Visitation

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.       Luke 1:42

On Friday, we observe The Feast of the Visitation.

Mary, a young, unmarried teen, discovers that she is pregnant. She flees to the village of Ein Karem, a nine day walk from Nazareth, to visit her cousin Elizabeth. The very fact that Mary fled tells us that she must have had conflicting feelings about this pregnancy. What would Joseph think? How would she explain herself to her parents and to the townspeople? Scared and unsure, Mary must have been astonished by Elizabeth's welcome:

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me?" (Luke 1:39-40)

Those words of welcome, of hospitality, filled Mary with the courage she needed to willingly accept God's call. Fear, questioning, and timidity disappeared as Mary felt the welcoming embrace of a distant cousin.

Are you available? God has put people all around us who need an encouraging word - a listening ear.      
Who is in need of your love and acceptance right now?

Wind

Last Sunday, the people of Moore, Oklahoma and the people of St. Charles, IL gathered together in their respective faith communities to celebrate the Day of Pentecost. Chances are, we all listened to the same reading.

"And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting." (Acts 2:2)

I wonder whether the people of Moore have considered the irony of that reading in the wake of the tornado that decimated their town on Monday afternoon. The fact is: life is short. The fact is: we do not know the day or the hour. The fact is: life sometimes stinks.

This week, let us continue our prayers for those in Moore, and for all who suffer and grieve, and especially for those who have lost hope. And as we do, we recall Paul's promise to the people of Rome that we will hear this Sunday: that our faith assures us that we will find peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

May it be so.

Pentecost

Come alive in the Spirit!

The Whispering of the Spirit

And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages………………. Acts 2: 1-3 

This Sunday is Pentecost. Imagine what it must have been like that day in 1st century Palestine. Those who witnessed the arrival of the Holy Spirit must have been shocked, amazed, and maybe even afraid. Imagine the noise! The ru'ah, the winds of God blowing in on them!

Now imagine Pentecost 2013. What new languages are being spoken? How does the world hear the Gospel? How do we experience the Holy Spirit? What languages do we use to boldly attend to the needs of the elderly, the homeless, and the undocumented workers that surround us? What languages are we speaking to them?

This week, pray that this Pentecost does not just become a festal day to wear red and comment on how beautiful the flowers are. The presence of the Holy Spirit is among us. Let us pray that the same Spirit that rushed in and over the apostles will give us the words and the ministries to speak to the world. 

  Julian of Norwich


Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Julian of Norwich. 
Julian lived in 14th century England during the Black Death, so it seems a bit surprising that her most remembered words were 
"All will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well." 
Where does that kind of optimism come from?


Conventional wisdom at the time believed that God brought plagues and bad things to bad people, but Julian dismissed that rationale while facing a life threatening illness herself. After receiving "last rites" and at the brink of death, Julian received 16 "showings" or revelations of God's love which were published in her book The Revelations of Divine Love.

The question for us, it seems to me, is how do we respond when faced with our own plagues:  those of self-doubt, grief, or physical distress?

When faced with the things that plague us, Julian points us in the direction of God's love.  She reminds us that we can have utter confidence in God's faithfulness. Once again, the wisdom of the saints is passed along to us, exhorting us to live our lives in faith, not fear.  

Quotes from Julian's Revelations of Divine Love:

          -- There were times when I wanted to look away from the Cross,                                                    
             but I dared not. For I knew that while I gazed on the Cross I was safe and sound…

        --   God loves us and enjoys us, and so he wills that we love him and enjoy him, and firmly    
              trust him; and all shall be well.

          -- Flee to our Lord and we shall be comforted. Touch him and we shall be made clean.           
             Cling to him and we shall be safe and sound from every kind of danger.

          -- What, do you wish to know your Lord's meaning in this thing?                                               
             Know it well, love was His meaning. 
             Who reveals it to you? Love. 
             What did He reveal to you? Love. 
             Why does he reveal it to you? For love.