Tools in the Toolbox

I have been blessed by my work at Gender Road Christian Church - especially since the pandemic began.  There are several ways in which we connect during the week - 2 zoom Bible studies on Tuesday, an in person Bible study on Wednesday, a zoom "spiritual life group" on Thursday and every other week I host a "sharing circle" in the shelter house social distancing.  And then there is pickleball - introducing this sport to people on Sunday and Wednesday nights.  A different and equally important kind of connecting with people.  

What I keep learning is that there are so many different "tools in the toolbox" that enable me to experience and express God's presence and God's love. In addition to that, I have my own spiritual practices that inform and strengthen my faith.  They include listening to a podcast(turning to the mystics), an app on my phone (pray as you go), a book (The Interior Castle) , a journal, time in nature and of course, silence and prayer.  All of this is a rich stew for me.

I write this on a Friday morning in awe as I look back on the last week and what has particularly spoken to me.  On Monday I listened to the podcast and took notes.  One statement that I continue to ponder is this:  Perfection is humility, gratitude and surrender.  That completely related to the next days Bible study which ended with Jesus talking about "Taking up your cross."  The cross is - I believe - the cross of Love.  The kind of love that makes us open to God's love and expressing it unconditionally to all.  It is a suffering love and a challenging call within our lives.

Yesterday afternoon during the "spiritual life group" we engaged in a lectio divina of Psalm 130.  It is a time of reading and hearing the Psalm over and over again.  As we listen and reflect and ask different questions of it, more and more becomes revealed to us.  Here is that Psalm

 

Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

Lord, hear my voice,

Let your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy.

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,

Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is gorgiveness,

so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

I wait for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is steadfast love

and with him is full redemption

He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins.

These ancient words spoke to us yesterday.  We could reflect on those times of feeling distant from God, our need of forgiveness, the waiting that we all are doing and finally and most importantly our hope in God's steadfast and redeeming love.  It is hard to describe how a practice like lectio divina can allow God's word to truly enter into our souls and the gift of experiencing this in community.  I only know that God provides so many ways in which we can strengthen our faith and find hope in our daily living.

Today I go to church for a "sharing circle."  This is a time when we sit in a circle as Christians who all are experiencing this strange time of pandemic and share a piece of our lives with each other.  It is really a hard time for so many people - because of the isolation and the anxiety.  There is so much goodness in our being able to really be community with each other - listening and caring about each person.  I look forward to that this afternoon.

We cannot fix much of what is happening in our world - the pandemic, the racial unrest, the political divisions.  But we can turn to God and somehow through our spiritual practices find strength, patience, hope and ultimately peace in the midst of turbulent times.  I am grateful for the "steadfast love" of God and I trust it.

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