A couple weeks ago Bruce had a party for the guys who laid the track for his Speeder. It was raining again but we all had good food and fun.
The local Super One grocery store's bakery made a great cake!
The "Crew"
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
More Hospice Butterflies
For the third year in a row, our local Hospice raised funds by having a release of monarch butterflies in memory of loved ones. I released two butterflies in memory of Dad from Mom and me. This event takes place in the garden at the Holiday Inn on Rainy River, near our house.
Friday, August 15, 2008
I've Been Workin' on the Railroad!
Well, not ME, personally, but Bruce and lots of his RR friends laid 80 feet of track in our back yard this summer for him to practice running his "Speeder" or Motorcar. Bruce is a member of NARCOA, the North Amreican Railcar Owners Association and there are lots of other people out there who enjoy this hobby!
The track was laid on two separate nights in late May and early June. The first night it rained, but they kept right on working!
And it's ALL DONE!
Here it is ... ON the track!!
The track was laid on two separate nights in late May and early June. The first night it rained, but they kept right on working!
And it's ALL DONE!
Here it is ... ON the track!!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
The Gospel of Beauty and Bounty
Sermon preached at Faith United Church, UCC, International Falls, MN
Scriptures: Genesis 1:9-13, Psalm 33:1-9 and Isaiah 55:10—56:2
Every other year the calendar cover reflects the theme for the upcoming General Synod. Next year Synod will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the theme is “Immerse Yourself.” This year’s calendar also has a quote at the top of each month. I read through them all and got an idea. In one way or another each quote relates to the wondrous creation God has given us to care for and enjoy. July’s was “Every day is Earth Day.”
I think it’s time for us to immerse ourselves in the beauty and bounty all around us on this beautiful planet, so I plan to preach another sermon series. This time it will be on the first Sunday of each month, based on the calendar quote for that month.
You’ll find the August quote on the front of your bulletin. It’s by Martin Luther who said, “God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on the trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
We live in such a beautiful area, and I know we appreciate it most of the time, but how often do we REALLY think about it, I wonder? A lot of people talk about how they feel closest to God in nature. For many years when I was asked to visualize the place I felt most at peace or closest to God, I would always go, in my mind’s eye, to Vesper Point at UCC Camp Cazadero in northern California. I had another intense experience of God’s presence on a bike-ride in the beautiful Napa Valley. Some people tell me they feel closest to God on Rainy Lake. A friend recently told me she has had lots of conversations with God while sitting in the woods in a deer stand. Some churches have even capitalized on the nature that surrounds them. I understand that Holladay UCC in Salt Lake City has a large window overlooking a beautiful mountain. Church of the Red Rocks, UCC, in Sedona, Arizona has windows across the whole area behind the altar so the congregation sees the view of the adjacent Red Rock formations during worship services.
So, whether they realize it or not, many people experience the gospel that is written on the trees, flowers, clouds, stars, rocks, soil, and in the glimpses of wild animals we see in the “great outdoors.” But what do we learn from that gospel?
In the beginning, and from the very beginning, the bible tells us that the earth, the seas, the stars, sky, sun, trees, flowers, plants and animals are glorious gifts from God, and the most important thing for us to remember from the first chapter of Genesis is that “God saw that it was good.” ALL of it was good! IS good. A little farther along in Genesis, God creates human beings and gives them “dominion” (which means “the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority.”[1]) over everything else God has created. Some people think that means they can do whatever they want, destroying, polluting, using the earth for their own selfish purposes without thinking about the consequences for everyone else living on the planet. Other people realize that with dominion comes an enormous responsibility for care and protection. It is our home, after all; we might want to consider preserving its delicate balance – its amazing ecosystem – so that humankind may continue living here for generations to come.
A couple of years ago St. Thomas Catholic church hosted what they called a “mission” for a week. Two visiting priests came to lead sessions that were open to anyone in the community who wanted to attend. Their theme was the earth and creation. One night they set up a “creation walk” in Aquinas Hall. A large spiral was laid out on the floor and we all had the opportunity to walk it. Along the way there were lighted candles and cards for us to read. The spiral represented the universe from the time it came into being over 50 billion years ago to the present. The cards explained when certain things happened, such as a star exploding and creating particular gasses which were then introduced into the earth’s atmosphere allowing grass to begin to grow, which provided food for cows who then began to live on our planet.
As we walked the spiral of the universe’s history, we started in the center and worked our way out. It was rather shocking, and humbling, to note that civilization as we know it came into existence about 4,000 years ago and represented an extremely small end portion of the spiral.
I don’t know about anyone else who was there, but I came away with a very clear – and to me, hopeful – message. That message was that our planet earth and our universe have been around so much longer than we have that I have the feeling the earth will not allow human beings to destroy it. I don’t know if that means the earth will cause the extinction of humankind, but it does make you wonder when there are destructive storms, tsunamis, floods and earthquakes, which are all natural occurrences in nature.
In our reading from the book of Isaiah – verses we usually hear during Advent – we are reminded that everything God created has a purpose. Rain and snow provide water for the earth so that plants grow and people can eat. God made this entire beautiful, bountiful, wondrous world so that we might live and experience joy.
We see that joy in the mountains and hills, trees, flowers, clouds, stars, rocks and waves, rivers, animals, sun and moon. We see that joy in a healthy creation, which it is our responsibility to maintain and cultivate for our own and future generations to thrive in and enjoy.
The psalmist calls all the earth to have great respect for God and for the inhabitants of the world to stand in awe of God. “For the Lord spoke, and it came to be; God commanded and it stood firm.”
The gospel of justice is written in nature and upon our precious earth as well as in human lives and situations. In Isaiah we read, “thus says the Lord: maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed. Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.”
So look upon what we call the natural wonders of the world and be inspired to preserve, conserve, love and enjoy. And I’m not just talking about natural wonders like the Grand Canyon or the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon. I’m talking about Rainy River, Rainy Lake, colorful sunsets, wildflowers and deliberately planted flowers in your home and yard, ducks and turtles sunning on the same log in the creek, a bald eagle standing sentinel in a tree, storm clouds and rain, Red Rocks and green grass, blue skies and autumn leaves.
It’s all there for us to enjoy, appreciate and preserve. The gospel of love and justice is written on everything we see. It’s time for us to pay attention and to love and care for the whole world, being reminded that “God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good.”[2] AMEN.
Scriptures: Genesis 1:9-13, Psalm 33:1-9 and Isaiah 55:10—56:2
The Gospel of Beauty and Bounty
“God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on the trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” – Martin Luther
This week I received my new UCC Desk Calendar and Plan Book. We get them each year in June and they run from July 1st through the next 18 months so schedules, weddings and other events can be planned ahead. They also contain a wealth of helpful information, phone numbers and addresses in the back for all sorts of UCC-related offices, Conferences, ministries and other important connections within our denomination. I usually begin using the new calendar on July 1, but with sabbatical and everything, Sherry just gave it to me just a few days ago.
Every other year the calendar cover reflects the theme for the upcoming General Synod. Next year Synod will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan and the theme is “Immerse Yourself.” This year’s calendar also has a quote at the top of each month. I read through them all and got an idea. In one way or another each quote relates to the wondrous creation God has given us to care for and enjoy. July’s was “Every day is Earth Day.”
I think it’s time for us to immerse ourselves in the beauty and bounty all around us on this beautiful planet, so I plan to preach another sermon series. This time it will be on the first Sunday of each month, based on the calendar quote for that month.
You’ll find the August quote on the front of your bulletin. It’s by Martin Luther who said, “God writes the gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on the trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
We live in such a beautiful area, and I know we appreciate it most of the time, but how often do we REALLY think about it, I wonder? A lot of people talk about how they feel closest to God in nature. For many years when I was asked to visualize the place I felt most at peace or closest to God, I would always go, in my mind’s eye, to Vesper Point at UCC Camp Cazadero in northern California. I had another intense experience of God’s presence on a bike-ride in the beautiful Napa Valley. Some people tell me they feel closest to God on Rainy Lake. A friend recently told me she has had lots of conversations with God while sitting in the woods in a deer stand. Some churches have even capitalized on the nature that surrounds them. I understand that Holladay UCC in Salt Lake City has a large window overlooking a beautiful mountain. Church of the Red Rocks, UCC, in Sedona, Arizona has windows across the whole area behind the altar so the congregation sees the view of the adjacent Red Rock formations during worship services.
So, whether they realize it or not, many people experience the gospel that is written on the trees, flowers, clouds, stars, rocks, soil, and in the glimpses of wild animals we see in the “great outdoors.” But what do we learn from that gospel?
In the beginning, and from the very beginning, the bible tells us that the earth, the seas, the stars, sky, sun, trees, flowers, plants and animals are glorious gifts from God, and the most important thing for us to remember from the first chapter of Genesis is that “God saw that it was good.” ALL of it was good! IS good. A little farther along in Genesis, God creates human beings and gives them “dominion” (which means “the power or right of governing and controlling; sovereign authority.”[1]) over everything else God has created. Some people think that means they can do whatever they want, destroying, polluting, using the earth for their own selfish purposes without thinking about the consequences for everyone else living on the planet. Other people realize that with dominion comes an enormous responsibility for care and protection. It is our home, after all; we might want to consider preserving its delicate balance – its amazing ecosystem – so that humankind may continue living here for generations to come.
A couple of years ago St. Thomas Catholic church hosted what they called a “mission” for a week. Two visiting priests came to lead sessions that were open to anyone in the community who wanted to attend. Their theme was the earth and creation. One night they set up a “creation walk” in Aquinas Hall. A large spiral was laid out on the floor and we all had the opportunity to walk it. Along the way there were lighted candles and cards for us to read. The spiral represented the universe from the time it came into being over 50 billion years ago to the present. The cards explained when certain things happened, such as a star exploding and creating particular gasses which were then introduced into the earth’s atmosphere allowing grass to begin to grow, which provided food for cows who then began to live on our planet.
As we walked the spiral of the universe’s history, we started in the center and worked our way out. It was rather shocking, and humbling, to note that civilization as we know it came into existence about 4,000 years ago and represented an extremely small end portion of the spiral.
I don’t know about anyone else who was there, but I came away with a very clear – and to me, hopeful – message. That message was that our planet earth and our universe have been around so much longer than we have that I have the feeling the earth will not allow human beings to destroy it. I don’t know if that means the earth will cause the extinction of humankind, but it does make you wonder when there are destructive storms, tsunamis, floods and earthquakes, which are all natural occurrences in nature.
In our reading from the book of Isaiah – verses we usually hear during Advent – we are reminded that everything God created has a purpose. Rain and snow provide water for the earth so that plants grow and people can eat. God made this entire beautiful, bountiful, wondrous world so that we might live and experience joy.
We see that joy in the mountains and hills, trees, flowers, clouds, stars, rocks and waves, rivers, animals, sun and moon. We see that joy in a healthy creation, which it is our responsibility to maintain and cultivate for our own and future generations to thrive in and enjoy.
The psalmist calls all the earth to have great respect for God and for the inhabitants of the world to stand in awe of God. “For the Lord spoke, and it came to be; God commanded and it stood firm.”
The gospel of justice is written in nature and upon our precious earth as well as in human lives and situations. In Isaiah we read, “thus says the Lord: maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come and my deliverance be revealed. Happy is the mortal who does this, the one who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and refrains from doing any evil.”
So look upon what we call the natural wonders of the world and be inspired to preserve, conserve, love and enjoy. And I’m not just talking about natural wonders like the Grand Canyon or the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon. I’m talking about Rainy River, Rainy Lake, colorful sunsets, wildflowers and deliberately planted flowers in your home and yard, ducks and turtles sunning on the same log in the creek, a bald eagle standing sentinel in a tree, storm clouds and rain, Red Rocks and green grass, blue skies and autumn leaves.
It’s all there for us to enjoy, appreciate and preserve. The gospel of love and justice is written on everything we see. It’s time for us to pay attention and to love and care for the whole world, being reminded that “God saw everything that [God] had made, and indeed, it was very good.”[2] AMEN.
Endnotes
1. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dominion
2. Genesis 1:31, NRSV.
2. Genesis 1:31, NRSV.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sigh ... It's July!
A little more time at home to read and recover from jarring my back out of alignment in a fall just before the last trip to Arizona.
A deer rested one morning in the tall grass beside the creek that runs along the side of our yard.
The fawns and baby ducks are growing...
... and a Bald Eagle stood sentinel in a tree across the creek, harrassed by a couple of crows.
I enjoyed 4th of July festivities in the Falls where the fish were biting busily as usual at the church's Kids' Fishing Booth.
We saw our friend Molly in her new apartment in Rochester, along with some amazing clouds announcing a brief, strong storm.
As sabbath rest time comes to a close we celebrated 34 years of marriage ("it only feels like 32!") ...
... and we were gifted with more gorgeous July sunsets on Rainy River.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Arizona Summer
By the middle of June, Phoenix gets up to at least 115 degrees. This is one way to entertain the children...
My friend Erica from California met me in Phoenix where we spent 4 fun days with her daughter Melanie and grandsons. I was Mel's confirmaton sponsor at First Congregational UCC in Stockton - only a few years ago, right?
I nearly overheated when we took the boys to enjoy the water play, but we went to a grocery store & got bottled water. By the time our shopping was finished I paid for an empty bottle at the cash register! I was revived and remembered to carry my water bottle with me after that!
Good friends ... good times!
On Friday I spent a few hours with Becky and she took me to catch the Sedona shuttle again. Back to the Iris Garden Inn and the Summer Solstice Reiki Master class.
Our classes meet in the Mount Kurama Room at Infinite Light Healing Studies Center and Peace Place. It's the most wonderful space - calm and peaceful with an almost full-wall photo of Mount Kurama in Japan where Makao Usui made a pilgrimage/retreat and received the vision and instructioons and gift of Reiki.
In each class I have learned so much. I am re-energized and ready to teach Reiki to people around the International Falls area and reminded once again how well Reiki and my ministry are and can be intertwined. There is much to offer ... to those who are open to being amazed!
After class I had a free day and decided to see some of the sights. When I was first in Sedona for the Reiki drumming class (see January, 2007 blog entry, "Pink Jeeps") I took a Pink Jeep tour on the Broken Arrow Trail. This time I decided to take the Scenic Rim Tour, which was also spectacular!
Our Pink Jeep climbed the rim of the valley in which Sedona is nestled and we enjoyed the stunning red rocks and sweeping vistas that are not quite like anywhere else.
After a last lunch at my favorite restaurant, the Cowboy Club (see previous entries) I caught Sedona's free shuttle, the Roadrunner...
and visited some of the shops and galleries on the highway outside of "Uptown." The first stop was Tlaquepaque (pronounced Tlock-a-pocky) which one shop clerk told me tourists think should be called "Lock-Your-Pocket." Lovely Spanish-style architecture with lots of courtyards, specialty shops and Mexican restaurants.
Then it was on to Hilltop where I enjoyed more outdoor art and a cool fruit smoothie at an Italian dessert shop.
Next morning I had the same shuttle driver back to Phoenixx airport that I had to Sedona on my May trip. His daughter-in-law's siblings went to high school with my kids, so we had an enjoyable ride and talk. An uneventful trip brought me home, once again, to the northland.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Jesus in the Clouds
When I arrived at Minneapolis airport on my way home from Arizona last month I received an e-mail message on my BlackBerry from Becky (see "Climate Change" and "Arizona Ducks") with the bad news that Steve has a cancerous tumor on the floor of his mouth. Surgical procedures, radiation and chemo are the scary, no-fun events in their immediate future.
So, tonight it's raining (again) and I'm watchiing the cloud formations and rain and IM'ing (instant messaging) with Becky. She covets all our rain, since they don't get much real rain in Phoenix. I decided I would take some pictures and send her some rain via cyberspace.
I went out on the deck and quickly snapped a few pictures becaues the rain was really coming down in one spot across Rainy River and over or beyond Fort Frances, Ontario.
Often when I transfer my pictures from camera to computer I see things I missed when taking the pictures. This was one of those times.
Think "traditional" picture of Jesus you see in church fellowship halls and Christian bookstores ...
As soon as the pictures were on the computer I saw it and I was amazed! Here's the close-up ...
... can you see the hair, eyebrows, nose and cheeks?
It's not the same as "Miracle Toast", this one truly startled me because I saw it the instant the picture came up on the laptop screen.
Sometimes we need a little miracle. Sometimes we need reassurance. Sometimes we need a message.
I assumed this message was for Becky (and Steve) since I took the pictures for her. But I suspect it was for me as well.
It's a message for all of us, whether we can see the picture in the clouds or not. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves me. God's gracious, loving presence is always with us ... no matter who we are or where we are on life's journey.
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