Jerusalem Souvenir

My mother was a traveller - and a keeper of souvenirs. 

Going through her things recently, I came across this visitor card she picked up at a small church in Jerusalem in 1966.

While visiting me, she had attended a service at the Baptist Church.

I didn't attend the church at the time, but I later became a regular attendee. 

Seeing the picture brought back memories of people I met there who became dear friends. The power of a simple souvenir!

Pray…

Someone I know - who does not profess any religious faith - recently sent me this news release from the governor of Utah, dated June 2021:

For Canadians, whose politicians rarely mention religion, it was strange that a political leader would ask citizens to pray... even if it was to pray for rain in the midst of s drought.

Did it rain?? I asked.

I don't know, was the reply.

I'll try to find out, I wrote back.

How?

Google!

So I googled: rain in Utah, July 2021

Soon I was able to send my friend not only the results...

(Lots of rain!)

But also even a picture...

Summer Reading: Learning About the Jesuits

One of my goals, since retiring, is to learn as much as I can about the 2000 years of Christian history. I initially wanted to know how much had changed over the years. Not a lot, I've discovered - which is pretty amazing!

Along the way, I've read about some of the the giants in the faith... Madame Guyon, Benedict of Nursia...

A year ago, in Toronto, while taking a course on Greek-Orthodox iconography, I met a young woman who was planning to study at a Jesuit community in France.

A pretty, dynamic young woman, she was, by profession, an accountant.

I told her I had bought the book of "spiritual exercises" of Ignatius, founder of the Jesuits. But I hadn't started reading it yet.

Try the "at home" retreat version, she suggested. It's easier to do on your own.

So I bought the book she mentioned - and it has sat - untouched - on my bookshelf ever since...

I recently came across another Jesuit book - less intimidating than the "spiritual exercises." A modern "best seller" by a young American priest, it's an enjoyable summer read -  The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.

Interesting, informative - and written in a humorous way.

Once I finish it, I may finally dig into the famous "Spiritual Exercises" - probably the "at-home" version!

Staying Connected While Social Distancing

These days of physical (social) distancing  to avoid spreading the COVID-19 virus, it's easy to feel cut off from friends and family.

Fortunately, we can phone, email, message, skype and FaceTime to stay in touch.

I think it's important to talk to a few friends every day... We're in this together.

Most days one of my kids sends me a funny video.

But I was also happy to receive a phone call from our church community, asking if we needed anything...

I'm so glad they are doing that! It's easy to feel forgotten and alone.

I Wonder...

The 40 days of Lent will soon be coming to an end - on Easter Sunday, April 12.

The word 'Lent' doesn't originate with the French word  lente (meaning slow) - but I've heard some people say their lives do slow down during Lent.

This year, for us, life has really slowed down as we practice self isolation and social distancing.

We no longer walk in the mall for fun... (Actually, the mall is closed.) No dinners with our children... We only talk to neighbors from a distance...

I thought of Lent - with its association to the French word for slow - as Terry and I walked down a street that would normally be bustling - if restaurants and cafes were all open. Very few people or vehicles are on the street.

I wonder...

As I notice a few families out walking together on the quiet streets, I wonder:

Will children look back and remember this time fondly because they got to spend more time with their parents? Will families, spending more time together, grow closer?




I wonder...

I haven't heard many people talking about praying for a quick end to this COVID-19 pandemic...

I know some are praying.

I've been thinking about the words of this ancient call to prayer for healing of a land.

I've also been praying that this time of isolation and distancing will end quickly.

Here's the call to prayer. To me, it sounds like a promise...

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I think we all have to continue to avoid spreading this virus - by physical distancing and taking necessary precautions, like washing our hands, avoiding touching our face... But let's not forget to pray for a miracle!

Terry tells me I'm an impatient person... I admit I am!

I want to see my children and grandchildren soon. I want life to return to normal! I know I'm not alone in this - which is why I'm praying for a miracle!

Online Church - A New Experience For Us

"Social distancing" brings changes to our daily and weekly habits. Churches have closed their doors to services: "Services have been cancelled - but prayer has not been cancelled," my daughter's church notified its members. I assume they mean private prayer - which, of course, can be done anytime, anywhere - hopefully more frequently during this global health crisis!

The church Terry and I attend has stopped holding public services but last week they still had a regular service. We decided not to attend. Instead we watched a live stream of the service at home on our computer...

This week the church's only service was online. But we did receive a mid- week pastoral call asking how we are.

One could, of course, watch religious programs on TV.

Live streaming may not have the quality of a TV broadcast, but it did make me feel I was still participating in the church community we are normally part of.

"Hidden... Under Wings..."

My daughter recently sent me this photo on Pinterest.

I stared at it for a while, thinking I was looking at a sorry face... Did a duck's markings look like that from behind?!

Then I realized that I was actually looking at a photo of two ducklings hiding under a mother duck's wings!

The dots under the duck's wings are actually the eyes and beaks of two baby ducks!

A while later, I encountered two Biblical references that reminded me of this photo: "I will take cover under the refuge of your wings," a quote from Psalm 61... And the prayer: "Hide me under the shadow of your wings," from Psalm 91.

The ancients definitely knew ducks better than I do! I didn't realize that baby ducks literally did that!!

Moravian Daily Texts

Throughout my life, I've heard family members on my mother's side talk about the Moravian church, though I have little recollection of ever being in one. Most of my relatives were Lutheran or Baptist. As a child, I do recall going to a church where music was played by a brass band rather than an organ... Would that have been a Moravian church?

Though I was familiar with the name "Moravian," I really wasn't sure whether the Moravian church was a type of Christianity, like the Orthodox church. Or a denomination? Or was it simply a church from a country called Moravia?

Then I came across this tattered book of my mother's called the Moravian Daily Texts, with a date - 1990. It contains short daily readings from the Bible. But how was this book different from any other daily devotional?

Wondering about all this, I googled "Moravian Daily Texts" - and came across some interesting information.

I discovered that the Moravian Church is a protestant denomination that began in 1457 in Moravia, (in the modern-day Czech Republic).  The Daily Texts or "watch-words" originated several hundred years later, in the early 1700's, when an aristocratic landowner, a religious man, Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, provided refuge to Moravians who were fleeing their country to escape religious persecution. Count Zinzendorf  welcomed these refugees. On his lands they began the practice of starting and ending each day with a verse or two of  Bible, which the Count chose. These verses became such a beloved tradition, that when the Count eventually died, his "watch-words" as they were called, were printed in books so that they could be read again and again. Wherever Moravians moved, they took the tradition of reading "Daily Texts" with them. It continues to this day... Except that nowadays, it's even possible to receive paperless daily texts via email!

(I've decided to subscribe to this free service myself!)

Three Things

To understand complex things better, it helps to boil them down into a few main points.

In this book of readings (Incandescence), I came across a comment by thirteenth-century mystic, Mechtild of Magdeburg:"three things that make a person worthy of God's path."

First, she says, forgive everyone in all things, as much as is humanly possible.

Second, welcome all things that life brings, except sin. (This attitude keeps one flexible.)

Third, do all things well - for God's sake: the simple tasks as well as the highest states of contemplation. (All are equally important.)

Over the years, I've tried to develop a more forgiving and welcoming attitude. It does lighten the load. Carrying around anger or resentment doesn't make me - or anyone else - happy.

I've also tried to accept - if not necessarily welcome - difficult things that come my way. It's easier to do if you believe that, once you're at the end of your rope, God will help...

I've never given much thought to her third point - doing things well - as I'm not, by nature, a perfectionist. 

"Whatever I do for love gives honor to God. It's all one and the same," she writes.

Motives are important... and it's humbling to realize that we never know the final impact of anything we do or say.  Through word and deed, we touch more people than we will ever know.

Sisters of Mary Retreat

Last weekend, I spent three days at a convent in Orleans - a community in the east side of Ottawa - attending a religious retreat led by the Evangelical Sisters of Mary.

The weather was perfect!

This is not my first retreat at this center...

But it is the first time I saw deer...

... and a wild turkey...

... meandering around the spacious grounds.

A beautiful tranquil time.

Adding Value...

I often listen to a Joyce Meyer audio book while quilting.

(Our public library has quite a few.)

In one of her books (I don't remember which one) she talks about "adding value" to people's lives by encouraging and complimenting them,. Also by framing situations in a positive, hopeful light.

I'm not sure why it's more natural to be negative than positive... But I recognize that, for me, it is.

Does negative news, somehow, seem more important?!

When positive thoughts enter my mind, I sometimes just ignore them. How often have I been chatting with a friend and thought, Your outfit really looks good... That hairstyle really suits you... Yet said nothing?

I'm trying to be more attentive to those positive thoughts - and share them...

Hopeful words change the mood of everyone's day.

Delighted! And Surprised!

I recently came across an article about a best-selling music CD - featuring Christmas music sung by a group of young nuns from Ann Arbor, Michigan...

I ordered it... It's lovely! The voices remind me of the boys' choir my daughter and I heard daily while attending a conference at Canterbury Cathedral in England.

The nuns in the picture accompanying the newspaper article look young...

According to the article, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, is a religious order only 20 years old - but it is growing. It began with 4 sisters and now has 130.

Many religious orders are dwindling. To find one that is young and growing is a happy surprise!

An Interesting Edmonton Church

When I was in Edmonton recently, I attended a church where my Aunt Zilla's nephew is an assistant pastor.

They serve free breakfast every Sunday, Zilla told me.

How did you start this? I later asked the pastor's wife.

We were renting space in a church and had to leave the main floor by a certain time. We served coffee downstairs, but it was still hard to get people to move... until we started serving breakfast.

One of the parishioners, who loves to cook, volunteered to organize a full, hot breakfast every Sunday. Fortunately, he is also a good organizer, and he has trained others to help - and take over if he's away.

Now that we have our own building, it continues to be a church tradition.

I noticed that there was an efficient clean-up crew, too. By the time we left, everything - including chairs and tables had been cleared away, leaving a large open space for weekday activities.

I left, totally impressed!

Thinking about "Advent"

A few years ago, a friend was looking for a calendar that began, not with January 1,  but with Advent - the official beginning of the church year. I was surprised, as I had never given much thought to Advent before.

Since then, I too have begun to pay attention to "Advent"... the four weeks leading up to Christmas. Unlike popular tradition, which focuses on the number of shopping days until Christmas, Advent reminds me of  'the reason for the season.'

This past year, I have been reading books of sermons by Barbara Brown Taylor. In one, she says that the challenge of Advent is to wait and watch...

"Unlike the culture that surrounds us, the church is in no great hurry to get there [to Christmas]. With the wisdom of centuries, our tradition tells us that the journey itself is what we need as much as finally reaching that shed outside of Bethlehem. It tells us to pause, to take stock, to lie on some hillside a little distance from our destination and watch the stars. It tells us to empty our hearts so that there is room in them for the birth of something new and altogether unforeseen."

So this year, my challenge is to watch and wait... open to discovering "something new" about my Christian faith.

Asking Forgiveness...

For many years I lived in Israel, where I celebrated Jewish holidays, as well as Christian ones.

Recently a Jewish friend in Ottawa invited Terry and me to the evening meal breaking the fast of "Yom Kippur" - the Jewish fast for atonement, or forgiveness of sins... I'm not sure I ever participated in this traditional meal before, even in Israel.

The supper began with several prayers. Then one of the men at the table turned to everyone and said: Please forgive me if I have offended any of you over the past year. 

A few of us at the table were surprised. But soon others began to ask forgiveness for any offenses they may have knowingly or unknowingly committed.

This was all a new experience for me... and a very humbling one, publicly asking forgiveness.

I love our national holiday called "Thanksgiving" - the day when we are reminded to count our blessings. But how much happier we would all be, I think, if we added this tradition to our lives as well - the habit of turning to those around us - those we share daily life with - and in recognition of all at times we do offend each other - knowingly or unknowingly - asking for everyone's generous forgiveness.

Convent Weekend

I spent last weekend at a religious retreat at a convent in the east end of town.

I didn't think I needed a break - but I must have!

I slept very well - and felt totally pampered having meals prepared.

The talks - given by two from the German Sisterhood of Mary - were interesting...

By choice, I spent every afternoon alone in my room, reading and reflecting... or napping!

My room was a few doors down from the convent chapel...

The whole weekend was a treat...

From time to time I would head outdoors for a stroll...

An interesting change of pace!

Nourishing Words

I've started reading another book by Barbara Brown Taylor. This one is entitled "When God is Silent.

The first chapter is about "words" - and how inundated with them we are in our culture, both spoken or written. As I read this, I think of how the early Christian monastics valued silence.

I pause when I read her remark: "The problem is that nourishing words are so hard to find - words with no razor blades in them, words with no chemical additives."

What are nourishing words? I wonder... Words that inform and encourage? (Do we even know when we're speaking them?!)

And what does she mean by "chemical additives"? I wonder... Words chosen to be appealing - to make us want to buy advertised products?

For some of us, words come all too quickly!

Trying to make all of them "nourishing" would be a wonderful goal.

Reading "Activation"

One of my nephews - my brother's older son - recently wrote a book about how his religious faith was "activated."

I recently started to read it to my mother.

In the first chapter, he recounts a dream about God, that left him so full of comfort and peace that he was disappointed to wake up.

When I was finished, my mother wanted to hold the book.

I'm looking forward to reading more of the book to her. Even though she doesn't always remember a lot these days, perhaps her grandson's words will pass on some comfort to her as well.

Flowers Fade

Now, the end of summer, I spend most of my gardening time trimming back flowers that have bloomed - so that those that remain are seen more clearly. Cutting back dead flowers makes me aware of those that have bloomed and died, for another year.

Soon I will be dividing and transplanting the large ones. But right now, I'm mourning their quick demise. I wish they had bloomed longer!

This time of year (and of life!) reminds me how true it is that...

"All mortals are grass, they last no longer than a wild flower of the field... The grass may whither, the flower fade, but the word of our God will endure forever." 

Burning Bushes

For the past few months I've been reading books by Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopalian priest and writer who discusses many issues I find interesting - both in her autobiographical accounts and in her sermons.

I am currently reading Mixed Blessings, a collection of sermons that date back to her early years as a parish priest. One entitled "Uncommon Light" has given me food for thought. In it she speaks of Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush in the Sinai Desert.

Quoting the poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, she says that, in noticing details in nature, the poet (Hopkins) "...saw everything and in everything he saw God. "The world is charged with the grandeur of God," he wrote at last. "It will flame out, like shining from shook foil." That is something the poets among us have always known. "Earth's crammed with heaven," wrote Hopkins' contemporary Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "each common bush aflame with God. Yet only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest set round and pluck blackberries." ... Or run errands. Fill in your own blank. Then stop, if you are willing. Stop and take off your shoes, knowing that wherever you are is holy ground. Risk getting burned, looking foolish, being wrong. Drop what you are doing and turn aside, to look into every bush, every face, every event of your life - the big and the small, the hoped for and the feared, the bad and the good - look into every one of them for God's presence and call...

Finally, if you are still willing, go the last step. Once you have gotten the knack of seeing burning bushes everywhere, consent to be set on fire yourself, to be for someone else the presence and call of God..."