Author: rattleyrow@gmail.com

You may gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the suggested scriptures will be most helpful. The Editorial Notes at the end of the post may prove to be beneficial)

Suggested Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3: 1 – 18

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the LORD’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the LORD, who is the Spirit.

The Biblical narrative of creation recorded in Genesis, ascribes to the Almighty the formation of each animal, bird, and creatures of land and sea, after its unique kind.
Each one leaves the hand of the Creator as ‘a fait accompli.’ They are destined to survive in” nature, red in tooth and claw”, depending upon their unique instinct for survival. Humankind, in contrast, is the one species which remains in God’s workshop throughout the entire experience of earthly existence. Humankind is ever the subject of an imperfect verb, denoting a continuing action. It is this truth that St. Paul expounds in a letter to the Corinthians.” We too are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
Because it is of our nature to appeal to our intellectual ability to understand all things, this supernatural mystery often seems “like an idle tale; empty talk, or silly story.”
( see Luke 24:11)
According to the beliefs confirmed by his own experiences, St. Paul, suggests that there is a “Veil” either physical or psychological, that distorts or completely obstructs one’s ability to comprehend the reality concerning the eternal. In the case of Moses, as the suggested  scripture indicates, the veil is physical, in the case of the Resurrection of Jesus, lack of faith, and the obsession with common worldly wisdom, was in consequence, the “Veil.”
Hear of the celebration of the poet John Masefield upon having that veil removed in his life:

“O glory of the lighted mind.
How dead I’d been, how dumb, how blind.
The station brook, to my new eyes,
Was babbling out of Paradise,
The waters rushing from the rain
Were singing Christ has risen again.
I thought all earthly creatures knelt
From rapture of the joy I felt.
The narrow station-wall’s brick ledge,
The wild hop withering in the hedge,
The lights in huntsman’s upper story
Were parts of an eternal glory,
Were God’s eternal garden flowers.
I stood in bliss at this for hours.”(1)

Another thing essential in the contemplation of the progressive transformation experience, according to St Paul, is the prospect of the individual reflecting” the Lord’s glory.”
It is acceptable these days when referring to our totality as human beings to use the phrase “body-mind (soul) and spirit. The body is that aspect of being that relates one to the physical, material world. The spirit is that aspect of being that refers to what is right, and beautiful, to hope and to the transforming power; to God! The mind or soul is the vehicle of choice making. Here decisions are made either to accept the persuasive influences of the body and its addictions to the world or to follow the more subtle persuasions of the spirit and the impact of the eternal.
The soul’s conscious decision to yield to the spirits’ promptings is to walk in the light of the Lord and to reflect His Glory progressively.

” Speak thou to Him, for He heareth.
And Spirit with Spirit shall meet.
Closer is He than breathing,
Nearer than hands and feet.”(2)

Some years ago my Pastoral Care responsibilities brought me to Trudy’s hospital bedside. Trudy, at that time, was near the end of her life’s journey. She had suffered many long, painful months of chemotherapy but her brain tumor was not responsive.
There is one incredible attribute of this lady I feel compelled to divulge. It was what seemed to be her natural ability” on all occasions to reflect the Lord’s glory.” She remained utterly unabashed concerning her belief in God. She portrayed with more transparency than ever before, the destiny now awaiting her. These facts were testified to by the almost constant stream of visitors to her bedside.
One morning my friend and colleague of another faith community, and I, were carrying out our routine responsibilities, when we learned from the night nursing supervisor, that it had been a particularly difficult night for Trudy. Immediately, acting upon the request of our informant, we both entered Trudy’s room. There was ample evidence within the surroundings that the night had been long with undefinable pain, and the heroic attempts to relieve it. My colleague broke the silence: ” Trudy, we understand that you had a very difficult night.” ” Yes, ” she said, her voice bearing the evidence of the memory of how difficult it had been. But then there was an immediate and remarkable change in her tone. ” It was the most horrible night I have ever lived, but did you boys see the sunrise this morning? I never saw such glory in all my life.” We both had to admit that we had not seen the sunrise that morning. “There,” she said, managing an angelic smile,” I didn’t sleep much last night, but I saw the sunrise. It was a consolation gift from God; He wanted me to know that: ‘pain may endure for the night, but joy comes with the morning.'” ( Psalm 30:5) Later we both admitted to each other while we did not experience the sunrise that morning, in Trudy’s response we had seen the glory of the Lord.

PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION

Father, there is a glory in every sunrise that you give to us, reminding us of the Glory of Your dwelling place. You order the sun to come into our world to dispel the lingering shadows of the night. That fact reminds us of the coming of Your Son from the glory of Heaven, to lift every shadow from the souls of Your children, so that each may see and believe.
As the sun slowly makes its way to the western horizon, so also may Your Son progressively gain victory in our lives, thereby leaving a trail of beauty at the end of our day
As the sun with its healing rays, reaches at high noon to the far corners of the world, bringing warmth and growth, so may Your Son’s influence penetrate the drawn shades of this world, to let the glory of Your Presence with us be known anew. In His Name and for His Glory, AMEN

                                                   EDITORIAL NOTES

1. Here and throughout this meditation, the quotations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Translation, Unless otherwise noted in the text.
2.Nicholson & Lee, eds. The Oxford Book of English Mystical Verse. 1917.
337. From ‘The Everlasting Mercy’
By John Masefield https://www.bartleby.com/236/337.html

3.The Higher Pantheism https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45323/the-higher-pantheism
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

(4) PHOTO: Is the courtesy of granddaughter MARTHA WOOLFREY. It is taken in Twillingate, Newfoundland.

HYMN: O Love, That Wilt Not Let Me

https://youtu.be/nt69WDtYNLo

You may gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, by the reading of the suggested scriptures. The Editorial Notes at the end of the post may also prove to be beneficial)

Suggested Scripture Readings: Psalm 121: I will lift up my eyes unto the hills – My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Matthew 8:1 – 2

When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed Him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before Him, and said, “Lord, if you are willing You can make me clean. Jesus reached out His hand and touched him.
” I am willing, “He said, ” Be clean .”

The large crowds that followed Jesus down the mountainside had just looked in upon heaven through an open door! Because of the sermon that Jesus preached to them, these people had seen God. The challenge that is now disturbingly theirs is to live with the scent of Heaven still clinging to them! How does one ever live a life of grace in the valley of human woes?

We must avail ourselves of every possible way to appropriate the Gospel. It is not enough to hear it with our ears. It is the critical belief of Christendom, that ‘The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.’ We must never permit the Gospel to become words only; for unless there throbs throughout the world the vitality of a living union with the Risen Christ, the dark demonic forces of the age will not meet their match. In this regard, the words of the beloved Robert Louis Stevenson are pertinent. ” If a person were to make a certain effort in imagination and would read the gospel freshly, it would startle and move anyone !” (1)
I invite you to join me in the effort in imagination in this particular incident from the Gospel, ( Matthew 8: 1 – 4) with the view to making it “Flesh” again rather than “word” alone.
As best I can I will assume the identity of this unfortunate valley dweller, whose encounter with Jesus, one evening, results in his passing with Him through the gates of a new life.

My name is Job, son of Issachar, of the tribe of Benjamine. My biographers neglected to give you that information. The only point they remember to tell you is the most horrific feature of my life, namely, ” I am a man with leprosy.”
That is just the way life is here in the valley. The value of an individual’s life is often determined by the color of his skin, or by the style of clothes he wears. The tribe to which one belongs is a warning of predictable behavior and the determining factor concerning his destiny in this world.

It wasn’t always like that in this valley, but of late the atmosphere is repugnant with self-absorption, hatred, and mistrust; like malignant tumors, which are destroying the moral and ethical fabric of this ‘vale of soul-making.’

I would have dearly loved to accompany the crowd, from the valley up the mountainside to hear Jesus speak, and see Him equip His followers with the lamp of hope. The thought did cross my mind that perhaps someone from the valley might come and offer to help me up the rugged mountain path. I waited, I dreamt, I even prepared myself as best I could, hoping, that someone would think of me. But nobody came!  “After all, you do have leprosy”! I offered in an attempt to curb my disappointment.” Who is going to touch someone with this horrible disease? No one is willing to go that far!”

I am a man with leprosy! But I am a living soul! That outweighs all other considerations. This disease may well lay this rusting heap of humanity in a grave by-and-by, but my soul is immortal! In the final analysis, neither the color of a person’s skin, nor the clothes he wears, nor the tribe or nation of origin, matters. It is the red blood of decency that gives one the courage to take the hand of one being persecuted and walk up the mountain with them to discover a new life. That is the victory that God is planning. It will yet change this broken world!
There is a twofold reason why Jesus came down from the mountainside and into the valley that day, I believe. In the first place, it gave visual expression of God’s longing for all people to share in the experience of unconditional love. It was to meet all those who, through no fault of their own, are unable to join the crowds on the mountainside. It is the will of the Creator that each of His children in this world feels the caring embrace of His arms, as well as the tender compassion of those members of the human family who profess to own that experience. No one must ever be left behind or driven away through the inhumane and corrupt ideologies adopted by other humans.
There are large crowds following Jesus down the mountainside into the valley! I see them with clearer vision; I feel a strange stirring in my heart. Fear and hope are invading my soul at the same instant. Then a barrage of searing images overtakes me numbing my brain:’ I do not belong here, I am different, the law forbids a person with leprosy to mix in the company of other people. I look in every direction expecting to see the authorities rushing towards me to arrest me for violating that law.
All of a sudden there is a tremendous burst of HOPE like the most glorious dawn I have ever witnessed. It must be the full glory of heaven that fills the valley. He walks toward me. Jesus comes to me! My response is unthinkable. But it is the only thing I can do. Breaking every law in man’s book, I kneel at His feet and cry out:”Jesus, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”And then, O then, the very arches of heaven ring out, and the sound echoes in the surrounding hills of the valley. He touched me! O,” He reached out His hand and touched me.” And I know for certain that I am a child of God! And nothing nor anyone can ever change that!
” Man’s inhumanity to man” still slithers its way into the valley. But there is in this valley today, the evidence of the transformation that follows when the will of God reigns. When Christ is leading the forward march of the crowds, victory is assured, and renewed help will always come from the mountain of God.

A PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION
O God, we are homesick for more of Heaven’s influence to infiltrate our troubled and tormented world. We fear that there is much greater evidence that we have” conformed to the world” rather than transforming it, with the power of love.
(Romans 12:2). The evidence is overwhelming us.
Churches that have graced our skyline for generations have disappeared. Steeples that have long identified places of refuge and sanctuary now leave only empty spaces on the horizon. And many people, abandoning the simple trust in Your mercy to provide, are turning to’ the world of chance’ to see them through.” Lord have mercy upon us; Christ have mercy upon us.”
Open again we implore You, the Sky-Windows, so that your people in these troubled times, may learn again to look Heavenward! Loving God, help us to remember that it was from this direction  You descended one night, holding in Your arms a Baby whom You laid upon the world’s doorstep; and it was from this direction that the Holy Spirit descended to bring new beginnings to a weeping world. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Amen

Music:  You Raise Me Up  -Josh Gorban

https://youtu.be/oni0tO_HN30

 

EDITORIAL NOTES

The Biblical texts here are from the NIV (New International Version) unless otherwise indicated in the body of the meditation.

1.https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/robert_louis_stevenson

2. Music:  YouTube. you raise me up – Josh Gorban

3. Photo: Taken while vacationing in Arizona in 2016. I have given it the title: “Star Of Hope.”

 

(To gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the suggested scriptures will be most helpful. The Editorial Notes at the end of the post may prove to be beneficial)

Suggested Scriptures: Psalm 23
Acts 9: 1 – 22

George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister. There is a thought-provoking couplet in his poem,” A Prayer for the past.”It reads:

“Father, in joy our knees we bow;
This earth is not a place of tombs:
We are but in the nursery now;
They in the upper rooms.”(1)

Indeed it would be the expected thing to do, to bow the knees in joy, before God, if we possess more decisive proof that this earth is not a place of tombs! Encourage an individual to recall some of the most beautiful experiences they can remember, and in a moment, with a sob, they relate how many of such experiences now inhabit the graves of what used to be. Spend an afternoon visiting your local senior’s complex, mingle again with some of the people who just a few short years ago were the undisputed leaders in your community, and then tell me, there is no evidence of ‘change and decay in all around you see.” Where are the treasured dreams of yester-years? Where is the evidence of the sacrifices made, and the exquisite beauty of love’s transforming power? What about that daughter or son for whom no words are adequate to describe your love, and your sense of pride, as the time comes for them to ” leave the nest.” Then one day you learn they have joined the company of ‘ the prodigal’ in that ‘ far country,’ as in the story that Jesus tells. ( Luke 15: 11 – 32). A confident son finds the far country irresistible and consequently wastes all that he possesses for naught. ” This earth is not a place of tombs”? Tell someone else that! Indeed it is a place of tombs, and one of those tombs holds a part of your heart! And I have said nothing at all of the graveyards you visit, and from which you forever turn away, with leaden steps.
What can one do when he comes upon George Macdonald on bended knee, engaging in prayer to God, but kneel beside him, for we each have much for which we should offer our thanks? But we grow hesitant upon hearing MacDonald thanking God,”That the earth is not a place of tombs. ” Our witness weighs too heavily upon our hearts for that assertion. O God, help us that we might learn the captivating secret his words intend!

There is further startling evidence that  George Macdonald is not the only one propounding this mystery. The infinitesimal details originating here on earth, concerning an individual’s life, do not pass away forgotten as a dream, to lie silent in death forever. Hear further, the more extensive view of George MacDonald, on this matter:

” I think that nothing made is lost,
That not a moon has ever shone,
That not a cloud my eyes hath crossed
But to my soul hath gone.(italics are mine)

That all the lost years gathered lie
In this The casket, my dim soul;
And Thou wilt, once, the key apply,
And show the shining whole. ( 1)

Now hear some details associated with that well-known classic,”The Lost Chord.”The author, Sir Arthur Sullivan is suffering deep emotions, as he sits beside the bed of his dying brother, Fred. There he composed those brilliant lyrics. The poem tells the story of one who while, sad, and tired, sits at the organ, and begins to play. No particular melody is in his mind at the outset. But suddenly, inadvertently he strikes a chord of music that sounds like a triumphant expression of a great Amen. The organist never ceases in his efforts to reproduce the sound but is unsuccessful. A disturbing thought crosses his mind; perhaps the great chord may be lost forever? Then this sound conviction arrives:

” It may be that death’s bright angel
will speak in that chord again,
It may be that only in Heav’n
I shall hear that grand Amen.” (2)

Furthermore, the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testaments bear witness to this magnanimous fact, that what has been, is safest from the ravages of time; safe from the withering that often occurs to our physical faculties. Every experience is kept safe in ‘the casket of one’s soul, and one day, God will reveal the whole of the soul’s content.

Let me call attention to what is one of the most familiar texts of the Old Testament, ” The Twenty-third Psalm. Because God revealed Himself to the author of this Psalm, at some earlier juncture in his life, he is confident that no evil can harm him. His soul is restored. It is a vessel designed by God, to preserve one’s personal experiences so that nothing is finally lost.
The Psalmist will not always find a walk beside the still waters, or a quiet rest in the green pastures refreshing, or even remotely possible. He may occasionally find himself in the tormenting, and even dangerous company of hostile people! But the ecstasy of that moment in which God revealed Himself as the author’s Shepherd, is secure in the ‘casket of his soul, to which God holds the key. It is God who determines the time and place to apply the key and show the shining whole. “Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the House of The Lord, forever.”(Psalm 23:6)

The New Testament has many poignant reminders of God’s involvement in the protection of our treasures, “from the moth, and rust that destroy ” (Matthew 6: 19 – 21) and, from the repulsive forces of the earth that would abandon our treasures to lie unremembered forever in’ the tomb.

The evidence is almost on every page of St Paul’s recorded life’s history. God ‘applies the key’to the ‘casket of his soul’ during the Damascus Road experience, to show Paul the immediate contents of his present life. Paul reviews the not so moving experiences of his life still remaining in ‘ the casket of his soul. One more look in the direction of his shameful acts permits Paul to see that the unceasing activity of God’s Grace upon one’s shameful deeds, will transform them to be a revelation of the unconditional Love of God, and add to the realization of God’s victory.
Then without hesitation, Paul recommends to all, the ecstasy of the resulting new creation. The propulsive power behind each undertaking becomes the firm belief: ” I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The treasures resulting from one’s appropriation of that type of belief are of inestimable worth. But there is yet awaiting Paul an even more inexpressible moment of ecstasy. He confesses:
” Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart, what God has prepared for those that love Him.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9). Not even Paul with his profound wisdom can comprehend the inestimable value of those treasures which remain with God until we view them with Heavenly eyes. Paul, writing to the Corinthians in seeking their enlightenment says: “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Everyone has far more valuable treasures than they have ever realized. We will not fully comprehend the vastness of their wealth during our sojourn here on earth. That which we see with the physical eye can only be partial, at very best. Not until the morning breaks and the shadows flee, will we see the whole shining content of our souls. And then, please God, what will number among the most luminous of our treasures will be the faithfulness and the mercy of God!

PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION
Merciful Father, we are struck with silence. Our feeble brains cannot find the words to transcribe what our hearts are feeling! Just for us to try and grasp the extent of Your knowledge of each one of us earth-dwellers, and to know that unconditional love accompanies Your insight into each of us is silencing. You go on believing in each one, in spite of our messing up so frequently.
Thank You for the gift of memory whichYou have given to us. It is Your wisdom that has placed this unspeakable gift of memory into such vessels of clay. Perhaps You would have us know, that the totality of all of our remembered experiences is not all that is visible to You in Heaven. You see everything, and You keep it all safe and secure to present to us at the appropriate time! The small act of kindness that I may not even remember; the word of hope which I may speak to someone in doubt, is far more crucial in your view than I might realize. My failures and my sins, which for long have weighed me down, and the secret sins I do not see, which when You observe with eyes of Compassion, offer me renewed Hope for eternity. “The very way You see things, and the way You interpret them, is never our way!
” My ways are not your ways, neither are your thoughts, My thoughts, says the Lord”!
We praise You that Jesus so forcefully and so beautifully reveals to this world the Glory of our Salvation, which allows us to one day stand with Him in Your Presence “and tell the story of His saving Grace.”He will repeat in Your hearing the truth at the heart of His Story of the Prodigal Son;” This is Your son; this is Your daughter, who was dead, and is alive again; who was lost and is found.”  Amen.

HYMN: The Lord’s Prayer – Andrea Bocelli

https://youtu.be/aEplqV0scyo

 

EDITORIAL NOTES

Here and throughout the text of this meditation, the quotations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Translation, Unless otherwise noted in the text.

1. George MacDonald. A Prayer For The Past.                                                   https://www.best-poems.net/poem/a-prayer-for-the-past-all-sights-and-sounds-of-day-and-yea-by-george-macdonald.html
2. Sir Arthur Sullivan. The Lost Chord.                                                                 http://www.james-joyce-music.com/songb_19_lyrics.html
3. PHOTO: ” Discovering Lost Treasures” is my title for a recent photo of Vera remembering one of her favorite places from her childhood home at  Crescent Lake, Robert’s Arm, Newfoundland.

 

To gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the suggested scriptures will be most helpful. The Editorial Notes at the end of the post may also prove to be beneficial.
Suggested Scripture Readings: 2 Corinthians 4:7 – 18;
Matthew 4: 18 – 22.

There is something about Percy Bysshe Shelly’s “Ode To The West Wind” that captures the human phenomenon of loneliness. Like the West Wind, in Shelly’s poem, which arrives with a little advanced warning and immediately starts its destructive transformation of summer’s stunning creations, so also, does loneliness transform the landscape of a person’s dream life.

“O wild west wind, thou breath of Autumn’s being,
Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing,” (1)

How difficult it is to look at what was once a prime source of delight, and see in its place a gaunt emptiness. What does one do when the familiar is gone, and the present and the future tumble into the void of what used to be? I don’t know of anything that can limit the ascension of the soul like the experience of loneliness.
Literature is abundant in the moving incidents of loneliness it provides. Ernest Hemmingway’s ” Old Man And The Sea” is one engaging example.” It is a superbly told, tragic story of an old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, in the Gulf stream, and the giant Marlin he kills and loses. The old man becomes the pathetic victim of a community’s superstition when for eighty-four days he returns to shore empty-handed He is deemed to be jinxed. There is a young lad who is the beloved companion of the fisherman, and who is, because of this judgment disallowed to continue as the old man’s fishing partner. The appearance of the old man, all alone, navigating his boat through the grey mist of the early dawn, is heart-wrenching. His same pathetic saga drags on, one dreary day after another. And then one afternoon, while he was further from port than ever, Fortuna, the Greek goddess of fortune and the personification of luck, smiled upon him. He hooked the coveted, but elusive prize Marlin. It might have been an occasion for a community celebration if only, some others from the community were on site with their helping hands! But the old man was alone, all alone! One tired old man, doing battle with a monster of the sea. With his hands bruised and bleeding the exhausted fisherman wins the final battle. Lashing the marlin to the gunwales of his boat he begins the slow trek homeward. His hard-won victory is; however, a tragedy camouflaged in the garb of success. In an instant, a school of ferocious sharks rise from the depth of the sea and begin their unrelenting attack upon the old man’s treasure. In spite of his valiant effort to fight one more exhausting battle, the old man suffers a crushing defeat. The skeleton of his prize still lashed to his boat; he docks the craft. With leaden steps, the old man staggers up the hill, his bruised and bleeding hands clinging to the wooden oars. Alone! Still all alone, he reaches his little shack, enters and closes the door behind him.
“ the boy came to the old man’s shack as he had come
each morning. The boy saw that the old man was breathing and then
he saw the old man’s hands, and
he started to cry. He went out very quietly to go to
bring him some coffee and all the way down
the road he was crying.” (2)
There is loneliness, stark and unyielding, in spite of a human effort to conquer it.
I summon you now to another story with some similar features, yet, it provides for an entirely different outcome.
The story unfolds in the New Testament as a part of the narrative of Jesus ‘ calling His first disciples. “Jesus saw two brothers, James, son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee, their father, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him” ( Matt 421 – 22)
The picture of Zebedee sitting in the company of his two fishing companions, and more striking, his sons, mending nets he most likely will never use again, is the first ingredient in a developing heartache! As a Newfoundlander who lived by the sea, I have felt, again and again, the depth that such incidents can fathom in a man’s soul. The sons of Zebedee hold the old man’s life in their hands, to a far higher degree than they ever realized. In the village by the sea, Zebedee might well qualify to be the most favored fisherman around. To have two sons to carry on the business, and not only so, but their willingness to give their father a meaningful role to play, in the work he loves, speak eloquently to human effort to stay the onslaught of loneliness. Then, as swift as the onrush of the autumn west wind, the old man’s dreams are in abeyance.
It is a natural phenomenon for which each must endeavor to understand and prepare. It is natural for the day to arrive when the children will ‘flee the nest “, nor is it anyone’s fault that one day you may find yourself sitting alone on the shore. But, here is where the story becomes fundamentally different and engagingly beautiful in contrast to what has gone before. It is a person’s spiritual prowess that conquers all loneliness and equips the soul with eagles wings to soar.

St. Paul with profound insight addresses this essential issue. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” ( 2 Corinthians 4: 16 – 18)
From his seat in the boat alongside his sons that day Zebedee looked up, and he saw two things that would disarm loneliness forever. In the first instance, he saw the face of Jesus! It is true, that to see what Zebedee sees with the natural eye, we must look with eyes of faith. Be assured that Jesus did not see only the possibilities within the lives of his two sons without empathizing with, and taking steps to address Zebedee’s critical need to deal with his loneliness. It is utterly unthinkable that Jesus would call James and John, and commission them to respond to the physical demands of the waiting crowds while leaving Zebedee, their father, to fight loneliness, entirely on his own!

” I’ve wrestled on towards heaven,
‘Gainst storm and wind and tide;
Now, like a weary traveler
That leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening,
While sinks life’s lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning
From Emmanuel’s Land.” (3)

But there is one thing more that becomes a most effective antidote for Zebedee’s loneliness, and, please God it will be ours too. To comprehend, in some small way at least, the scope of Christ’s mission to affect the entire world. It is to rid the world as a whole of its crippling loneliness and to make it common knowledge that no one is ever left alone. Zebedee watches three men heading out together towards the sunrise, and two of them are his sons.

All that remains for us is just the quiet whisper of the sea breeze, and an old man sitting alone in his boat, but in that man’s soul, there is the sound of a thousand silver trumpets and a choir singing: Hallelujah! The Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth! And He shall reign forever and forever! Amen.

PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION

O Spirit of Gentleness, Who tends to the falling sparrow in its flight,
Look upon me when I crave the wings of an eagle to lift me above my loneliness and pain. But I do not ask to escape from the milieu of loneliness and depression if my brothers and sisters feel left to fight their way through it alone. Better it will be if I find myself trusting solely in the strength of Your Spirit so that You and I will work together to banish from this world everything that perpetuates loneliness and heartache. It is not wings I need if I use them to fly away from earth’s shadows. It is arms, Your loving arms, that will hold me firmly when the fearful winds of change sweep away everything that reminds me of You. That way I will provide one more foothold here on earth for You to conquer the loneliness that spreads here like a destructive west wind in autumn. I pray that more people will seek the fortress of Your protecting arms so that in time the whole round earth will rejoice in the togetherness known in Eden, where You walked with your Children and provided constant companionship with them. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we make this prayer. Amen

 

Hymn: Jesus, You Have Come To The Lakeshore

https://youtu.be/ovSgc-iLTCo

 

EDITORIAL NOTES

Here and throughout the text of this meditation, the quotations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Translation, Unless otherwise noted in the text.

1. Percy Bysshe Shelley. Ode To The West Wind
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45134/ode-to-the-west- wind.

2.Ernest Hemmingway.The Old Man and the Sea
https://www.amazon.ca/Old-Man-Sea-Ernest-
Hemingway/dp/0684830493
3. Samuel Rutherford. The Sands of Time are Sinking. https://hymnary.org/text/the_sands_of_time_are_sinking
4. Photo: Leading Tickles, Newfoundland.
” No More Sea”

 

I suggest that you read both Scripture readings in their entirety.
Job 23:3 If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!
Luke 24: 13 – 34 The Walk To Emmaus. I am reading from The New Living Translation.

Finally! Someone has gained the courage to verbalize the question that has taken many sincere seekers hostage for generations. How can I find the God of whom some so eloquently speak? A haunting silence pervades the soul’s abode of many who search one chamber after another, seeking some encounter with the eternal! But the silence falls like a ghostly mantle, and sorrowfully the verdict repeats itself: No, He is Not here”!

Be comforted! The query and the search are much older than you are and even predates Job, who expresses the burning thirst of the text with its unspoken intent, ” If only I knew where to find Him,” then might I come to believe.

The British Poet Walter de la Mere creates a haunting image in his poem ” The Listeners.” A lone horseman arrives at a cottage deep in the forest. He dismounts and immediately knocks, with some urgency, upon the moonlit door. Once, twice, and three times he knocks, each knock more insistent than the one before. He calls out into the echoing silence: “Is there anybody there?” But the only sound in the deathly silence is that of his chomping horse. The horseman turns to leave, and looking one last time towards the eerie dwelling; he calls out, “Tell them I came, I kept my word, but no one answered.” (2)
We never learn what urgent mission brings the horseman hither, whether to announce some fortune or offer reparation for some misdeed long passed.

There are many whose search to find God is starkly reminiscent of this. “I came, I knocked, but no one answered!” Silently retreating into the silence, they wait for another occasion to present itself. However, the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to the Emmaus Road disciples provides another poignant fact for consideration.
Cleopas and his wife are returning home to Emmaus, having the images of the horrific crucifixion of Jesus seared into their minds forever. Those two know well the scriptures that inform them of the very things they now experience. It is Sunday morning, and Jerusalem is awakening to the rumours they also hear, that the tomb in the Garden of Joseph of Arimathea is empty, that Jesus has conquered death! They are equally aware of the prophetic pronouncement that on the third day, their Lord and friend would ‘rise from the dead.’ Still, it is with leaden steps and sombre minds that they turn aside from the sound of ” God’s Knocking” upon their grief-filled hearts. Here is the essential fact concerning this occasion: “God comes, He knocks; He keeps His Word, but no one answers.”
One may well rejoice in the full knowledge of Scriptures and be able to recite by rote, high-sounding Creeds and Dogma, and still be deaf to the sound of ” God’s Knocking.”

It is always ” The Presence” that results in certainty. Job, the author of our text, moves from musing about where one might find God to finally admitting, ” I had only heard about You (God) before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” ( Job 42: 5-6) Likewise, It is “The Presence of Jesus” in the home of the Emmaus Road disciples that changes the lives of the two disciples forever. Their feet become equipped with wings as they rush to tell the waiting world,” The Lord Is Risen, He Is Risen Indeed!”

I have always experienced some reluctance to engage in recalling personal experiences to illustrate this truth. I fear that the I’s may come too close together and distract from the ONE who has made all things possible for me. But then, I have nothing else that is authentically mine to offer other than what God has given to me. So, I apologize to any who conclude that what I now relate is altogether too personal.
My dad was lost at sea when I was just ten days old. At the age of thirty-five, my mom became the sole caregiver for her family of seven children. I well remember a day while I was still learning to read. I was thumbing my way through an old Bible, which was a family heirloom. The pages fell open to a marked place. Carefully I opened a neatly folded piece of paper, and I read:
” From The British Foreign Secretary Of War.
    To: Mrs. Sarah J. Curtis.
“This document is to confirm that your late husband George A. Curtis, died when his ship, traveling in a convoy in the North Atlantic, came under attack. There are no known survivors”…
I could read no further, but my young eyes fell upon the words where the Bible lay open:
In hushed silence, I begin to read:
“You are My Son; Today I have become your Father!”
PSALM 2: 7.

I can never describe the intense ecstasy of that moment. I could not understand what it all meant, of course, but I knew as I read that somehow this was the most significant happening in my life.

A lifetime is almost complete now, And I will never forget the day He came; He knocked, and when I answered, He was there, and He comes still and will continue to do so to the end of my journey.

A Prayer to Follow This Meditation
Bless, O Lord, all those who earnestly want to find You but can’t seem to do so.
– They feel a stirring within themselves when You paint the evening sky with crimson glory;
– They feel a throbbing in their veins that matches the heaving of the tide against the headlands;
– They whisper Your Name as they feel the tender embrace of the beloved who unfolds the mysteries of human love;
– When they hold in their arms that little bit of two selves and You, they feel they will now be Yours forever!
But, Father, there doesn’t seem to be any ‘Holding Ground’ to secure their anchors and thereby to prevent them from drifting.
Show to all such, O Father; there is but one thing needful. We must all learn to willingly accept the Captain’s offer to fashion our destiny while knowing; He will provide the stronghold for all our noble promises and best intentions. To answer when He calls, that alone is our task!  Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, this prayer we make. Amen

 

EDITORIAL NOTES
1. The quotations from the Holy Bible are from the New Living Translation Unless otherwise noted in the text.

2. The Listeners. Walter de la Mare. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-listeners

3. The photo ” Cast Your Nets”  Is a reference to the words of Jesus to His disappointed friends who ‘sought but could not find.’   John 21:6.

This Photo is of Leading Tickles, Newfoundland.

May The Lord Bless You
(A Judeo-Christian Blessing)

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and,
give you peace.

(To gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the suggested scriptures will be most helpful. The Editorial Notes at the end of the post may prove to be beneficial)

Matthew 13:34 New International Version (NIV)
” Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.”

Any attempt to capture the excitement, and the incredible wonder of taking life’s journey by faith, break through all words and escapes. A brief thought of that moment when ‘God Consciousness’ first invades you, can induce such a hush of the Holy, that it leaves one as speechless as St Paul on the Damascus Road. (Acts 9:7)
In opposition to any who argue that a life of faith is dull, and uninteresting, lacking both in challenge and meaning, I respectfully disagree.
The life of faith is not about you; it is about God. God envelopes you in a relationship with Himself. Then the days ahead become channels to incredible surprises. Just when you are getting weary of the same old scenery, and of hearing the same old melodies, and you are tired of observing the daily procession of weary pilgrims, there is a fresh awareness of God everywhere! There is a re-creation, and the world is new again. Just when you are in a situation that causes the heart to tremble, God gives you a mission you think impossible, but then, He bolsters your courage with the words: ” And certainly, I will be with you.” Then confidence returns.
I will take the license to relate one brief episode from my journey, in which God’s response to me is a personal, lasting inspiration. It demonstrates human helplessness, my helplessness, but even more so, it demonstrates God’s dramatic intervention.
The fall day was cold and wet. A strong north wind made it impossible to avoid a soaking, as I made my way to the hospital, in pursuit of my pastoral responsibilities.
The young patient I sought was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was facing almost imminent death. The thirty-five-year-old mother of three was standing at the window looking out over the city, and watching the rain driving against the window. Without speaking a word, I entered her room and moved silently to her side. Sensing my presence, she reached out and took my hand! She turned her face to me and said, ” Rev. Frank, what’s it like to die? I have never done this before, you know!
Every word abandoned me! I was afraid! Frantically my brain went into overdrive as I sought in every chamber for some remembered wisdom from my seminary experience.
And then it happened! Help came, but not from the source I was searching. In that instant, I saw God in a raindrop! We were tracing the raindrops running down the window pane. And then we noticed how one drop was standing stationary, alone. It stood there seemingly stranded for some brief time. Then a larger raindrop formed higher up the pane and slowly began the journey down to envelop the smaller raindrop. Then, both together continue on the journey, to water the beautiful flower patch that lay just beneath her window. There was an effulgent ray of light that pierced the greyness of the hour. It shone from the eyes of one with an enlightened soul.
I don’t know everything about dying I confessed to her, but I am certain we never face any experience alone. In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone, God is with us.
I will never forget the hour when God took over a most critical demand which lay much deeper than my ability could ever fathom. He tenderly revealed Himself to us in a simple drop of rain.

Jesus in His constant use of parables opens a door between the understanding of one’s life “as a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.( Macbeth Act 5 Scene 5) In the stead, Jesus invites one to see, coming through that door, the miracle that is God. Jesus demonstrates that taking life’s journey by faith illumines everything with the glow of Heaven. Things once appearing as commonplace, and unstimulating now leave one with the unavoidable response: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not.”
When Jesus engages in teaching the crowds in Parables concerning the Kingdom of God, He is in effect saying to them: the ordinary and mundane things of this earth already contain the evidence of God’s abiding presence. It is the duty of those who live by faith to make this truth known throughout the world. To live a life of faith is to realize that one is already dwelling in ‘The Kingdom Of God’; it is not the goal to strive for, it is ours already. Our mistake often is our striving for something that has already been given.

Living in God’s Kingdom is to live in the Presence of the One, whom to know is life eternal. By experiencing His unconditional love, one assimilates His abundance, His likeness, and  His creative ability to see within everything such stirring material for parables to demonstrate His presence Soon all creation swells the heavenly chorus sung by people, “Heaven and earth are filled with Thy Glory, O Lord!”
The earth is never wanting for objects, which if given the opportunity, will glow with the immediate presence of God, for all to see. Rather, the most urgent need is for
‘ Kingdom Dwellers” who by faith have learned that every stone, every wildflower that grows, every raindrop and every man and woman we meet, is a parable waiting to reveal God’s everlasting promise: ”  Lo I am with you forever, I will never leave you unto the end of time.”

A Prayer To Follow This Meditation
Father, in Jesus Your Son, You have promised to give to us
” LIFE” in rich abundance. We sense a note of disappointment in Jesus’s words, in which He addresses the crowds: “You will not come to Me that I may give you abundant Life.”It was not just then, but even now is there such reluctance to take Jesus at His word! Please forgive us that we perpetuate His disappointment.
Reveal to us the reason for our slowness to believe and to accept His offer. Is it that we desire the kind of faith that can be called into action only when it is needed or when it is convenient; a faith that is entirely under control, our personal control?

Father, bring us once more to the Garden of the empty tomb! There the rudiments of faith become abundantly clear: ” Why are you crying? For what are you seeking? Who is it that you are seeking? Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

Soon it dawns on Your first followers, those first LIFE seekers, that You alone are in charge here. The gifts of the Kingdom and the abundant, New Life are yours solely, to give.

From this hour may we so live our lives, that we each may be a parable of the indwelling presence of God, and show to others what it is like to live ‘In The Kingdom Of God by faith” In the Name of the risen Christ, we pray. Amen.

Hymn: God Who Touches Earth With Beauty

https://youtu.be/-u7Y4Zmrq3I

Editorial Notes

1.  Scripture quotes are generally from the New International Translation unless otherwise indicated in the text.
2. William Shakespeare  Macbeth Act 5 scene 5
3. Genesis 28:16
4. Isaiah 6:3
5. Our Photo: Sunset in Monument Valley, National Park, Utah, USA.

HE IS NOT HERE; HE HAS RISEN!

 

AN EASTER SUNDAY Meditation

Mark 15:39. “And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son Of God!”
Revelation 3:20.” Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If Anyone hears my voice and opens the door. I will come in and eat with him and he with Me.”

My desire in this hour is to show you the transforming power of the risen Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is not a recalling from antiquity, an event long since passed; instead, it is participation in the event happening in this present and will continue in the future.

The following meditation will require you to use your imagination to comprehend this mystery fully.

Permit yourself to be transported back in time and space to a Roman barracks situated in the heart of Jerusalem, the Holy City. Inside the barracks, there is a luxury suite overlooking the more modest homes of the city’s population. In this place, General Antonio Proclurus, in charge of the Royal Guard, lives when away from ‘home.’

In as far as possible, I wish to assume the role and character of the Centurion supervising the Roman occupation of Judea and’ consequently, the Crucifixion of Jesus on Golgotha. According to some records of The Passion Story, this Centurion is considered uncaring and ruthless.
Unbeknown to the Centurion, we observe him from the dark shadows of his elegant quarters. The time is early Sunday morning, following the execution of Jesus on the preceding Friday.

General Proclurus is a strong muscular man who looks older than his thirty-three years. Proclurus is entirely unaware of anything out of the ordinary happening in the Garden of Joseph of Arimathea, where the body of Jesus lies. However, General Proclurus does notice the movement of some figures in the pale gray of the early morning. There is a definite uneasiness in his gait as he returns, again and again, to look through the large casement window overlooking “The Hill,” where three crosses still stand silhouetted against the sky, a grim reminder of Friday’s ignominious event. Finally, with halting steps, the Centurion moves behind a large oak desk, still with an eye toward the Garden; he slowly sits and begins to write:

” To my dearest Maria,
my love, and my darling wife, and to Felix, my
son, and
my hope for the future:

I cannot wait any longer to tell you about all the bizarre happenings here in Jerusalem these last couple of days. There has been ongoing unrest in this outpost of our great Empire for a long time. This tension has its roots in a complicated relationship between local radical, religious groups and our authorities.

But recently, the turmoil took a different twist.
The focus now is a fight between the locals themselves and not so much with our Imperial presence. There is one of the Jews
who identified Himself as their long-awaited Messiah. Others rejected this claim, called Him an imposter, and demanded His death. Pontious Pilate, our trusted governor, could find no reason to impose the death penalty on Him, but the opposing team demanded that Pilate should crucify Him for treason. And finally, Pilate gave in to the demands of the angry mob and sentenced him to death. His name was Jesus! Two thieves, whose names I don’t remember, were put to death alongside Him. Of course, as part of my command, I was carrying out orders like a loyal servant of our gracious emperor. “Three more rebels for you to nail down, Antonio,” someone in the central office jokingly instructs in the execution order.

But, Maria, the look which that man Jesus gave me made me feel that I was being born for the second time. I mean not of the flesh but the spirit. No longer could I be a calloused, uncaring man; instead, I felt like a pure, innocent and trusting child again.

Maria, do you recall the day you said, “Antonio, you are ideally suited for this job? There is no need for you to wear that steel armour because you wear it naturally all the time”. I know you were only joking with me,  Maria, but that man Jesus pierced my steel armour on Friday, and for the first time in years, I felt alive, like a real man. I felt the miracle of fresh air filling my lungs. And to realize that I had to crucify Him,

Later in the morning, when it was all over, I stood guard over the three. I heard Him say:” I am thirsty”! And then Maria, I broke with all protocol! And I gave Him water to drink. And the greatest moment of my entire life broke in upon me! It came with the sound of a thousand silver trumpets. He said, “Thank you, Antonio”! Quietly I tried to hide my tears from the others. How did He know my name? I watched Him dying just as I was coming to life. Sadly, I was taking
His Life, while He was giving me His! I told everyone standing around that day, I now tell everybody in the whole world: “Surely, this Man was The Son Of God.”
My love for you, Maria, remains but grows deeper than ever, and for our precious son. Felix

With tender love
Antonio.”

Antonio rises from his chair, approaches the casement window and throws it wide open. He looks through the golden rays of the rising sun towards the Garden. Antonio blinks in disbelief. A figure, unnoticed until this moment, is approaching his barracks; At this early hour? Undoubtedly, it is a bad omen. Surely, somebody from the
guard was coming to inform me of a new disturbance! Or could it possibly be some royal emissary from headquarters? Antonio mused in bewilderment. In the golden haze of the morning sun, Antonio saw the white robe the approaching figure wears. It looks hauntingly familiar. And, what is the strange-looking thing adorning his head? As Antonio floats down the stairs in breathless wonder, he questions with
a  half-exposed hope: Jesus? Jesus? Jesus?”
And then, Just as he was about to throw the door wide open, there was a knock upon it. The silence that follows is static! No words are necessary; their exchanged looks say everything. And God saw His New Creation in the dawning glory of that Easter Morning, and God saw that it was good! This very day He is yearning still for new creations. ” Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If Anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

Hymn: Christ The Lord Is Risen Today

A PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION

O Risen Christ, Take us by the hand and lift us out of our tombs of half beliefs and mouldering doubts. Set us aflame with a kindred glow of the rising sun on this Easter Day so that into this world, all people everywhere may know that a renewed force to be reckoned with is come.
Place the empty tomb nearby to receive
Our smug complacency that turns a deaf ear to pleas for compassion and understanding;
Our broken promises, destroying  hope and making  dreams impossible;
Our domesticated faith to assure that daring to be different is on a tight leash, leaving the impression that nothing very significant really happened in The Garden on Easter morn.

Raise up brave women and men, who, give the Risen Christ the space to live in this world, in the offering of their spirits. May they confess with boldness ” Surely this man is the Son of God !” Then shall we each, in His strength, make this earth “His Kingdom” of justice and love and peace. In the Name of Our Risen Lord, we pray, Amen.

Hymn: Hallelujah Chorus

Editorial Notes

1. Here and throughout the text of this meditation, the quotations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Translation, Unless otherwise noted in the text.

2 . Photo:  The Arches National Park, Utah, USA.

 

 

 

 

–

The words that follow are from a medieval Latin hymn. You are invited now to make them your own and use them as your prayer on this occasion.

https://youtu.be/p5hjdz4xZF4

 

Hymn: O Sacred Head Now Wounded

 

EDITORIAL NOTES

The reading of the Passion Story is from  The King James Version of Scripture. Luke 23. Read by Franklin D. Curtis.

The background music is from the CD Spiritual Classics. St.Clair Entertainment Group INC.

The photo: Taken in Arches National Park, Eastern Utah, USA.