1st Peter 5:6-11
Cast all your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you... Verse 7
I was sitting at my computer the day the wind was blowing so fiercely (Wednesday?) and happened to look up and out my front door window in time to see a bird go by. This wasn't a normal fly by. I think it must have started to fly, maybe off the roof, but for some reason flew into the wind. At least that's my guess. The wind blocked this effort and it looks like it simply tossed him eastward past my window, facing west, tail down, somewhat vertical. I don't know what the bird was thinking, but I know I would be in a panic, out of control, scared. But I have a feeling that the instincts of the bird would take over and it would somehow flip over, right itself, put the wings out and go with the flow so to speak until it could find shelter in a tree, bush, or building overhang to take a breath and bring its heart rate back to normal. Well, that's what I would need if I were a bird.
But how often have we tried to fly into the wind... maybe into the Pentecost Holy Spirit, and go a direction that we can't or shouldn't go. We might get along for a bit, but the struggle eventually wears us out as one obstacle after another blows us wildly off course. We can feel disoriented, panic in the face of not being totally in control, still trying to go the way we want to go and life tosses backwards, sometimes with a gentle nudge that stops our movement and turns us around, sometimes, like the bird in the wind, in a more violent, forceful way. How many storms have we been trying to find our way through just in the last 3 months, thinking we are going the way we should, only to get slapped backwards. After awhile our wings and our souls can become very weary. We pray for a place of refuge to reorient ourselves, find peace, and figure out what is going on.
Our refuge is in Jesus Christ. Our peace is in God the Creator. Psalm 46:10 reminds us, "Be still and know that I am God." We find ourselves constantly battling the storms of life, fighting circumstances, fighting people around us, fighting struggles within us, crying out out in deep despair and helplessness. We need to cast all our anxiety on Jesus, let God hold us in the palm of His hand, and instead of trying to go our own way, allow the wind of the Holy Spirit to simply carry where we need to go, guide us in the directions we need, give us wisdom, actions and words to handle the storm, problem, anxiety, relationship, feelings. We need to figure out a way, like a bird, to right ourselves and spread our wings and feel the power of God to carry us and give us not just peace, but rest. Psalm 121 reminds us that our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:2)
But it is often hard to do. It is hard to admit that we were going the wrong way, hard to let go of what paths we thought we needed to walk, hard to let go and let God. Sometimes its hard to even accept that we are worthy of Christ's love and think, "Who am I that Christ would care for me? I have screwed up, I haven't listened. I went the wrong way. I haven't trusted him to help me deal with it. I feel like God isn't going to help me with this, and why should my Lord?" But God loves you, Jesus loves you, faults and all, and wants you to cast your care on him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light. (Matthew 11:30).
Remember... when Jesus and his disciples were in the boat on the Sea of Galilee and a fierce storm came up, tossing them around, the disciples all panicked, but Jesus continued to sleep. Jesus could sleep the deep sleep that comes with the peace of knowing that you are in God's hands and all will be well, no matter dark the days seem or how strong the winds blow. They had the most fearful thoughts, their brains went to the worst possible scenario, and when they woke him in a panic he calmed the storm, the winds died down and Jesus said to them (hopefully in a gentle, chiding way), "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:22-25)
Are the winds and storms blowing in, around and through you? I think they are for all of us in this stressful time. Today Jesus wants to help calm the storm, slow down the fierce winds as they are calm today, give a chance to breathe, to think, to make course corrections if needed. A chance to show our trust in God by being still instead of flying fiercely into the wind, and know that God is God. "Where is your faith?"
🎵🎶
Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon God's word.
🎵🎶
Jesus calls us o'er the tumult of our life's wild, restless sea,
Day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying "Christian, follow me."
Friday, June 12, 2020
Thursday, June 4, 2020
8 Minutes and 46 Seconds
Take a deep breath, open your heart... and read Psalm 143
On average, humans breathe about 12 times a minute. It can be as much as 18, it can be less. Depends, of course on age, health, weight, activity, awake or sleeping. We do it without thinking. It is one of those autonomic activities that our miraculous brains just knows how to keep going without our thinking about it. Are you thinking about your breath right now, even as you read this? Probably not until I said something.
I have myself gasped for air, wondered why breathing was coming so hard. Difficulty breathing was how they determined that I was allergic to codeine (pretty much wipes out a lot of pain killers) and also was one of my first signs of a heart problem. You see, the heart is another autonomic activity. The electrical systems are kept going by the brain and thankfully we don't have to think "beat, beat, beat." The heart, lungs and brain all work together in God's design and they do so until something gets in the way to interrupt their partnership. If you hold your breath your heart rate will go down, for a moment, but it can also puts a strain on your heart. If you can't breathe and can't get enough oxygen into your system, the heart and brain get thrown off their routine and pattern, and if it goes on, it will bring on a stroke, heart attack, or death.
8 minutes and 46 seconds. Time for the average human being to inhale and exhale 105 times... if doing so easily. Not with someone's knee on your neck and pressure on you back. Breath is essential to life. It renews, it gives life, and at the end it is one last things to leave us... the brain stops functioning, so it tells the lungs to stop inhaling... and then the heart to stop beating. I've sat at many bedsides counting breaths, holding hands, watching the peaceful withdrawal of those breaths as they slowed. Usually it comes quite peacefully and a life withdraws into the hands of God.
That's how it's supposed to happen.
8 minutes and 46 seconds. At the end of the memorial service for George Floyd this afternoon they ended with folks standing for a moment of silence, but not just any moment... time to pray, time to reflect on what George went through, time to think about breath leaving, time also to think about the changes that must happen in our country, systemic changes, attitude changes, heart changes, listening changes, legislative changes. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That's how long the silence was. Equal to the time it took for George Floyd's brain to stop receiving life-giving oxygenated blood and not know how to make his lungs function, which left his heart to stop. Not a heart attack that was chest-crushing massive and gone in a moment. 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
I prayed, I thought about the senselessness of the violence... all of it... I thought about the hatred that still infests our country and the lack of true understanding of our racial bias and white privilege, even if you swear to God Almighty that you are not a racist. Our systems are, our comments often are, we just don't think about it because we haven't had to deal with it. I have never been followed around a store by a security guard while shopping. I have never been pulled over because I was guilty of driving while white. I have never worried about my son being shot simply because he is white. Then I did one of the things they asked... think about George's last minutes. I held my breath. Only for a few moments. My brain went to times when I have felt trapped, claustrophobic, restrained. I have a deep seated fear of death by drowning ... even if I'm not in water... just not being able to breathe. And I had a flown blown anxiety attack. Had to walk outside, force myself to slow down my breathing, pray for help. Anxiety actually brings on more shortness of breath. And I sat down and cried.
8 minutes and 46 seconds.... while the rest of the world was taking 105 breaths, they didn't even realize that the world was about to change forever. In 8 minutes and 46 seconds a spark would be ignited that has been a long time coming and will be the 8 minutes that history will look back upon. We will not, cannot be the same ever again. We must not take our breathing for granted... or our freedoms, or live in a sheltered world where we think that everyone is treated equally, because they often are not. We must work for, and pray for, God's life-giving breath to fill us all anew, strengthen us for the changes and work ahead, and also convict us of the unintended parts we have played in the past.
What has happened in your life in the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds? How many heartbeats, how many breaths, how many smiles or frowns, how many music notes heard, winds felt on your cheek, how many times have you thought about God...about life... about death... about your safety. Don't take any of these things for granted. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to think about what you can do to take steps to make sure that these words are true: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." God has already ordained it... now it is up to us, after 244 years, work to make sure it is really true in our world. We are called (remember Micah?!) to work for justice... love kindness.... and walk humbly with our God... and to love others. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to earnestly pray. Set the alarm on your phone. If you think 20 seconds in worship seems long, you will find out just how long 8 minutes and 46 seconds can truly seem. And give thanks for the 100 breaths that you might take without thinking about it. And the injustice that happens... without you thinking about it.
Amen
Take a deep breath, open your heart... and read Psalm 143
On average, humans breathe about 12 times a minute. It can be as much as 18, it can be less. Depends, of course on age, health, weight, activity, awake or sleeping. We do it without thinking. It is one of those autonomic activities that our miraculous brains just knows how to keep going without our thinking about it. Are you thinking about your breath right now, even as you read this? Probably not until I said something.
I have myself gasped for air, wondered why breathing was coming so hard. Difficulty breathing was how they determined that I was allergic to codeine (pretty much wipes out a lot of pain killers) and also was one of my first signs of a heart problem. You see, the heart is another autonomic activity. The electrical systems are kept going by the brain and thankfully we don't have to think "beat, beat, beat." The heart, lungs and brain all work together in God's design and they do so until something gets in the way to interrupt their partnership. If you hold your breath your heart rate will go down, for a moment, but it can also puts a strain on your heart. If you can't breathe and can't get enough oxygen into your system, the heart and brain get thrown off their routine and pattern, and if it goes on, it will bring on a stroke, heart attack, or death.
8 minutes and 46 seconds. Time for the average human being to inhale and exhale 105 times... if doing so easily. Not with someone's knee on your neck and pressure on you back. Breath is essential to life. It renews, it gives life, and at the end it is one last things to leave us... the brain stops functioning, so it tells the lungs to stop inhaling... and then the heart to stop beating. I've sat at many bedsides counting breaths, holding hands, watching the peaceful withdrawal of those breaths as they slowed. Usually it comes quite peacefully and a life withdraws into the hands of God.
That's how it's supposed to happen.
8 minutes and 46 seconds. At the end of the memorial service for George Floyd this afternoon they ended with folks standing for a moment of silence, but not just any moment... time to pray, time to reflect on what George went through, time to think about breath leaving, time also to think about the changes that must happen in our country, systemic changes, attitude changes, heart changes, listening changes, legislative changes. 8 minutes and 46 seconds. That's how long the silence was. Equal to the time it took for George Floyd's brain to stop receiving life-giving oxygenated blood and not know how to make his lungs function, which left his heart to stop. Not a heart attack that was chest-crushing massive and gone in a moment. 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
I prayed, I thought about the senselessness of the violence... all of it... I thought about the hatred that still infests our country and the lack of true understanding of our racial bias and white privilege, even if you swear to God Almighty that you are not a racist. Our systems are, our comments often are, we just don't think about it because we haven't had to deal with it. I have never been followed around a store by a security guard while shopping. I have never been pulled over because I was guilty of driving while white. I have never worried about my son being shot simply because he is white. Then I did one of the things they asked... think about George's last minutes. I held my breath. Only for a few moments. My brain went to times when I have felt trapped, claustrophobic, restrained. I have a deep seated fear of death by drowning ... even if I'm not in water... just not being able to breathe. And I had a flown blown anxiety attack. Had to walk outside, force myself to slow down my breathing, pray for help. Anxiety actually brings on more shortness of breath. And I sat down and cried.
8 minutes and 46 seconds.... while the rest of the world was taking 105 breaths, they didn't even realize that the world was about to change forever. In 8 minutes and 46 seconds a spark would be ignited that has been a long time coming and will be the 8 minutes that history will look back upon. We will not, cannot be the same ever again. We must not take our breathing for granted... or our freedoms, or live in a sheltered world where we think that everyone is treated equally, because they often are not. We must work for, and pray for, God's life-giving breath to fill us all anew, strengthen us for the changes and work ahead, and also convict us of the unintended parts we have played in the past.
What has happened in your life in the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds? How many heartbeats, how many breaths, how many smiles or frowns, how many music notes heard, winds felt on your cheek, how many times have you thought about God...about life... about death... about your safety. Don't take any of these things for granted. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to think about what you can do to take steps to make sure that these words are true: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." God has already ordained it... now it is up to us, after 244 years, work to make sure it is really true in our world. We are called (remember Micah?!) to work for justice... love kindness.... and walk humbly with our God... and to love others. Take 8 minutes and 46 seconds to earnestly pray. Set the alarm on your phone. If you think 20 seconds in worship seems long, you will find out just how long 8 minutes and 46 seconds can truly seem. And give thanks for the 100 breaths that you might take without thinking about it. And the injustice that happens... without you thinking about it.
Amen
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