A Reflection for Thanksgiving Day All Saints
Church, Southern Shores, NC November 26, 2015 Thomas
E. Wilson, Rector
Blessing
the Sacred
This spring author Diane Butler Bass released a new
book, Grounded: Finding God in the World,
A Spiritual Revolution, in which she related that while numbers in
Religious Denominations and Institutions have declined, she sees this as a change
in seekers finding God no longer in buildings but in nature and the
environment. She has suggested that the focus of Christianity has been the 3Bs,
believing, behaving and belonging; but in the last couple of generations the
way we look at these fundamental questions have changed: “Contemporary people
care less about what to believe than how they might believe; less
about rules for behavior than in what they should do with their lives;
and less about church membership than in whose company they find
themselves.” This church has tried to
address those changed questions with opportunities for different kinds of
worship, moving away from emphasis on “sin” and more on living in graceful
stewardship, less about creeds and more about reaching out into the larger community.
She writes: “The church is not the only sacred place; the world is profoundly
sacred as well.”
All Saints knows something about this move
especially when we see our Outdoor Labyrinth being used by people who do not
darken our church door, but who find Christ with their feet on the path of the
Labyrinth into their own soul. the number of people who flock here to attend
classes in the All Saints After Dark program and the Music programs. I notice
it on Easter Morning as people come to church and while the music, liturgy, and
- dare I say it - the preaching is excellent; the deepest spiritual; experience
for many visitors is looking out the window behind the altar at the cherry trees
full of blossoms as the birds flit back and forth between the branches. They
get the message that Easter is not just the time of an event years ago but the
present reality of the time of a new beginning brought about by a power much
greater than us.
 |
| Cherry trees outside the window behind the All Saints Altar on Easter 2015 |
We get a hint of the whole earth as sacred in the
first lesson from Joel for today as the prophet speaks of God’s love not just
to his human audience but he speaks to the soil and to the animals to give
thanks for all that God is doing: “Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice,
for the LORD has done great things! Do not fear, you animals of the field, for
the pastures of the wilderness are green; the tree bears its fruit, the fig
tree and vine give their full yield.”
Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson urges us to be like
the birds of the air and the lilies of the field who have a deeper relationship
with God in their daily lives than religious folk find in their Temples and
rituals.
Many of you today have come to check into this
religious establishment but I might suggest that you might find a deeper spiritual
experience sitting down with a friend or relative and listen to what is going
on in their lives and to share the food for the journey in giving thanks.
Blessing
the Sacred (poem)
Thinking
about speaking about Joel’s kind words to soil;
he
walks into the Sanctuary, imagining air composing
itself
preparing for an increase of CO2 levels praying
as
if the air did not exist. Stopping, he thanks God for air,
the
first breath in creation bringing light.
The
air pauses, not used to being noticed.
Feeling
the ground under his feet, he thanks the floor,
a
place on which to stand on this hurling earth.
The
floor, used to being walked over, pauses.
Looking
out the window, he sees the tree shedding leaves,
leaves
halting in retreat from the branch as they are thanked
for
all the spring and summer comfort and beauty given.
Thinking
they were too old they are confused by thanks.
They
have all given their very selves.
He thinks he needs to bless all he overlooks.
No comments:
Post a Comment