Author: lakewooducc

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. We are finally having our kitchen redone. One drawer was broken. The door came off one cabinet and could not be put back on. The oven no longer worked. The color was worn off of the formica counters. Etc. So, we are redecorating. And at every turn, there are decisions. The appliances. Gas. Electric. Induction. Convection. The cabinets. The knobs for the cupboards. The counter tops. The style. The colors. The material. The light fixtures. Halogen. Compact fluorescent. LED. The size of the island. The shape of the island. The sinks. The faucets. I have looked at hundreds of faucets in person and on line. How do you choose? If there were three to pick from, I would have no problem. But there is so much of everything. And, thanks to the internet, it’s all available.

This is the case with so many things in our lives. We have more choices than any other generation before us. The diversity and range of our options can be a source of wonder and delight. It can also simply be overwhelming.

When we are overwhelmed with choices, we can shut down and do nothing. With so many church options, we can conclude, “I can’t decide where to go so I just won’t go.” We can take the path of least resistance. “That’s the closest store, so I’ll go there.” Even if it is more expensive, or won’t let the employees unionize, or isn’t part of the Fair Food agreement. We can simply go with the status quo. “All kids have video games, so I’ll let my kids have video games.” We can do what we have done in the past. “I’ve always owned a Ford, so I’m getting a new Ford.” We can simply join the crowd. “A majority of married people have affairs, so what’s wrong with a little fun on the side?”

The overload of options can lead us to act blindly and not be aware and thoughtful about what we are doing and the consequences. There are many references in the gospels to blindness and darkness. The message is not seeing clearly, not looking deeply, not living with ethical compassion.

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that with more options, we have more opportunities to choose the good and to do what is right. The bad news is the number of choices and options we have will continue to expand.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Numbers 20:22-29
John 3:1-13

Prayer: May we live deeply and thoughtfully guided by the compassionate spirit of Christ. Amen.

I recently saw the movie “Food Chains” about the working conditions of farm workers in Florida. It brought back memories of Lent 2014 when I gave us shopping at Publix for a Lenten discipline. This act of solidarity resulted in my doing much of my grocery shopping at Winn Dixie, the other large grocery store in our area. I was so relieved when Lent was over. I found Winn Dixie expensive and limited in selection. I found myself thinking that it was difficult shopping at Winn Dixie because there was far less to choose from. It wasn’t easy consigned to Winn Dixie and suffering the reduced offerings there.

I thought more about that. Winn Dixie is a huge, beautiful grocery store loaded with row upon row upon row of food. Most of the world never has access to that kind of selection of things to eat. To think of shopping at Winn Dixie as a deprivation of some kind was crazy. Spoiled. Myopic. How could I not see how privileged and fortunate I was to be able to go to Winn Dixie?

Sometimes we only see what isn’t there, what we don’t have, what’s missing. We don’t see what we do have. How good we have it. Lent is a time to get our perspective back.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Daniel 12:5-13
Ephesians 1:7-14

Prayer: May we see the blessings of our lives each and every day and give thanks. Amen.

There’s a hubbub going around Florida right now that the governor’s office directed the Environmental Protection Agency not to use the terms “climate change,” “global warming,” or “sea level rise” in it’s official communications. Maybe the idea is that if you don’t say it, it doesn’t exist.

Earlier this week, I heard an inspiring lecture entitled “Making Peace with the Earth” at Eckerd College. The speaker was Dr. Vandana Shiva, physicist, environmentalist, and author. Well, Dr. Shiva doesn’t use the terms climate change or global warming either. She prefers to refer to “climate chaos.” She feels this more accurately describes what is going on.

Whatever terms we choose to use, we have a responsibility to care for Earth. As Christians we see Earth as God’s self-disclosure to humanity. We think of a loving God creating this amazing planet and cosmos as our home. That’s a gift beyond comprehension.

But our commitment to Earth is deeper than that. We remember that in our tradition, God has made covenants with humans, but not only with humans. God is also in covenant with all of the creatures and living things of Earth. God and all of the animals and plants also have a special relationship. We are called to honor and respect that covenant. Part of our commitment to our faith is to love, honor, and cherish Earth itself.

In this Lenten season of commitment and discipline, I have taken a vow to end my use of “single use” plastics as far as it is possible. This includes straws, plastic cups, cup lids, plastic bags, plastic utensils, plastic communion cups, and really any single use plastic I can possibly avoid. This commitment keeps me continually mindful of the Divine covenant with Earth. I am grateful.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Genesis 9:8-17
Ephesians 1:3-6

Prayer: We cannot live without Earth. Earth keeps us alive and sustains us. May we express our gratitude in our tender care for our mother, our home. Amen.

Where does God live? In ancient times, people thought about God’s presence being with the ark of the covenant. Where the ark was, God was. God was thought to dwell in the Tabernacle. God was associated with the Temple. Then we have that image from Paul that the body is a Temple. With this image, there is the idea that God lives in us not in a building or in a certain land or with a certain object. People are the dwelling place of God. God is also associated with all of Creation. We can think of God as living everywhere, in all of Creation, and all creatures. This means that the whole world is sacred. Holy. Every bird and beast. Every river and field. Every fish and tree.

And holiness does not stop with the world, but it extends to our species. All of our species. God dwells in human beings. You. Me. The person we are jealous of. The person who annoys us. The person we name as enemy. The person we want nothing to do with. The person we vehemently disagree with. The person who doesn’t vote the way we do. Every person. Is of God.

The psalmist tells us:

How lovely is your dwelling place,
O God of hosts!

When we think of God dwelling in each person, then we can see that each person is lovely. A precious, holy, sacred being.

The psalmist continues:

My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of God. . .

We innately long to be the dwelling place for God and to have God live within us. We hunger for a connection to the sacred.

My heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

When we recognize God within ourselves, within others, and in the world, there is joy!

Lectionary readings for today:
Psalm 84
Ezra 6:1-16
Mark 11:15-19

Prayer: May we dwell in God and God in us. Amen.

What makes us human? What defines a human being? There may be many, many answers to these questions. One thing that we all have in common as humans is that we make mistakes. We screw up. We err. Sometimes out of poor judgment. Sometimes from less than noble motivations. Sometimes from greed. Sometimes from arrogance and pride. Sometimes from ignorance. Sometimes with the best of intentions. Regardless of the reasons or motivations or explanations, we all make mistakes. Even if we don’t want to admit it!

Yes, we will all make mistakes. Some with large consequences. Some of less significance. What may further define us as individuals is what we do in the aftermath of our mistakes. How do we follow up? Do we take responsibility? Blame others? Hide the evidence? Do we try to make things right? Are we accountable?

Our faith teaches us that no matter what we have done we are still encompassed by Divine love. There is always a way back. Reconciliation is possible. It may take time and effort. Much forgiveness may be needed. But we can always find a way home to ourselves, our dignity, and God. Story after story after story in the Bible and especially in the gospels is about the way back. For there is always a way back.

May we make our way closer to home this Lenten season.

Lectionary readings for today:

Psalm 84

2 Chronicles 29:1-11, 16-19
Hebrews 9:23-28

Prayer: Our human spirits are resilient. May we not be afraid to clean up when we make a mess of things. Amen.