Sprung

Could it be that we have been sprung from the long winter of our discontent? On this the first full day of Spring, I do feel released.

Amazing fact: the Farmer’s Almanac, to which my grandmother referred, referenced and trusted was spot-on accurate about this winter!

At the risk of admitting that a certain softness has crept in --- I must confess that in comparison of the winters experienced in my youth this one wasn’t so bad. Confession number two --- I enjoyed this winter until about mid-February….then I had enough.

Spring is a glorious season! There is something about a long winter that makes spring even sweeter. This morning I made it a point to take note of some little flowers that have bloomed and touched the furry bulb on a magnolia tree --- I needed a few tangible reminders as the snow swirled….sigh…

My favorite quote about spring comes from Anne Lamott who writes, “Spring is when God tarts it up.” Go ahead and make note of and celebrate this season of show-off-ish-ness. Take note of the blooms and the breezes and the birthing. Make time to take in the vibrant colors and the growing greenness.

Whatever the season, we are compelled to live with the intention to notice and to be thankful. Spring with its flowers and colors and life bursting out all over makes it easy to do; the challenge is to do so when God is not so flashy in appearance and when the colors fade and the blooms fall to the ground.

On this start of spring here’s a challenge for each of us --- every day take five minutes and look out that familiar window, on that known street and find something whose beauty makes you pause. Tell someone about it.

Happy Spring!

sj;

Hmmmm.....

I was just waking this morning when I heard the following story on NPR. Garrett Peterson, a 16-month boy born with a defective windpipe would go through phases when he turned blue from being unable to breathe. Obviously, this was a critical, life-threatening decision that had his family at the edge. Doctors, using the technology of a 3D printer, constructed a device to hold open Garrett’s windpipe and help in to stay in place until the windpipe becomes strong enough to work on its own.

Amazing!

Yet, what caused my pause was this quote from the doctor, “We’re talking about taking something like dust and converting it into body parts.”

I applaud the wonders of technology and the doctors out-of-the-box thinking and persistence in finding a way to help Garrett. It was the whole dust to body parts thing that got me. Call it a Lenten season response, yet, quotes like that bring me to a line from a man whose birthday we just celebrated, Albert Einstein, who said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

I have set my dvr to record the episodes of the new Cosmos series featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson and I do believe members of the faith community must have ongoing conversation with science and that we need to balance and compliment one another.

Perhaps, I am missing the voice of faith being shared and highlighted and listened to in the key conversations of our lives. I find myself frequently asking, “Where’s the voice of the faith community?”

The role and perspective of faith needs to be invited into the conversation, the view from the faith lens needs to be shared and we need to be ones who boldly think, who use our reason and our experience and our tradition and the stories foundational to our faith need to be part of the dialogue.

Technology moves rapidly and sometimes I think our humanness has a hard time keeping up. The faith voice can serve to re-mind us who we are.

Thoughts?

sj;

Let us journey

What is the traditional greeting for this the start of the Lenten season? Does one wish a happy Lent? An introspective Lent? A good Lent?

Once again we begin the season where, as Frederick Buechner states, Jesus went to find out what it meant to be Jesus. We mark these 40 days, this holy season to do the same....to find out who we are and how we are living; to seek to live more wholly, more aware, more spirit-centered lives. The point is that as we journey through, over, down, above and along the path to Easter we should arrive, though maybe a bit weathered and worn, more whole and more aware...more fully and abundantly you.

I seek to make the most of this season. To assist me, I am taking Sister Joan Chittister, OSB along for the journey; as well as Ruth Everhart. My journey mates will be the gifts of creation, the persons whom I know well and the folks whom I encounter frequently and those I meet along the way. The deal is to pay attention, to listen and to look, to ponder, to wonder.

As a possible assist for you on your journey, I share with you the following link: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2012/02/house-for-all-sinners-and-saints-40-ideas-for-keeping-a-holy-lent/

This will direct you to Nadia Bolz-Weber, a Lutheran minister, who I have recently come across through her book, PASTRIX. Her emerging church sense, her real-ness and her at times cussing irreverence against staid and stale institutions toward a radical and welcoming and lived in the day-to-day grime and grind and glory speak to me.

At the church she planted and waters and grows in Denver, Colorado when they were putting together their church's website for the section: What We Believe they went with, "To find out what we believe, come and see what we do." Now there's a mark to strive for this season.....

sj;