This is one of those rare occasions in the Curtis household. Our three daughters are home together for a visit.
Whenever such an event occurs, there is laughter; lots of laughter, lots of singing; and there are lots of memories of people and places to recall and celebrate.
Kathy Tibbo (Robin) lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Joanne Woolfrey (Jody) lives in Botwood, Newfoundland, and Vicki Meltzer (Jonathan)lives in Dover, New Hampshire.
Vera and I want to share, (much to the chagrin of our daughters), with the many wonderful people who have touched our lives over the years; especially the lives of our three daughters, growing up as children of the manse. Gratitude is therefore expressed to the people of many congregations throughout The Newfoundland and Maritime Conferences.
Although the song that follows is produced in the ‘fun mode’, the message contained herein truly conveys the reason for our gratitude.
A Prayer To Follow This Post
Father, of all beauty, We praise You on behalf of all families for the inexpressible joy of family living, for the tender nurturing of the delicate seeds of personalities, destined to reveal Your image in the world. Give to those within all families the measure of love and grace to fulfill that high calling.
For the special role that falls to the community where families live, make it known to each resident that their community has been specially chosen by You for this sacred mission. May community leaders act as conductors of the magnificent symphony prepared by You and encourage the young to play their part for Your glory. The essential requirement for this Is Your gift of Faith.
Bless the rhapsody of laughter, may it echo in our hearts and homes. And as we all move into the streets throughout the world let us joyfully invite all others to sing with us, until the whole universe is alive with the sound of voices, all singing the same song of love, to Your glory. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
EDITORIAL NOTES
The Song sung here is titled ” ONE VOICE” written by
RUTH MOODY ” As sung by THE Wailin’ Jennys
www.thewailinjennys.com
the photo speaks for itself and fits into the ‘fun mode ‘ atmosphere. It goes without stating, that obviously, no professional direction has been sought or secured.
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.
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.
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.
An Easter meditation titled ” The Knock” will be posted to my blog on Saturday. May you have a blessed and rewarding Easter celebration. Frank & Vera Curtis
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 Reading: John 21: 1 – 25; 1 Peter 1: 3 – 13
“1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.” (1)
Crossing the Bar Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark;
For tho‘ from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar. (2)
Alfred Lord Tennyson uses the inevitable occurrence of day’s surrender to evening, as the parallel for our passing from life to death. His masterful use of the simple, captivating images of’sunset, and evening star” are enough to make clear an invitation to consider the exquisite beauty inherent in a day’s ending. Beyond the need for human intervention, the magnificent pageant unfolds. The darkness gathers, and the stars begin to appear in the heavens. For Tennyson, the attractive beauty of the days ending is a veiled invitation to consider the inevitability of the passing of this life into death. He hints that it is possible to experience a more exquisite satisfaction, personal fulfillment, and contentment in that final twilight than is possible in viewing thousands of sunsets.
We are living in a society where it is not fashionable, nor is it desirable to talk about the end of our days.There is too much of the day still beckoning to us to bother with reading any further in Tennyson’s poem about, “Sunsets and evening stars.”
In truth, however, Tennyson awakens a curiosity in each of us that is hard to ignore. Circumvent it as we may, when all is said and done, we each nurture a hope to leave behind us at the last, a legacy of accomplished dreams and an example of a positive influence.Tennyson induces an appetite to investigate how one can come to life’s end so filled with the meaning and the purpose of life, now complete, as to know no regrets or uncertainties.
More specifically he prompts the consideration, of where to gather the materials for building such a daily life?
Drawing upon the poetic imagery of Tennyson’s
” Crossing The Bar,” I dream of a small town which is girdled about with hills, except for the one quarter that opens out to the sea. It is the place of my birth.
In the very center of that town, there is a quiet, placid pond into which three rivers flow. In the winter the pond was the location of choice for many a “highly professional ” hockey game or even more importantly, as the romantic point of rendezvous for moonstruck skaters. In the summer it was the perfect place for our home-made tall ships to set their card-board sails, and head for the opposite shore. The most striking feature about the pond, however, is where it narrows to enter the sea. Many of the local town’s people refer to the wooden bridge spanning that opening and the narrow opening itself as” the bar.” At low tide, the little pond empties itself with gurgling sounds, into the waiting sea. But then at high tide, the pond ‘draws from out the boundless deep’ of the mighty ocean, to supply every cranny and cove. Many times I have stood at the bar watching the tide come in. It came rushing in with an eerie silence, “too full for sound or foam.”
Tennyson captures the fullness of the eternal hope in the semblance of the rising tide! Peter endorses that same hope for the human race: ” set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
1 Peter 1:13.
Peter makes it abundantly clear that it is Jesus who comes to us in the ebb and flow of our God consciousness in life. Jesus shows each one of us that God’s love is always at high tide level, and is forever seeking the backwaters of individual lives that need an infusing of new life.
And who better than Peter to give living testimony of that? There was a time when Peter’s life was fraught with low tide experiences. Rocks and shoals were threatening on every side. Gross mediocrity and shameful memories were chasing every promising star to its setting. At last, they demand a retreat:” I am going back to the fishing ground,” Peter announces.Thus, he proposes to close the book of high adventure, he was writing before Jesus’ crucifixion. Then the very next morning the tide sweeps in, and Peter meets “the Pilot” face to face.” At that moment Peter’s all-consuming ministry begins anew. Drawing upon his experience of the Risen Christ, Peter, with absolute confidence, advises all to set there hope on Christ. Then when the flood tide ushers them back to the waiting boundless deep even there, they will meet the Pilot face to face. Let Tennyson, who lives nearly 2000 years later than Peter relay to us how he lives by that same hope.
“Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark;
For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.”(2)
A PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS MEDITATION
Dear God, thank You for creating us with the spirit that liberates us from the confining prison walls of our bodies. Our spirits can travel far when conditions or circumstances make it impossible for our bodies to accompany us; and the barriers of time’s measurement, such as yesterdays, and past years and decades may be melted into the present. Thank You for the liberating freedom of our spirits. Thank You for an even more excellent gift of the spirit; the ability to be able to transcend the barrier between life and death. The ability, through our spirits, to experience traffic between heaven and earth here and now, like Jacob, on the ladder that reached from earth to heaven.Thank You for the greatest gift of all, the One who is our only spiritual liberator.Thank You for Jesus, who is the Saviour and Keeper of our spirits. May we see Him ‘face to face’ now and evermore. Amen
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.Alfred Lord Tennyson. “Crossing The Bar”
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/crossing-the-bar-2/
3. Hymn: Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo5qEkZHXUg&feature=youtu.be
4. Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/deanspic/2571459575 Brigus, Newfoundland, on the website, “Brigus FolksThen And Now.” This is the area known to me as “The Bar”
It is recommended that you read the following Scripture portions You may also find help in the editorial notes at the end of the post.
Suggested Scriptures:Psalm 107:23 – 31, Matthew 14: 22 – 33
There follows a reading of JOHN MASEFIELD’S poem ‘Sea Fever’. I dedicate this post to ‘All Who Go Down To The Sea In Ships: who carry out their tasks upon the mighty deep. ( Psalm 107: 23)
My years of ministry in the Grand Bank United Church, made me keenly aware of’ the real” price of fish.” The ceaseless labor, the excruciating hardships, the ever-present dangers surrounding them and the hours of loneliness suffered by those who pursue that calling. Add to that, the anguish of loved ones on the shore who keep a constant watch for the first signs of their ship’s safe return. Home at last from a sea that often appears reluctant to part with its riches. Only then does one begin to understand the real price of fish.
A PRAYER TO FOLLOW THIS READING
Blessed Lord, It is evident from Your Gospel that you nurtured a deep love and a profound respect for the sea. It was beside the sea that Your ministry, that would change the world, had its beginning. It was here that You met men, whose blood every day was mixed with the salt spray of the sea. And from that company, you chose Your first disciples.It is also inspiring for us to recall how the epilogue to the account of Your glorious Ressurection is written with the sound of the sea breaking on the shore, and the sound of Jesus’ voice asking Peter: “Peter, do you love me ?” To which ‘ the big fisherman’ Peter, answered, ” Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You!”
Between that beginning and end, the thunder of the sea is like the recurring theme of a mighty symphony. In the terror of a storm, when there is only blackness and the cries of human helplessness are audible above the shrieking wind, Your voice is like music from Heaven: ” Don’t be afraid, it is I!”
It is of great comfort to know, that You once shared the agony of being on the shore while loved ones are somewhere out on the boundless deep. It was love for Your disciples that made You go to them one stormy night. It is love that makes us want to go to our beloved also when the sea is boiling, but You know the burden we mortals bear. Please, Lord, whenever such situations arrive throughout our life’s journey, sustain us with the belief that our loved ones will hear You say: ” Take heart, Fear Not! it is I.” Thank You for holding us in Your arms and rescuing us in Your love, now and evermore. Amen.
(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 Scripture: John 2: 1 – 11. ” Jesus Changes Water to Wine”
TEXT : John 2:9 The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. (1)
Any approach to Scripture, particularly the scriptures of the New Testament, brings a definite challenge. One must rescue the Scriptures from the mists of antiquity and permit them to be contemporary. By doing so, the Good News of the transforming Gospel comes to life in the present world, through human personalities.The intensity of the challenge depends upon our willingness to engage our imaginations to supplement our critical faculties, and find a fuller response to the question: What Is Truth?”The present Christian milieu is not responding to some ecclesiastical stained-glass representation of the Christ.It is Jesus, our contemporary who must be put forward on our stage of history. Today, Capitalism seeks to shrink societies into smothering cells where opportunities exist just for a few. One’s particular worth depends, not on what makes an individual unique in his or her personality, but what she/he can mass produce that is more important than anything else. It is time to halt the shrinkage and the exclusivity and deepen our horizons to the limits of God’s Kingdom where everybody is a somebody, and God is Lord of all!
I invite you now to relive one such an occasion where a humble servant comes to exult in the mystery of being set free from limitations and fear. Also, his experience allows him to become a messenger to invite still others to partake of the Wine Of New Life.
Imagine him telling his story!
I am Ruben Ben Hadad, a hired servant in the house of Suzanna. I am the eldest child of a peasant woman, who became a widow at an early age. All these years I have the responsibility of caring for my mother who has a severe disability. Because of this circumstance, I know little of the freedoms and the excitements of childhood.There was neither time nor money available for me to go to school. My waking hours were spent searching for bread for my brother, my sister, my mother and me.
I came to work here at Suzanna’s house as an assistant steward one year, six months, two weeks and three days ago. I keep a strict account of every minute I have to be in this place.
Suzanna is kind enough towards me. It is the chief steward who shows an extreme dislike of me. He is a bully who has forgotten his humble beginnings, and his not so meteor-like ascent to his present position. He is always finding some reason to put me down and to flog me at the slightest of pretense.
I so wish I could escape. I often look towards the horizon as I wend my way home, following a hard day’s work here.I dream of some far away place where perhaps life might be more gentle. I try to imagine a situation where a fellow might count for something, and his dreams have a hope of survival. Is there anywhere on earth where justice awaits everyone, and there is unconditional love, and peace, and contentment for all?
The chief steward is beside himself these days! He is putting the finishing touches on the celebration plans for the mistress’ son’s wedding. Yesterday the steward flogged me mercilessly after accusing me of misplacing one of the six clay water jars. At his insistence, I have been into the cellar four times in the last three days checking on the wineskins. I tell you, if anything untoward happens at this event, he will kill me! Ah, it’s time to walk by the sea again and to look out towards the horizon.
There now! Preparations are complete, and the guests are already arriving.The tiny hawkish eyes of the chief steward leer into every corner of the banquet hall.
” Ruben Ben Hadad ! you thieving, no good scoundrel.Where are you? Get here, this instant! You have neglected to put wine on the head table. I will have your hide for this! ” His growling tones are audible in spite of his intense effort to hide them behind his fake smile, from that corner of his mouth reserved for the arriving guests. I race down the stairs to the wine cellar! Oh, horror of all horrors, not one more full wineskin remaining! Should I head for the horizon? I pondered.
Crushed, I made my way back to the kitchen. Then. I saw Him! And everything I ever dreamt might be possible beyond the horizon, suddenly flooded my being! I was looking into the eyes of Jesus of Nazareth. It seemed to me that someone had opened the doors to Suzanna’s house, and Heaven’s glory was touching everything.
I took notice when His gaze slowly turned towards the chief steward. There was a perceived glint of light in His eyes as he looked again at me.
” Go and fill one of those stone jars with water.” He suggested. For a mini-second, the obvious thought of protest flashed into my mind. But courage and a feeling of reckless liberty soon made hesitation vanish. I was dancing inside as I obeyed the next suggestion from Jesus. “Now bring some of THIS wine to the Chief .”
With a look of complete disdain, the chief steward took the goblet from my hands and began to drink. His beady eyes shot open wide. ” Where did you get this”: he growled towards me .”, It’s the best wine I have ever tasted.” “From my Friend there, “I said pointing in Jesus’ direction. “I must inform you, sir; I won’t be reporting for work tomorrow, My friend has invited me to follow Him. I gladly accept His invitation. Tomorrow morning you and Suzanna will have to find another helper.” A feeling of complete exhilaration was mine as I danced into the night with Jesus and His other friends. I will remember forever how Jesus chose me to help Him perform His first Miracle.
Lord, stand beside us as we look out towards the horizons of our lives.Challenge us if our horizons form prison walls, shutting us in with restrictive views of what we could accomplish, walking forward with You. Horizons realistically viewed keep receding. And as long as You are with us, we will encounter no overpowering problem, nor will there be any crisis that will send us into the cellar looking for humanly made solutions.Give to us the faith that will let us know that You always act to protect our dignity and our self-worth, not to promote self-aggrandizement, but instead so that the glory of our God is in evidence against every force that would destroy it
Keep us on the tip-toe of expectancy, so that we too will help Him make others aware of the future wonder awaiting them.
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.
Photo: Fishing Schooner Arriving Grand Bank, Newfoundland. Courtesy of Wm. Tibbo, Grand Bank
There Follows the reading of the Parable of ‘The Prodigal Son’ ( ABOVE), an audio meditation based on the Old Testament Text: Psalm 7:1 O Lord my God, I take refuge in You; save and deliver me from all who pursue me.
ON THE RUN
A Prayer To Follow This Meditation
Searching God;
You hold steadfast in Your belief in us.
Day and night, night and day You keep watching the road we would travel on the way home.
You know, that love will finally produce the scene which You so earnestly wait to see! Your love never fails. The triumph of Your love is assured.
Many have already committed themselves to join You in Your unending vigil. Yet there is room for millions more to help. The task of making a straight highway to our God, always requires that we stay close to You. Help us to sight, even at a great distance, someone wandering homeward, who needs our words of encouragement and the assurance of our companionship.
Shield our eyes from the glare of complacency, and the self-absorption that results in nearsightedness.
Forgive us when we let the enticements of the far country sneak even through the church doors from where with You we are supposed to keep that vigil.
It is the Presence of the Risen Christ who equips us for service. For His sake and our own, call a halt to our running around in circles, Help us to find our refuge in the Lord. Then tomorrow we will see a new day dawning. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE LORD BLESS THEE AND KEEP THEE
TRANSCRIPT OF ON THE RUN
(To gain a further understanding of the meditation that follows, a reading of the suggested scriptures will be most helpful. Also, a study of the Editorial Notes at the end of the post may prove to be beneficial)
Psalm 7: 1
“LORD my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me,” (1)
A person on the run creates an immediate, and intriguing spectacle, and even more so if a pursuer is made visible in the scene. Then, if more than one spectator is observing the scene, the storyline may change and develop in many different directions simultaneously. This scenario usually presumes an assumption of guilt, but the truth of the matter is, nobody knows. Ordinarily, we would conclude that the people who know the reason for the activity in the scene are the one at the front of the pack, and those in pursuit. The Biblical narrative under present consideration, however, provides for an entirely different review: here, David, the one pursued is uncertain why this action is happening. There is a conscious uncertainty that is making it impossible for him to claim either innocence or guilt. A guilty conscience is a torturing experience. But to be uncertain of innocence or guilt is destructive. It is difficult to imagine the burden of loneliness that David is being forced to carry under such circumstances.
When David was a young man, he was in the employ of Saul, King of Israel. As David became more well known, he became the most popular personage in the land. His fame quickly spread. Consequently, his popularity stirred the wrath of Saul who avails himself of every opportunity to exterminate David. Cush, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, invents a false tale, that it is David who is plotting to kill King Saul. When Cush reports this malicious plot to Saul, the subsequent drama which unfolds finds David fleeing and Cush, a Benjamite, in hot pursuit.
While our situations are not of the same dramatic vein as David’s, it is by no means unknown to us that individuals often are ‘ on the run.’ Sometimes, both the pursued and the pursuer are known to each other, as is the case between David and Saul and Cush. That situation is often wrought with unrelenting fear, nervous surveillance and possibly a heart-wrenching regret by the pursued.
Quite often the pursuit is between a person and an invisible pursuer. It is also this fact we must consider in the story of David. While David knows his pursuers well, he is also hunted by an unclear conscience: ” Am I guilty or am I not guilty? Did I perpetrate this felony of which I stand accused?
Where does the debate between ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ behaviour originate in the first place”?
To feel the urge to define ‘ right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘guilt or innocence is, to begin with, a belief in a divine being, One who is omniscient ( all-knowing). Wherever one wrestles with feelings of ” good or bad,” ” right or wrong,” ” guilt or innocence,” it is indicative of God being already on the scene. Unless there is a God by whom ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ can be reliably assessed, moral judgments can be no more than opinions influenced by upbringing, training, and propaganda. (2)
Unlike the many people who thereby conclude that ‘conscience ‘ is synonymous with God, David provides us with a more dynamic, and I believe, a much healthier understanding of God than that. It is true that God indwells humankind, yet God is not dependent upon human nature when it comes to a fuller revelation of Himself to the world. God can and does act independently of human understanding and belief. The poet, Frederick William Faber expresses it well:
“There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s kindness in his justice,
Which is more than liberty.
For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of man’s mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.” (3)
Because it is not within a person’s intellectual ability to understand Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand; or to understand Jesus’ walking upon the water, solely from a reference to our exclusive belief in natural law, it is somewhat presumptuous to conclude that these events are beyond the realm of possibility. Our Biblical knowledge of God must never be adjusted to avoid offending our poor atrophying brain cells. The belief in the everlasting Presence of God must never contain the slightest hint that His Presence depends upon suitable human behaviour.
David, the frightened, guilt-stricken, remorseful individual that he is, seeks to enter into close quarters with God. Without any empirical evidence of personal guilt or innocence, he surrenders himself to the investigation of Who God Is and as a consequence arrives at profound self-knowledge.
‘The Hound Of Heaven’ is the deeply moving autobiography of the poet, Francis Thompson.
As the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer ‘ with unhurrying chase, And unperturbed pace, so does God follow the fleeing soul by His Grace. Thompson makes every effort to avoid God. He hides in art, in science, and in deeply demanding emotional experiences. But the unrelenting chase continues, with the inevitable encounter approaching closer and closer. And then,
“That Voice is round me like a bursting sea;” he confesses,
” Halts by me that footfall:
Is my gloom, after all,
Shade of His hand, outstretched caressingly?”
” Ah, fondest, blindest, weakest,” God responds,
” I am He whom thou sleekest,
Thou dravest love from thee, who dravest Me.” (3)
Is “The Hound Of Heaven” hidden somewhere in your restlessness, or in the never-ending marathon in which you are engaged? ‘Is your gloom, after all, the shade of His hand outstretched caressingly’? That was the learned experience of David that permits him to pray: “Lord, my God, I take refuge in You.” And is that not at the very center of the story that Jesus once told of a “Prodigal Son, who having been on the run for years, finally “came to his senses ” I will arise and go to my father,” he decides I will tell him: father I have sinned against Heaven and I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired servants.” And when he is still a great way off his father sees him. He runs out to meet him. He throws his arms around him and kisses him. Thereupon the son begins his halting soliloquy: ” Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and I am not worthy……” The father interrupts his rehearsed soliloquy and addresses his servants. Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet” Bring the fatted calf and kill it and let us celebrate, for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Amen.
A Prayer To Follow This Meditation
Searching God;
You hold steadfast in Your belief in us.
Day and night, night and day You keep watching the road we would travel on the way home.
You know, that love will finally produce the scene which You so earnestly wait to see! Your love never fails. The triumph of Your love is assured.
Many have already committed themselves to join You in Your unending vigil. Yet there is room for millions more to help. The task of making a straight highway to our God, always requires that we stay close to You. Help us to spot, even at a great distance, someone wandering homeward, who needs our words of encouragement and the assurance of our companionship.
Shield our eyes from the glare of complacency, and the self-absorption that results in nearsightedness.
Forgive us when we let the enticements of the far country sneak even through the church doors, from where with You we are commissioned to keep that vigil.
It is the Presence of the Risen Christ who equips us for service. For His sake and our own, call a halt to our running around in circles. Help us to find our refuge in You. Then tomorrow we will see a new day dawning. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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. An indirect reference to the thought expressed by J.B.
Phillips in his book: Your God Is Too Small.
3.William Faber. There’s A wideness In God’s Mercy
MAY THE LOVE OF CHRIST
