Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage



"I reaffirm my commitment to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves ~ By the freedom and the power God gives me."


As I have expressed, this commitment has bubbled up for me with every source of water I have encountered, and there have been many.  Each time I reached into the waters of a sacred well that has brought forth sustaining nourishment and healing since the ancient of days, I remembered this commitment.  Each time I lifted my water dripping hand to my forehead (in typical Pastor Drew fashion) I remembered each word of this vow and proclaimed it out loud.

Resist.  Resist. Resist.

It is so easy to go with current that flows onward into each tomorrow without taking notice of the direction I find myself going in ultimately.  On a daily basis I check my calendar and to do list and move forward. I move forward into what needs to be done in that moment. As I do the direction somewhat gets lost much like the scenery that passes me by.  

Resist.  Resist. Resist.

To change things up one must stand still and let the current pass by in all it’s urgency and pull.  Standing still brings about a new perspective and changes the current about ones feet. The perspective shifts into an awareness of where the currrent has come from and where it is going.  The question arises in the heart is this the current that will take me where I am called to go - not pulled or urged - but called into a life giving purpose that dares to resist the flow.

Resist.  Resist. Resist.

That is the call of my heart to honor this spiritual practice of holy resistance against the urgency and the pull of fear that drags us into currents of exclusion or complacency.  Either one is not the way of the Gospel and not the current that was where Jesus came from or where he was going. His movement, his ebb and flow, was brought from a call of his heart to the life giving force of God that gave him the courage to be an incredible witness of holy resistance.  It is in the same baptismal waters we each emerge with the One who saw the power of the Spirit fall afresh and heard the very voice of God proclaim- "This is my beloved. With you I am well blessed."


“ I reaffirm my commitment to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves ~ By the freedom and power God gives me.”

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage

The water and the wells.  

As I have been grieving what felt like the death of my hope that love would prevail above all else within our denomination, the clarity of the water has been calling to me from the planning to the footsteps of this pilgrimage.  A little over two weeks ago the church that I have dedicated my heart and soul to once again broke my heart and grieved my soul. Over and over again I have hoped that change would come, over and over again I have prayed for the Spirit to breathe into us the life giving force of infinite love, over and over again I have stood weeping with those who have suffered the most harm by our exclusive stance in the world.  With this on my heart I roamed the streets of Dublin. I encountered the Book of Kelly’s and a portrait of Jesus with the words "turning Darkness into Light.” I stood in a 3,000 year old structure that was built to let the glory of the sun penetrate the inner chamber and I saw the light. At the Cliffs of Moher I felt the power of the mighty waves and the midst of the wind that embraced me. I lit a candle at the Hill of Tara and prayed for the hearts that were heavier than mine that the church has harmed in body, mind, and spirit.  As the flame grew on an altar where all traditions found their place, I found myself taking in the light - the light of the Divine that knows no bounds, has no beginning or end, and is without human words or limits. The conviction began to take root in the space of deep grief and a sigh too deep for words and rose up from the center of who I am - you know that space where God speaks… It was there and then that my baptismal covenant rose to my attention - “I will resist evil, injustice, and oppression in WHATEVER forms they present themselves." And I knew pilgrimage journey began.  

The water and the wells.  

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage




Wells … Since the planning phases of this grand adventure I have had this leaning toward finding sacred wells in Ireland.  Here on the Aran Islands two weeks into my trip it has all come full circle and I can now put into words this leaning or drawing me in has been about.
The Holy Well (An Tobar Bheannaithe) in Celtic mythology is sacred because it is the entrance into the womb of Mother Earth, a feminine symbol.   Wells are seen as healing, life-giving sources that reconnect us with the earth, the sun, the seasons, and our very own life rhythm ~ "The Unforced Rhythms of Grace.” (Peterson, The Message, Words of Jesus)
Reminiscent of the Samaritan Woman at the well, I have found Jesus greeting me with life giving water each time I made my rounds (the ancient tradition of walking and praying around the well 7 times) and touched the healing waters that come from the nourishing earth that I often take little time to notice in everyday rhythm.  The Samaritan Woman needed an encounter that would interrupt the irresistible current of daily living- habits and rituals that go unnoticed day after day until the pattern is so consistent that it is no longer life giving. Jesus often does such radical intervention in our lives, calling us out of stumbling through and into wide eyed awakening where we embrace those unforced rhythms of grace that become life giving water from a well that needs no bucket and flows without beginning or end.  


"Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace …"

Monday, March 11, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage

  I have spent many moments along this journey breathless.  At first i wondered if it was nervous energy as I took this new adventure without any safety net - I just took a leap of faith and here I am.  On one of my numerous walking journeys I took a moment to rest along the way and thought hmm… perhaps I am just so out of shape that I am having a hard time catching my breath.  It has also been extremely windy at most of my high peak destinations towering over the ocean deep. And then yesterday it was revealed to my heart as I finished reading Richard Rhor's, Silent Compassion:  Finding God in Contemplation, as again I found myself breathless on the couch, under a fuzzy blanket, and in the lodge where I temporarily call home. I have been, without naming it, practicing spiritual silence that demands a deep presence to oneself in the moment.  This internal silence of my heart and soul gave me the space to be fully open and present to the sacred in all things as I encounter them. As Rhor indicates in his book, I have been drawing from a deeper well and this has left me breathless. The climb to Dun Aonghusa marking each stone that has felt the steps of countless souls for literally thousands of years, to walk through the sacred site to the cliffs edge took my breath away.  Embracing the profound beauty, feeling the power of the ocean below and the might of the wind along the ridge of the Cliffs of Moher took my breath away. Resting my feet along the grass that monks traveled to speak to the angels, touching the ancient stones of their altar, climbing past the round tower that marked the ground of St. Enda's first moninstay on the Aran Islands dating back to 485 AD., and finally making it to the inside of the stone church of St.  Brenan and touching the walls that hold memories since the 11th century took my breath away. Gathering water from a sacred well took my breath away. Taking in the sight, sound and feel of the ocean's life giving force took my breath away. It will take me days, weeks, months, to convey in words all my breathless moments along this pilgrimage. For now I am thankful that I am uncovering words to convey the ways in which I am drawing from a deeper well than I ever have before.  Thanks be to the God of Awe, Wonder, and Mystery.


Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage




 



When I snoozed my alarm for the third time beginning at 5:30 AM, I decided to take some deep breaths and looked to my devotions from Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
  I found there this longing  for my body to be fully present as Jesus was fully present.  I do believe that we are the embodiment of the Divine Spirit and the Divine Love - as we seek to be like Jesus.  And with that comes Ash Wednesday as we remember how fragile this human existance is and how each step on our Lenten journey ushers us into a thoughtful reflection - how am I showing the world God's Spirit and God's Love.  I know that I want to be more of that and less of all the baggage I carry (and I am not just referring to the huge backpack I am carrying, even though there may be a thought there).  So what wieghs me down?  What baggage is too cumbersome that I need to let go of to love more freely?  In what ways am I not embracing The Divine Spirti within me so that others can find in me a place of refuge?  And so Lent begins my friends.  As it does I share with you this incredible beauty and my wrestling. May it be well with our soul ..

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Resurrection Pilgrimage

 Today I went on a tour of the Boone River Valley.   This is one of the most sacred areas in all of Ireland and the most ancient.  The Newgrange structure and the Hill of Tara were two highlights of the day.  This is where St.  Patrick first preached in Ireland in 433 AD.  A rich history is felt here in this space in the emerald hued grass, the rugged stone, and the intricate carvings.
 I stood  in an ancient chamber that was constructed  in 3000 BCE.  Where the woman is standing is the entrance that led us to the center of Newgrange.  The upper entrance is for the rays of the sun to light up the  chamber.  Once inside the inner chamber we experienced complete darkness and then an artificial ray of light (to imitate the sun) crept its way through the tunnel and illuminated the entire space where we stood.  As I stood there in the darkness my heart felt heavy with the darkness of the world.  My heart grew lighter as the darkness began to be dispelled with a light that was making its way though all the cracks of ancient stone.  It reminded me of the slow and steady promises of God that shine forth even when I feel the heavy cloak of darkness.  There will always be light making its way through the cracks to bring brightness to the inner chamber of our souls.  Like the ancients who built this structure do I take the time to intentially create a sacred entry to the deep chamber of my soul where the Divine light nourish my whole being?  And so with that nagging question my journey continues into the inner chamber of my heart and soul.