Seraphs and Eagle

 

Sometimes when I have had occasion to stay at hotel, I have been excited by the room. Much of that excitement is from how the bed is dressed. A plush, luxurious, array of pillows; a crisp sheet tautly wrapped around a cushioned mattress. The bed topped with a soft puffy duvet, tightly tucked on three sides; a nice finishing roll across the pillow line – inviting one to easily slip into cozy relaxation and comfortable sleep. I get drawn in – I love the look, the feel, the luxury – but 20 mins later; not so much. I wake up to wheezing, sneezing, and itchy eyes. I get drawn in -forgetting to have called ahead to say I am allergic to feathers: feather pillows, feather duvets, feather mattress toppers.

 

Sometimes when I read scripture, I am excited by the descriptions given and curious about what is mentioned. This week I have been pondering feathers, along with the Sacred Teaching of love represented by Eagle. Isaiah describes an order of angels called Seraphs as having six wings, massive enough to cover their faces, their feet, and two used for flying. They exist and serve in the presence of God. Indigenous elders teach that Eagle flies the closest to Creator and has the sight to see all the ways of being from great distances.

 

The winged creatures -Seraphs and Eagle- soar into our hearts and minds carrying a specific and important message. They feather us with the core of all knowledge and knowing – coming on the wings of Love.

 

I started the sermon with my experience of a lovely and inviting bed, a situation that takes a turn for the worse because I am allergic to feathers. This story is an analogy where the luxurious, extravagant, nicely made and inviting bed represents our experiences of love. It is wonderful and comfortable – but 20 mins later; not so much. Drawn in – we momentarily forget that we are allergic to love.

Hear me out. how many people do you know who have a lack of faith or trust in others, who put up walls to protect themselves from being hurt by others? Do you know people who, when everything is good, comfortable, and peaceful, some how sabotage their good relationships, and push people away? Have you experienced family or friends who are loving but are unable to give or receive forgiveness? How many humans care for others, but fail to care for themselves? Or have more care for animals that other human beings?  How many of us are allergic to love, in the sense that, we do not fully love ourselves; speaking to our inner selves with harmful self-talk; how many of us feel unworthy, or undeserving? How many of us have trouble receiving grand gestures of thanks, exuberant compliments, or generous gifts? We love love, until we don’t.

 

The experience of Isaiah in today’s reading is about LOVE – Creator’s love.

Isaiah has this fantastic experience in the realm of Seraphs and God’s majesty. We bear witness to the human response of being in God’s presence: woe who is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips; yet I have seen the Lord of hosts! Struck with humility and self-awareness, Isaiah, fears for his life and is conscious of his unworthiness.

This is where humans can get stuck, wallowing in unworthiness. How many times do I get asked, “Does God really forgive me, I have been that irreverent, that despicable, I don’t even like myself? How is it that God can love me? I am guilty and have nothing to offer in return.”

The telling of Isaiah’s experience is important because his feeling of unworthiness is not the last word.

Because there is some knowledge that humans embody more readily through ritual action, a Seraph uses a hot coal to touch Isaiah’s lips. The coal signifies God’s grace and forgiveness; Creator’s unconditional love. Isaiah is told, now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.

 

The experience of baptism and confirmation is about LOVE – Creator’s love.

A person, or parents on behalf of their child, come to sacred space responding to God’s presence. We come to baptism and confirmation with humility and self-awareness, we come with fears for our lives and conscious of our unworthiness. When come, we find that we are welcomed as we are – through ritual of word and action – the washing of water, the marking of a cross, the laying on of hands we are touched. We are seen. The water, oil, hands signify God’s grace and forgiveness upon us; Creator’s unconditional love.  

 

Many of you will remember Gertrud Klatt. Gertrud told me a beautiful story of her confirmation in her local church in Germany. When she was confirmed, the confirmands sat together in the front row. They were encouraged by the people sitting in the pew behind them who were confirmed 25 years before; and they were supported by the those in the next pew who were celebrating 50 year anniversaries of their confirmations.  

What amazed me most about the story was the excitement and duty felt to return to the home community to reconnect and to pray for and empower the new confirmands in their faith journeys. Gertrud did return for an anniversary – despite WWI and II, people being displaced, moving around the world – whole confirmation classes made their way home. I can’t remember if invitations were sent out, but invitations were not needed, people returned to be part of the ritual. Their presence was needed to signify to those being confirmed, the living grace and forgiveness of God; I have come to stand with you, though we may never have met to represent Creator’s unconditional love. Trust in God – trust us that - You are loved. You belong.

We can thank Gertrud for our new practice of recognizing and inviting people to their confirmation anniversaries. Those who came today, thank you for being present. You remind all of us, the importance of being present, for it symbolizes God’s love – and despite how we individually feel, lovable or unlovable, worthy or not- we are each surrounded by God’s presence and grace through each other.

 

All of us are human. We easily drift away from the people who love us, from journeying in relationship with God, from caring for creation, from loving ourselves. Confirmation and the Affirmation of Faith is the ritual that chirps GRACE to our hearts. In the ritual we make promises, knowing that sometimes promises will be broken, we ask for the spirit to be stirred up in us. Because of inadequacies we are encouraged to trust God to guide, equip, and empower us; to continue to shower grace especially in the times we push Love away.

 

To be given an eagle feather is the highest honour and a sacred gift. This is so because Eagle’s teaching of love can be found at the core of all teachings. To know love is to know peace.

Creator comes on the wings of the spirit and hovers in this space, each wing beat proclaiming you are beloved, you belong; each wing movement gracefully spreading God’s unconditional love.

Today’s ritual invites us to view our inner-selves, not from our own minds, but from the perspective of all teachings. This is to know LOVE and to love ourself truly. Through this practice we learn to be at peace with ourself, the balance of life, all things, and with Creator.

 

 

God of the sky and heavens,

Stir up in us hearts to receive Love,

letting go feelings of unworthiness may we soar like Eagle,

flying free may the wind of the spirit keep us ever in the currents of Love, never to drift away.

When Creator asks who embodies and carries this Love – this most important message-

 

 “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” As a flock of birds joyfully swooping through an updraft, let us call in one voice:   “Here am I; send me!”

Turtle and the Spirit of Truth

Baptism, confirmation, and affirmation of faith liturgies have a prayer where the gathered community prays:

Stir up in your people the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.

When the Gospel of John speaks of truth – and specifically the Spirit of truth – I interpret that to mean, the spirit working in people of faith and in faith communities as described in the prayer prayed at baptisms and confirmations.

The Gospel has Jesus say that: When the Spirit of truth comes, the Spirit will guide you into all the truth. This Spirit of truth enters the lives of Jesus’ followers, stirring up, animating, energizing, compelling, working through hearts and minds and hands – thoughts, words, and deeds- with a spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, and joy in God’s presence. Have you experienced the Spirit of truth working in and through you? Or felt the Spirit of truth moving in and through this faith community?

 

Today begins our journey of Seven Sundays reflecting on the Seven Sacred Teachings of our Indigenous siblings: week one is the teaching of Truth, represented by Turtle.

Circle for Reconciliation and Justice – Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

 

Yes! I have experienced the Spirit of truth. I have a story – a combination of connected experiences - where the Spirit of truth and Turtle meet.

As a teenager, I spent my summers working at Camp Edgewood, a Lutheran church camp near Guelph, ON. The camp was 52 acres that included a human-made pond, called ‘Scoody Pond.’ The pond was not for swimming – it was used for canoeing and catching red and yellow spotted painter turtles. The water was murky and slimy. It was also the home to snapping turtles.

My first summer was the year of Master Snapper. Master Snapper was the name given to a very large snapping turtle, rumoured to live in the bottom of the pond. It was a turtle of legend. In the safety presentation before canoeing, lifeguards showed campers an oar with a semi-circular bite out of it – yes, allegedly made by a large turtle; with the purpose of cautioning campers to not put their hands in the pond water or dare to pick up a turtle without red or yellow spots.

For whatever reason, that was the summer that a large snapping turtle left tracks in the mud at the edge of the pond, and on one occasion was found by the lifeguards. The lifeguards decided to move Turtle to the least travelled portion of the pond. They thought they would transport Turtle with the help of a large garbage can. When they lifted Turtle to put it in the can, its shell sat on the opening – that is a big turtle. They carried Turtle to a new entry spot and let Turtle go.

My last summer was the year of a dedicated nature room in the main lodge, and I was nature director. Each week campers engaged in activities to grow their relationship with creation. One of the favourite activity centres was the ‘look what we found’ table. Feathers, seeds, snake skins, dried cicada and dragonflies, bones, and the favourite a snapping turtle shell; top and bottom still connected. There were few campers who were not intrigued by the shell. Campers liked to hold it, feel the variety of textures, view it from different angles, observe its intricacies. It was pretty cool! I loved to watch their changing faces as thoughts and emotions passed as they explored Turtle’s shell.

These two stories are personal Turtle stories and believe it or not they speak to me of Truth and the Spirit of truth lived in and through me, and in and through community.

Preparing this sermon had me realize how much these two Turtle stories contributed to my understanding of things, particularly God-things; my theology, my pedagogy, my pastoring.

The story of Master Snapper had staff and campers questioning, "is the story true or is it a story crafted over the years and handed down?" As a group, campers wrestle with what is truth and how to discern and figure it out, adding their own stories and experiences. Is the story based on truth, exaggerated, embellished in each telling? Campers pondered a mystery of what maybe isn’t right here, right now, but was, and is currently true elsewhere, or could be a possibility here later. It never ceased to amaze me that Master Snapper conversations crept into Bible story discussions. Campers were captivated by the stories of Jesus: were they true, exaggerated, etcetera? They added their own experiences and stories. Staff, like myself, became good story tellers – the Spirit of truth working through us and moving through the campers. God-stories were not just those from the Bible. All our stories held truth, applying our faith, and articulating our understanding and relationship with Creator and with others. It strikes me that this is what we do as a faith community – we use story and wrestle with story, with truth, as we try to navigate life amidst the troubles and the sufferings of the world.

Paul wrote to the Romans: Whole creation groans, we groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies… but if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Campers had little choice, but to be patient. Year after year campers returned hoping to meet Master Snapper; hoping for what we do not see – the tracks in the mud certainly buoyed hope. Year after year campers returned to have ‘that camp feeling;’ belonging, connection, grounding. There was no question that the Spirit of truth came through ecology and creation; we could sense when the pond needed water, when the creatures were well or unwell. We pondered the theology of big things – abundance; creatures seen and unseen. Excitedly we dreamed of what other mystery is waiting to be investigated. With hearts seeking truth we contemplated what happens to Turtle, to the whole creation around the pond, as the pond is naturally reclaimed as land.

We believed that In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is not hard, in fact it is a pleasure to expand understanding to witness that the Seven Sacred Grandfathers share that Turtle represents truth because Turtle is one of the oldest animals, so old it witnessed Creation, in the beginning.

Sacred Grandmother tells us that creation is written in the scales of Turtle’s shell. Turtle’s shell was a portal for the wonder and awe of creation and the spectacular nature of other creatures. Campers -holding the shell- felt a connection. Some of the most powerful experiences of all my years at camp were because of Turtle. The miraculous shell led to deep and meaningful conversations. At the top of the list were conversations with 7-16 year olds about death and dying– starting with Turtle (including all the details of a decomposing corpse) and moving into their fears around death, their experiences with death, losing pets and grandparents, siblings; hopes and dreams for their futures, and daring to ponder the mysteries of death, what is beyond; what is God’s part in all of this? And with a sigh articulating, “I am sad that Turtle died.”

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

 

The Gospel directs us, You also are to testify because you have been with me since the beginning -the Master Snapper legend was passed down each summer from staff to staff, camper to camper, long before Turtle was seen on shore; here too testimony was given through living faith, loving, singing camp songs, telling Jesus’ stories, participating in Bible study, morning chapel, canoeing, Turtle’s shell, and bedtime devotions with prayer – all this merged and emerged as truth. The Spirit of truth working in and through the staff, in and through campers; a whole community where the sacred teaching of truth was applied to daily living.

 Grounded, methodical, careful, and attentive to details – at summer camp the Spirit of truth was given the gift of camper’s attention – where Turtle taking centre stage became the back on which wonder and awe were grown, where connection was made, where the Spirit of truth was free to move. When campers fondly tell the Master Snapper tale (now some 30-50 years later) the Spirit of truth rushes in with everything experienced, the prayer, the friends, the love, the questions, God conversations, the belonging, the safety; knowledge, wisdom, understanding, fear of the Lord, and joy in God’s presence. One remembers the learning -the guiding of the Spirit of truth- to be true to themselves, true to others and creation, and true to God.

 

Have you experienced the Spirit of truth working in and through you? Or felt the Spirit of truth moving in and through this faith community?

Yes! You have experienced the Spirit of truth. You have a story – a combination of connected experiences to tell, testifying to the truth.

 

Stir up in your people – in us- the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen.

 

The Holy Enterprise of Friendship

 There is no greater way to show love to friends than to die in their place. You are my friends if you walk in my ways and do what I say. I no longer see you as servants but as friends. Masters do not share their hearts and plans with their servants, but I have shown you everything I heard from my Father. -John 15: 13-15 FNV

This week I was reminded of a time when autograph books were a thing. These little books, also called friendship albums, were traditionally exchanged among friends, colleagues, and classmates. The books gathered names and signatures, and included lines of poetry, drawings, quotes. I never had one. My generation used school year books in a similar way, gathering and writing signatures, quips, etcetera in each other’s books.

I had a quote that I always used, and I wrote it along the binding seam of a page:

May the hinges of friendship never rust, nor the wings of love lose a feather.

I liked this quote because it acknowledged the connection between myself and the owner of the book. It also felt to me like a connection that could go on indefinitely even if we went our separate ways for school, or work. Connection – friendship- was important.

I learned much later on that the quote was written some 150 years ago by Edward Ramsay a clergyman of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In his Wikipedia biography it says, among other accomplishments, that he co-wrote a book with his friend Cosmo Innes, who was a judge and historian. The biography for Cosmo Innes also mentions that he was friends with Edward. There is something special about being remembered 150 years later as a friend; sharing friendship.

 

Today’s Gospel speaks of friendship.

Once again, we are hearing words from Jesus’ farewell discourse with the disciples. This conversation about friendship is connected to the statement “I AM the Vine, you are the branches.” Jesus is expanding the disciple’s understanding of their relationships – with him, each other, and the wider world; because of our friendship with Jesus, friendship is a holy enterprise.

On this side of Easter, bearing in mind Jesus’ words about friendship, we pause to reflect on Jesus’ walk to the cross and the days following his death. What do we learn about friendship from Jesus’ final days?

 

Friendship as a holy enterprise is cultivated in food, fishing, and fellowship.

 

FOOD

Over COVID there were a couple of community events that ranked at the top of the list for what was most missed: Holy Communion, Easter breakfast, and Christmas potluck. Notice all three centre around sharing a community meal. Food warms our stomachs and our hearts. Food is sustenance, both physical and spiritual. Communal meals are a sharing of experience and resources. Food is a conduit for fellowship.

Jesus’ Last Supper and dinner conversation with the disciples gave new meaning to the shared meal. Easter appearances – on reaching Emmaus the pair on the road invited the stranger to join them for a meal and it is in the breaking of bread they recognized Jesus. Jesus appeared again meeting the disciples for a breakfast of fish on the beach. Drawing on the Last Supper and resurrection meals, the Early church gathered around meals, bread and wine, giving everyone equality at the table. Sharing a meal where everyone had a chance to eat regardless of socio-economic status. Food brings people together –

Consider how it is on a Sunday morning with coffee and cookies. The coffee and cookies are the incentive or perhaps excuse to hang around and chat, to get to know each other. And when we leave we are satisfied – spiritually and emotionally. We depart as more than acquaintances, we are friends.

 

FISHING

There are a few things I know about fishing. When we go to Owen Sound to visit Tim’s dad, I often take a run past a river. Both sides are lined with individual fishermen, each with their own lawn chair and fishing paraphernalia. Those fishing are close enough to see each other to be connected, a peaceful co-existence, but far enough apart to not get in each other’s way. After a nod or simple ‘hello’ the fishermen are content to sit in silence, to share the experience of the weather, the river, and the activity as time passes by.

Are the fishermen friends – do they consider each other such? They are more than acquaintances. They know specific details of each others fishing techniques, how patient each other is, what each eats or drinks, what each does when no one else is looking. They are friends; a friendship comfortable, in fact demanding, a silent sitting together in an experience.

This has me think of Joseph of Arimathea, one whom the Bible says followed silently (or in secret) from a distance. He considered Jesus a friend, for who else would one quietly go to Pilate, ask for Jesus’ body, and then bury it in his own tomb.

 

From what I have gathered about bigger enterprises – boat fishing with nets and crews; like James and John the sons of Zebedee along with Peter and Andrew – crews work side-by-side at the task without much talking, rhythmically working the cadence of the job, knowing one’s roll in the crew.

In a resurrection appearance Jesus is in the presence of the disciples and asks for something to eat; he is given a piece of fish. In another appearance Jesus is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee with breakfast prepared. I assume that the disciples who were called from their fishing nets have in some capacity gone back to work. They have fish to share, fruit from the labours of friendship.

Friendship happens in everyday life, working together- finding your place in the crew- to make a living and complete the tasks at hand. This has me think of the women -the group of friends- who go to the tomb to do for their friend Jesus what was customary when someone died. To love and care for the body, to grieve together.

 

FELLOWSHIP

The friendship albums I mentioned earlier, first appeared in German regions around Wittenburg mid-16^th Century. They were favoured by academics who used their friendship albums as a sort of reference list, collecting names, ideas, beliefs. The books connected people from one university to the next. It allowed academics private conversation among like-minded people - the curious, the thought provokers, the reformers, free thinkers- friends could share innovative ideas. Later the practice of university fellowships would be born. The friendship albums reminded people they were not alone, they belonged to a wider community -a friendly association, a company of equals.

Immediately following Jesus’ death, the disciples gathered in a fellowship behind locked doors. The disciples had shared an overwhelming experience. They were afraid. They were sad and they grieved together. They prayed and sang hymns. And probably spent time quietly holding space for each other.

Jesus appears to them when they are together, and then again so Thomas would be present – Jesus could have visited Thomas alone, but waited until the disciples were gathered in fellowship. When appearing to his friends Jesus did not point fingers at them for what had done, or not done: the denying knowing him, the cowardly running away, or the hiding behind closed doors, rather, in friendship Jesus offered forgiveness and understanding, saying “Peace be with you.” Jesus modeled the healing power of friendship.

In friendship the disciples supported and learned from each other, coming to a place where their fellowship strengthened them to go out together, becoming a fellowship of Apostles that witnessed to the Good News in the streets.

 

Friendship was cultivated in food, fishing, and fellowship.

What ills of today’s world are or could be healed through friendship?

 

Friendship albums – autograph books- were popular with children in Norway during the Nazi occupation of WWII. The books were filled with quick expressions of feeling and thoughts in poems and illustrations that expressed resistance, drawing of Norwegian flags, and quotes about nature. The friendship albums supported children emotionally, helping them to process and integrate the chaos around them, and give them hope for another day.

 

Jesus and the disciples illustrate the power of friendship.

I believe that friendship is a concrete holy action that we can take to birth resurrection into the world.

We as followers of Jesus, by Jesus’ example, in friendship with him --- are chosen to cultivate friendships -so that we help people process and integrate the chaos of the world and resurrect that which is life-giving, grow hope and connection and love.

In all your doings this week, focus on participating in the holy enterprise of friendship.

 

You may think you chose me, but I am the one who chose you. You are my new garden where I will grow a great harvest of my love---fruit that remains. …  Walk the road of love with each other.  -John 15: 16-17 FNV