Day 5 In the Shelter of Divine Love
"Said the river to the seeker, 'Does one really have to fret about enlightenment? No
matter which way I turn, I am homeward bound.'" --Anthony
Homily.
During the Battle of Battaan in 1942, it is thought that U.S. military chaplain William Thomas Cummings during his sermon said, "There are no atheists in foxholes." The quote has been repeated many times since them because when we are most afraid or suffering or uncertain, most of us seek some kind of higher understanding. Our wells of strength depleted, we look for spiritual nourishment or edifying thoughts to help us cope with what we do not understand or cannot fix or change. Today we may be seeking sustenance for coping with this ongoing crisis that affects the entire world.
As we gather together today, we recognize our connection even in times when we are far apart or unable to go about life in our usual manner. If we remember the stories of those who've come before us, we have no doubt heard the stories of times of great challenge. Perhaps we ourselves have experienced such difficult times. Loss of a loved one. Being separated from those we love. Alone on one battlefield or another, unable to see beyond the dangers or pain we faced. The sense of being cut off from all that seems familiar, of being lost or without hope. We've all, no doubt, had moments that have challenged us, and we've found ways of coping. What was it that helped us get through the hard times? How did we find our way out of the pain, sorrow, grief, or sense of disconnection?
For many of us, it has been at least in part, through seeking connection with others. At present, we cannot seek this connection as we normally do. We are challenged to find a new way or to 'gather' to worship and find solace in one another's presence. For some who believe that the rituals and sacred places and gatherings are the heart of their faith, this can be a particularly troubling time. We come together now to find ways to share in this mutual experience, and in some way hopefully, to see a way forward with a new vision of how we find ourselves in the Presence of the Divine.
Regardless of our religious/spiritual faith, we all gather together today in search of ways to experience the Presence of Love and Comfort, much as those who've come before us. We reach out to touch the robes of the Holy One, in hopes of healing. We listen for the 'still small voice' that comforts us when we are afraid. We look for signs and messages, of give us some kind of hope...hope which we can discover a new kind of faith on the Presence of the Divine within each of our lives.
Theologians refer to the dark night of the soul, but what we are experiencing as we become more aware of the looming threat of a pandemic, is more like the desert times of those who've been cast out of their homelands. Indeed many of us descend from those who had to flee their homelands or who were chased out of their historical lands. In a sense, many of us are in a desert of our own where we can no longer do the things we think of as normal. We may feel bereft because we cannot gather with our family, friends, and communities. And for some of us, this may be the first time we've had to find other ways to feed our spiritual needs.
This morning, one of my friends reminded me that many are struggling with the idea of not being able to go to church, the mosque, shul, or other gatherings. For that reason I decided to prepare today's message. Each Friday, I like to go to my favorite coffee shop in Astoria, Coffee Girl. And each Friday I see a man sitting at a table, his Bible beside him, as he drinks his coffee, and works on his weekly sermon. He is a Lutheran pastor from one of the local churches, and over the years we've become friendly, nodding and saying hello when we see one another. He is very much on my mind today because I think of all the time and care I've observed him putting into what he wants to share with his parishioners, and I'm sure he as well as many others, are struggling too with ways to pastor to their congregations. So perhaps today, we can keep all who seek to connect and worship together, in our own hearts and prayers.
And for those who are not necessarily people connected to a faith or religious tradition, I'm sure your need is no less. We all need the sense that we are part of a greater good and whole, and so today let's see how we might expand our own views of creating the sacred right where we are. Rituals are important for all cultures and all people. If we can pause today or some time during the time you set aside to celebrate and honor in your own traditions, to notice how you are celebrating the gifts of life that you have.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
"So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God and obey God with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons and daughters, then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you.
Psalms 118: 59 " I have considered my ways, and turned my attention to your testimonies."
Song: Wash Your Spirit Clean Walela
Words of Inspiration:
"...[B]y contemplative prayer we mean the conscious willingness and desire to look at and listen to God as God wishes to be for me and to respond. I may accept or reject God's initiative. in either case I have responded. When this process occurs, the person has the 'foodstuff' for beginning spiritual direction." (p. 34”―
“The Mystery we call God is just that - mystery; not mystery in the sense of an unknown, but eventually knowable, stranger, but mystery in the sense that God is too rich, too deep, and too loving to be knowable and is, therefore, God. Spiritual directors can be only helping companions to those who travel the way of such a God.”― The Practice of Spiritual Direction
Prayer is a matter of relationship. Intimacy is the basic issue, not answers to problems or resolutions “to be better.” Many of life’s problems and challenges have no answers; we can only live with and through them. Problems and challenges, however, can be faced and lived through with more peace and resilience if people know that they are not alone. A man’s wife will not return from the dead, but the pain is more bearable when he has poured out his sorrow, his anger, and his despair to God and has experienced God’s intimate presence.—Excerpted from Letting God Come Close by William A. Barry
"A woman in harmony with her spirit, is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense, and arrives at her destination without pretense, and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself." --Maya Angelou
Closing Song: On Eagle's Wings
However you choose to celebrate the gifts of Life and to worship the Divine, may you find peace and pass that peace along to all through thought, word, actions, and prayer. Let me know if there is anything you need or would like me to add to my prayers for you. Know you are in God's Presence wherever you are. Many blessings and peace be yours today. Amen
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