kind of quickly!”  My husband agreed, “Yeah, that was an easy drive!”  My elder child confessed, “I kind of like driving days.  They’re like ‘chill’ days.” 

Their comments helped me reflect on the day a little differently.  I tried to remember all the good things about the day:  the way the heavy fog slowly lifted to reveal beautifully green mountain scenery with rivers and tall pines; how fun it was to drive along winding road, hugging the curves; the pops of color that wildflowers brought to the drive; the fun road trip games we played, where everyone was winning at different points; the laughter, the naps, and adding a new state to our list of visited states.

Today, I am grateful for the invitation into gratitude.  It’s a practice I encourage all the time, but one that is easily forgotten when we are tired, weary, and cranky.  But the funny thing is that gratitude is the best antidote to us who are tired, weary, and cranky.  When we give thanks, we see all the good things that made us tired.  When we offer gratitude to God, our weariness is held like soft mattress.  When we give ourselves to thankfulness, crankiness is melted into praise.

I would love to hear what you are grateful for today.  How has God shown up in surprising ways?  How has the Holy Spirit spoken grace through people in your life?  How is Jesus inviting you into a new interpretation of the day?  I’m grateful for you and our journey together in gratitude!