Jonah take Three

When we last left our would-be hero Jonah, he was fleeing as fast as his feet could carry him in the exact opposite direction of Ninevah where God had sent him.  Jonah could have complained that the Ninevites were those people.  Jonah could have said they were the enemy, the people who threatened the safety and security of Jerusalem, the people who would cause hurt/harm.  How in the world, why in the name of all that is holy, would God want us to go there?  It doesn't make sense!

So, the reluctant and rebel prophet runs away.  He hops on that boat bound for the opposite direction.  I love that he goes down into the belly of the boat (notice the theme?!) and falls asleep.  A storm rages above, tossing the boat chaotically on the sea, until Jonah fesses up to his true call.  And rather than repenting, Jonah waves the white flag and tells the sailors to throw him overboard.

I love the following poem...prayer as a reflection of what to do in the belly of the whale.  I encourage you to read it slowly and savor every single word/imagine.

Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale by Dan Albergotti

Measure the walls. Count the ribs. Notch the long days.
Look up for blue sky through the spout. Make small fires
with the broken hulls of fishing boats. Practice smoke signals.
Call old friends, and listen for echoes of distant voices.
Organize your calendar. Dream of the beach. Look each way
for the dim glow of light. Work on your reports. Review
each of your life’s ten million choices. Endure moments
of self-loathing. Find the evidence of those before you.
Destroy it. Try to be very quiet, and listen for the sound
of gears and moving water. Listen for the sound of your heart.
Be thankful that you are here, swallowed with all hope,
where you can rest and wait. Be nostalgic. Think of all
the things you did and could have done. Remember
treading water in the center of the still night sea, your toes
pointing again and again down, down into the black depths.

Now...the question is, what would you do in the belly of the whale?

As you engage and experience those moments, may there be more than a trace of God's grace.

Blessings ~~ 

All Saints Day

I sing a song of the saints of God,

patient and brave and true,

who toiled and fought and lived and died

for the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,

and one was a shepherdess on the green:

they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,

God help me to be one too.

Today is All Saints Day.  The above photo (while not take by me) comes from The Dancing Saints painting at St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco.  You can watch a video about this sacred space by clicking here.  

On this coming Sunday, our church will name our saints and light a candle.  For me this is such a holy, bittersweet moment.  On the one hand, I am so grateful for the light and love each person shared.  On the other hand, I miss these folks.  We are forever shaped in our hearts and minds because of the people we know and love.  Science tells us that the synapses of our minds are re-wired because of our encounters and interactions.  Saints are those who surge through us and we can even hear the sound of their voices in the back of our minds.

Who is a saint to you?

Not necessarily someone who was perfect.  As a matter of fact, the more you learn about saints, the more you start to see just how human each was.  Saints had doubts - major!  Saints struggled with temptations and trials - there is no get out of struggle/pain/suffering card given to faithful people.  Saints were beautifully and broken human beings...just like you and me.

So, I ask you again, who is a saint to you?

For me, it is pastors who planted seeds of serving the church.

For me, it is family whose teach me again and again about unconditional love.

For me, it is friends who call me back to who and whose I am.

I could fill a wall with the saints of God who have entered my life.

And I pray on this day, you will light a candle and name your saints who nourish/nurture you faith still to this day.

Amen. 

Jonah take Two

One of the reasons I think we make Jonah out to be a fishy farce of a story is because if we bring it too close to our hearts, we will see ourselves in Jonah.  I have worn Jonah’s sandals when God calls me to go somewhere I would prefer not to go.  I have pretended to be confused or said, “Sorry, God, bad cell reception in here.  You are breaking up.  I’ll call you back.”  And then never try God back.

To be sure, the Ninevites to whom Jonah was being sent to preach/convert, were those people.  The enemy.  Imagine God calling you to talk to someone who voted for the other candidate.  God calling you to talk to that family member who pushes all your buttons.  God calling you to go to that place where you are all uncomfortable and even a bit scared.  I find myself saying, "Seriously, God, I would love to, but I am super busy right now."

I have worn Jonah’s sandals when I idealize heading somewhere exotic because that what Tarshish still is.  Even when our grandmothers said, "The grass wasn’t greener over there." We all thought, “I’d better check it out, just in case.”  It is not just that we flee, we head toward that which promises to provide us with a place on easy street.  Rarely is life better there and we end up admitting that our grandmothers were right! Finally, when the storms of life start to roar and rage, I like Jonah, tend to give up.  Just make me some fish food.  Come to think of it, I would rather be swallowed by a fish than see my own reflection in this reluctant, rebel prophet of God.

When we are brave to enter this story with hearts wide open, we start to uncover our foible, frail fleeing ways.  Yet, God, named fourteen times in this book of the Bible, continues to journey with us.  When we are lured by a new job or new volunteer opportunity or new committee that will be so much better because we where we are now we reason, has all these humans hanging around.  Yet, God, named fourteen times in this book of the Bible, says all are my beloved children.  When we would rather deny or dismiss God’s call, God persists as a presence in our lives.

Where is your life and Jonah’s life twisted and tangled together?
Is there something or someone you push away, while your heart says, “Perhaps you can reconsider?”  Is there a moment your mind says, “Flee,” while your souls says, “Stay”?
Is there a moment you think, “I am doomed,” only to hear that with God we are able to accomplish immeasurable more than we can imagine?

I invite you to continue to let this Jonah story sink, sing, and settle into your life.  Next week I will post some more about what happens in the belly of whale, or big fish, or whatever it was God had transport Jonah back to where he would prefer not to go.

But for today and in the days to come may you and I both sense traces of God’s grace in moments of laughter as a way to see ourselves fully.  Amen.

Jonah take One

 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, "Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me."  But Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.  Jonah 1:1-3

If ever there was a story where creation was a vital and vibrant character, it is the book of Jonah.  And the truth is that there are some stories where a single scene is forever etched in memory.

Think of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader dueling it out when Vader says, “I am your father.”

Or Rhett Bulter, “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn,” which I think we all have muttered under our breath at a meeting.

Or Dorothy landing in Oz saying, “Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore,” which still gives me permission to talk to my dog.

So, if I were to ask you, what is the first word that comes into your mind when you hear the name Jonah, you would say…

Whale. 

Never mind that in the book of Jonah the original Hebrew was dag gadol, which really means, big fish.  And let’s not start the debate over whether a whale is really a mammal or a fish?  Never mind that the words big fish appear twice, while God is named fourteen times, the Lord is named 21 times, and even sackcloth gets more mentions at three references. Suffice it to say, there is a direct correlation in our minds that Jonah is to whale as Wes is to writing long blog posts.  And because we so associate the story of Jonah with the fish and just want to get to the good part of this would-be, run away prophet getting gulped by a grouper, we might miss some of the subtle, sly sarcasm that is woven into the opening words above.

We miss for example that Jonah being the son of Amittai, that word means to be faithful.  Jonah was supposed to be the son of faithfulness.  Okay, I get it that isn’t hilarious, laugh until you cry and your side aches kind of Whose on First act of Abbot and Casttello bit, but it is at least a slight chuckle.  Or what about Jonah racing, running in the exact opposite direction of where God sent him?  He heads toward Tarshish, which we know was a wealthy city of silver, gold, apes and peacocks.  Tarshish was to Jonah as Las Vegas is to us today.  Jonah hops on the first boat out of dodge, goes down in the belly of the boat, and promptly falls asleep, because frankly, running from God is exhausting.

So, while Mr. Rip Van Wilkle is soundly snoozing, when a storm starts tossing the boat like the opening scene of Gilligan’s Island.  Jonah, with drool coming out of the side of his mouth, is asleep while the sailors above are tossing and throwing prayers toward their gods and food, supplies, and probably peacocks being transported to Tarshish overboard.   Jonah is in full REM, deep sleep, while the crew are racing around like the disciples do when Jesus was asleep in a storm in the gospels, which maybe this is where the Gospel writers got the idea for that story line?  Again, I know, maybe this is not the funniest things ever, but it causes a smile to cross my face.  Finally, someone goes and wakes up sleeping beauty, tells him that his presence is being requested on deck.  If you read all of chapter one, you would hear the sailors pleading and praying for something or someone to make the storm stop.  Jonah, Mr. faithful, says in a monotone voice - like a teenager appeasing her parents who just asked, "How as school - “Fine, I am a Hebrew and worship the God who made heaven and earth.”  Worst. Testimony. Ever.  Jonah goes on saying, “Well, I could repent to God and go where God asked.  But I would you just rather throw me overboard.”  So, the sailors do.  The storm stops.  Stillness after the howling wind and waves crashing chaotically.  Suddenly the boat goes from being tossed about to and fro to sitting on the surface of the water calm as glass.  And the sailors convert.  They worship God.  The make sacrifices.  Jonah converts a boat-load of sailors without even trying, while if our church gets five new members I do a happy dance.

I ask you hold this story in your heart in these days.  Ask yourself:
~~ Is there someone or something I am running from right now?
~~ Where do I sense the traces of God's grace guiding me?
~~ Is there resistance of going to that place because those people might be there?

And may you find more than a trace of God's grace as this story sings to your life.

Blessings ~~

Prayer for Growth

He pulled out the drive way for the first time on his own.
Alone.
Without us there to point the way.
Without us to push down on our imaginary brake.
Without us by his side.
Like the first step he took before tumbling to the ground.
Like the first day we dropped him at preschool.
When you hand the keys over to your 16-year-old, with his newly-minted, laminated driver's license that the state of Florida says he has earned, something within your soul shifts.
A rite of passage we call it.
A moment I remember how liberating and free I felt years ago when my parents handed me the keys to the blue Ford station wagon and crumpled ten dollar bill for gas.
Yet, there is something more here too.
This isn't just about driving, it is about time slowly slipping, almost silently, away.
You realize that soon, too soon, he will pull out of the drive way not just for a few hours, but for weeks as he heads to college.
You realize that soon, too soon, his socks will stop constantly be left laying around to end up in the dog's mouth.
You realize that soon, too soon, it isn't just that he is growing up...you are too.
But for now, we sit restlessly praying for him to be careful.
But for now, we wait for the text telling us he got there safe.
But for now, we will lay awake until we breathe a sigh of relief hearing the garage door rattle to life.
Now.
This moment.
Holy, broken whole, and knowing that while we don't have a magical remote control that could rewind or pause time, we have the chance to witness the one we once held in our arms growing up before our eyes.
Holy, broken whole, and knowing that suddenly life really does go too quick, which you couldn't have convinced us of during all those late nights walking around the house trying to calm his crying.
Holy, broken whole, and knowing that in this one particular moment there is a universal truth:
We prayerfully seek to do the best we can, where we can, how we can.

Let that prayer offer us more than a trace of grace.
Let that prayer open us to God's presence saturating every moment.
Let that prayer watch over those I love every day.
Happy birthday and congratulations and love to my son who I once held in my arms and now drives away to explore this world.

Amen ~~

Soul-scape - Breeze

The wind has picked up stirring and swirling and softly cooling my skin.
You notice the breeze more when for summer months and days on end the humidity hangs heavy in the air, like a barrier the breeze has to work and wiggle to get through.
As summer gives way to autumn, the leaves don't change color, as much as they begin to rustle and wave.
They begin to dance with some delight.
Creation as God's first testament is a multi-sensory invitation.
God causes sights that capture and captivate.
God moves through sounds that can alert and activate all part of our brain.
God awakens smells some pleasant (flower)...others not so much (skunks!)
Creature is full of tastes that could overwhelm our 10,000 taste buds.
But the sensation of touch....
       for rain that drenches
       for sun that soaks in, baptizes and sometimes burns
       for wind, breezes that can refresh, fill sails, and causes pollen to get caught up and carried away.

The breeze silently shaping the sands of our souls.
The breeze softly, persistently moving.
The breeze reminding us of the one the early ways God incarnationally came to us.

For God's original way communicating was not through words written in tiny print in a book to be solemnly read,
God's first plotting plan was a garden that could invite us to commune and form community.
That plan is not obsolete,
Rather, it is there all the time.
Rather, it is all around us.
The question is whether we are willing to listen to creation's choir?
The question is are we willing to breathe in creation's aroma?
The question is do we want to taste and see that the Lord is good?
The question is, how might traces of God's grace shape your soul in these autumn days.

Blessings ~

Soul-scape - Patterns of Creation

Streaks of pink stripe the sky against the dark blue backdrop.
While the warm yellow sun slowly and softly and silently sinks.
Hours before the sky, bright and brilliant with blue.
Hours before the sun had shone down with such force to not be ignored.
But that was hours before.

Nature invites us into the paradoxical rhythm of life. 
Nature can be slow, steady, almost unseen in growth like rings of a tree added.
But sometimes nature picks up her pace in the blink of eye.
Blazing sun that relaxes and relents and releases after only a few hours,
Which in the span of time cannot even be measured.

To walk daily is to let creation, God's first testament,
Sing,
     show,
            slow,
                 silently invite you to wonder.
Wonder as you wander out under the sky proclaims the hymn.
Wonder as you wander inspired the Psalmist to compose and poets to create and paints to pick up the brush.
But we seem less concerned with the witness of creation today.
We'd rather check our social media feed.
And in full disclosure...I took the above photo with my iphone.
Ironically guilty.
But I didn't feel the need to immediately post or count the likes.
I let those pink stripes against a dark blue sky preach to my soul the rest of the walk.
I watched as they waved their goodbyes and let the black night sky enter.
I watched...listened...waiting...wondered.
Perhaps there is more than a trace of God's grace if you would do the same this week.

Blessings ~~