Dear [Parishioner I talked with this week],
When we talked early in the morning yesterday, I mentioned to you there was a new word in a poem by Thomas McGrath I’ve been reading. The word? Bewilderness! I loved it and so did you. Why do we love it so?
I think it captures the spirit of the times. We see things changing and it’s hard not to feel, well, bewildered. And thus, we find ourselves in…well…. bewilderness!
Things change, in church, in society, in business, in entertainment, in news and it’s all – bewilderness. We all feel a bit thrown off course.
Yesterday, I read something written by a friend of mine in the UK. He wrote about reading something by Otto Scharmer (an author I’ve found interesting): “One of the vital things we need within the unravelling of our world is ‘small circles of radical presence’ that can ‘tend the flame’ of attention, courage, and maybe even hope (maybe).”
I think of you as working to create small circles tending the flame. Thank you. And I hope the church (both big “C” and little “c”) can be such a place. It is the church rising to the occasion. As we move closer to Pentecost “tending the flame” takes on all sorts of connotations: “tending the flame of the spirit,” “growing the energy/fire we have,” even thinking about how the flames of the spirit can burn away that which tears us down, as sure as the mists of morning vanish before the light of the sun.
We are living in days of bewilderness, but it doesn’t mean we have to just wander around in isolation. We can gather together. We can sing. We can celebrate (as we did last week the graduates from high school in our parish). We can pray, listen to stories and more.
By the way – this Sunday (June 1st) is going to be a very special one. The musician, pianist Ken Medema, is going to be with us. Watch him on YouTube and you can see how much fun we will have with him in worship on Sunday and then in a concert at First Church at 4pm on Sunday.
Not only that, we are welcoming our Duke Divinity Intern Jalen Garza back with us this Sunday, too. It will be grand all the way around.
Keep tellin’ the Story,
Mike
Here’s a little taste of Ken Medema which shows you a bit of his talent, wit and musicianship!
Here are the four takeaways from this week’s Loop:
- A newly created word from a poet seems to speak to this moment.
- Small circles of radical presence can tend the flames we need in our lives and in our world.
- We don’t have to wander around in isolation.
- Old friend Jalen Garza, and new friend Ken Medema are joining us in worship this Sunday!