We all seem ripe for a blessing of peace this week. As the days and our hearts feel heavy with the weight of all of the painful events of these past months, as we make our best efforts to enter into fall and the new school year, may we all know the peace of Christ that passes all understanding.

Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ
Of Christ, Of Christ, the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you

Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ
Of Christ, of Christ, the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you.

            John Rutter

Gaelic Blessing

View video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qvMFlL62XA

Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

Here are some Scripture prayers that we can all pray for each other as we persevere under challenging pandemic circumstances - beginning a new school year, juggling work and home needs, dealing with loneliness, depression, exhaustion, health issues, fears, irritability and weariness. Take heart, from Eugene Peterson's The Message:

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.  
                                     Colossians 1

Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you. If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there; If you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.
                                    Psalm 34:17-18

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.  
                                 1 Corinthians 13:13

Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him in the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.  
                                    James 5:10-11

Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

Out of words myself this week, I relish these poems from Christian writer of poetry and essays Luci Shaw at age 91, in her new book The Generosity. She reflects on this anxious time which we find ourselves, reminding us that the Spirit has us tethered…
 
VIRUS
 
The absurdity of a world
on its knees, behind its doors,
whose fingers, even, may be traitors
and whose breath, created for living,
may breed death. Its instruction:
Split up. Stay apart. This is now
The ultimate act of friendship.
 
Like the moon of light at the bottom
of the well, hope shines small,
But if we stay, head over edge,
we may watch the deep water shimmer
with supple possibilities. At noon
a pale sun shines, telling us
we may still live in the light.
 
HOW?
 
How shall we sing the Lord’s songs
in a strange land? The old rhythms,
the melodies of praise, strangle
in our throats and the words
fall to the ground like leaves in autumn.
The air thickens with suspicion and doubt
and who’s to say anymore, what
is true enough to last, to prevail?
 
Isolation feels like a punishment
for offenses we never performed.
 
Let us trust, now the ground under
our feet—that which has proven steady
for generations. Look up. The heavens
are still there unclouded beatific.
We breathe, even though masks clothe
our faces. Prayer surrounds us, close
as our skin, weaving for us garments of
trust and solace. Even in our isolation
we are joined in love, never alone.
 
Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

My race/antiracist reading list this summer includes some of the usual suspects (Caste by Isabel Wilkerson and How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram Kendi, among others). But just as crucially, I’ve been spending time with Mildred D. Taylor’s Logan family. Outspoken, whip-smart Cassie Logan entered my girls’ life in the fourth grade, when they first discovered her story in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. Unusually for Depression-era Mississippi, Cassie’s tightly-knit Black family owned their land, and the book tells of a year when they fought to keep it. I adore Cassie and her brothers, their no-nonsense grandma and their wise, thoughtful parents. I remember the girls’ extensive classroom discussions about racism, and it was also important for them to encounter a Black protagonist who was not a slave.

 We also read and loved Taylor’s powerful sequel, Let the Circle Be Unbroken. I’ve reread both books this summer, and they are as rich and compelling now as they were years ago. But there’s more to their story, and I’ve been relishing and learning from the new-to-me chapters of the Logan family saga. Taylor’s 2001 prequel, The Land, chronicles the childhood of Cassie’s biracial grandfather, Paul-Edward Logan, and his quest to acquire his own land. Born to a plantation owner and a slave woman, Paul-Edward has to reckon with his heritage and make his own way, and he does both with strength and spirit. I also picked up The Road to Memphis, which follows the teenage Cassie, her brother Stacey and several friends as they spirit a friend out of town after a racially charged altercation with three white men. (Bonus: the reissued paperbacks feature covers by 2020 Caldecott Medalist Kadir Nelson, who recently illustrated a New Yorker cover featuring George Floyd.) 

 Taylor’s concluding Logan novel, All the Days Past, All the Days to Come, picks up Cassie’s story in adulthood. She travels the country as part of the postwar Great Migration, finds both love and grief in California, and goes back home to Mississippi to participate in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Taylor returns to her perennial themes of justice, equality, fierce pride and the Logans’ deep love for their land and one another. If you and your family are looking for great read-aloud books, Mildred Taylor will stir your hearts about the painful black experience in America.

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. — Jeremiah 17:7-8

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 5:3

Most of us want to be independent, resourceful, and resilient. We prefer to be the ones who help others, rather than need help ourselves. When Jesus says happy and to be congratulated are those who find it hard to make life work sometimes, it all sounds counter-intuitive. And that’s true – so much of what Jesus teaches goes against what we think is usually the case.

Interestingly, the words of Jesus in Luke are not so much about those who are “poor in spirit,” and struggling with guilt, or feeling inadequate, or anxious about problems too hard to solve, or low in spirits. Luke’s Beatitude says “Blessed are you who are poor,” and by that he means those who don’t have enough money or enough to eat. But that lack of material security also causes poverty in spirit, anxiety about tomorrow, feelings of injustice and just the struggle to keep hoping.

One way or another, we’ve all been in places and times when our own resources are not enough. We may even feel that blessing has passed us by, God’s interests are elsewhere. Jesus’ words make a promise. When we are at our lowest, God is there, in strength, in grace, and in the power of a love that understands those deep longings we all have, for life to be fruitful, and for hope to pull us forward.

“For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” is not a promise of something better, sometime; both Matthew and Luke promise that when we are at our lowest, ours is the Kingdom of heaven. Like treasure discovered in a field, God will not leave us bankrupt. Like seed growing on good ground, fruit will grow out of our lives; like a mustard seed growing into a tree that shelters the birds, so is our faith - and so is God’s kingdom in our hearts.

Blessed are the poor in Spirit… When we reach the place where we run out of resources, ideas, and solutions, we never run out of God’s love for us, or God’s grace to help us. The kingdom of heaven is that place in our lives where we trust God to care for us no matter what. And no matter what, He does…for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
 
Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

A kind of weariness has caught up with me this week. (I am on a few days of much-needed vacation). In many ways my life has been nonstop engagement and adaptation since mid-March. Four months later my corner of the world has adapted to the limitations of pandemic. My patients and our congregation I serve are all on Zoom, all the time with the understanding that we will not gather in person again until it is safe for every one of us. This week it has finally hit me, though. Now in these quieter days of summer there is time for me to feel the feelings for myself. Over and over again, I have told people to be gentle with themselves because pandemic magnifies our vulnerabilities. Time to heed my own words.

I read Jacob’s words in Genesis, “Surely, the Lord is in this place – and I did not know it!” and realize I could say nearly the same thing. Yes, God is in this place, this time of pandemic. I know this is true, and yet, I often forget the power of this truth. Those angels ascending and descending in Jacob’s dream are a lovely metaphor for God’s continued work in the world. God moves through the world, through us, in ways we seldom grasp in the moment. Our failure to notice God does not negate God’s presence, God’s works of love.

Too many of us are simply waiting for pandemic to be over. Too many are already acting as if COVID-19 is not real and poses no threat. Too many of us are not considering how our actions might affect others. We are so desperate to “return to normal” that we are not attending to what God might be asking of us in this very moment. Yes, it’s hard to be without direct human contact. Yes, it’s hard to avoid crowds. Yes, it’s hard to be without a variety of things we have taken for granted. And it is harder for those who don’t have the option of working from home, those who rely on public transportation, those who work in healthcare, and teachers being asked to go back into classrooms, and many others who cannot distance themselves from others due to circumstances. The reality is that pandemic is hard for all of us in different ways. Pretending that everything is “normal” also gets in the way of recognizing the movement of the Spirit.
 
Psalm 139 reminds us that there is no place we can go where God is not already there. Even in pandemic, God is with us, waiting for us to notice. Right now, God is sowing seeds of goodness, grace, love, forgiveness – seeds of the Kingdom – throughout the world and among us. We know there are those who sow seeds of fear, hatred, division, and violence. Our focus ought to be nurturing the seeds of God’s realm, making sure these seeds grow and bear fruit. While we cannot necessarily remove the other things, we can choose not to nurture them, not to strengthen them, not to let them grow in our lives or in our communities. We don’t need to worry about saving souls; God has that covered. We need to focus on saving lives. We need to do everything in our power to prevent the worsening of this pandemic – everything from adhering to the basics such as wearing a mask and physically distancing to the more complicated decisions of how and when to safely meet in person. In addition, we can fiercely advocate for those who often go unheard and unseen and devalued by those with decision-making power. And we can choose to stop making judgments about how other people are coping with pandemic; most people do the best they can with what they have.
 
Surely, God is in this with us! Even in the moments when we forget or fail to notice, God is present and moving in the world. May we trust God’s presence enough to act with loving-kindness toward ourselves, our neighbors, and the whole of Creation.
 
Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation

Skillful Savior, as you build your church from the entire human race, you gather in sinful, broken people who long for your Kingdom. You take us as individuals and build us into so much more than we could ever be on our own—a spiritual house, a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. May your beautiful church flourish everywhere!

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

In Luke 5, Jesus directed Simon Peter to go out “for a catch” at a time when they all knew was not a good time to catch fish. Peter and the other fishermen had been up all night without catching anything and just wanted to go home. They were washing their nets because they were done working for the day. They were tired, stinky and hungry. But Jesus didn’t tell Peter, okay, it’s fine, we’ll go out another time when it’s a better time of day, when you have regained your strength. No, Jesus wanted them to go out midday, in the hot sun, when fish aren’t biting because they are way down deep in the waters. Jesus told Peter to go out into the deep waters and let their nets down there. Jesus wanted them to go way out in the deep because there is where they could catch the most fish. There is where the miracles happen, in the deep waters, far away from the comforts of the shore. 

 Peter didn’t want to do it, but he obeyed because Jesus asked him to. Peter replied to Jesus, “because you say so, I will do it.” And boy was he glad that he did. They let down their nets in those deep waters and caught so many fish that their nets were breaking! They needed their other partners, the other fishermen close by to help them bring in the abundance of fish, so many fish that their nets were breaking too. They were all witnessing this miracle right in front of their eyes. Afterwards, Peter fell to his knees in front of Jesus to confess that he hadn’t really believed Jesus could do this miracle for them. But Jesus, full of grace, mercy and compassion told Peter, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 

 In this pandemic, are we afraid to step out into any calling or assignment God has for us? Are we willing to leave some things behind to follow Jesus? Have we been asked to do something that we do not understand and do not feel equipped to do in your own strength? We may all feel tired or stinky or hungry. We cannot imagine doing one more thing, letting down one more net. Let’s confess those things to the Lord and ask Him to give us faith that believes in things not seen. Let’s pray and ask for His supernatural strength to accomplish things we cannot do in our own strength. Let’s ask God to help our unbelief as we rely on Him and His word to “let down our nets” for this next season of ministry while we are not gathered on the church campus. Do we trust Him for another catch and can we watch Him do abundantly more than we could have ever dreamed or hoped for?

 Because you say so, Jesus, we will listen. Jesus calls each of us, where we are, in whatever situation we find ourselves, and he invites us to use our entire being to bring hope and healing into the world. For some it’s letting go of insecurity and doubt, for others it’s letting go of ego, and for others it’s trusting their own voice to speak up for others. Because you say so, Jesus…

Grace and peace,

Anita Sorenson

Pastor for Spiritual Formation

A while back I read a quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer that has become the basis for my prayers lately. Bonhoeffer said,

"May God in His mercy lead us through these times; but above all, may He lead us to Himself."
 
Times like these can test us. They can test the depths of our faith and may force us to ask deep questions about our walk with Christ. Has fear of the virus or the economic changes it has brought caused fear to shake our trust in Jesus? Or have you been surprised to find your faith is greater than you had previously thought; that the years of time in God's Word and prayer, of faithfully walking with Him day-by-day have resulted in a foundation of trust that is not being shaken? Or maybe you're somewhere in between. As Bonhoeffer said, we can make a choice at any point in life to ask God to "lead us to Himself" and filter how we see life and our current circumstances through His lens of faith. 
 
How about you? Where are you at right now? We are all at different phases in our spiritual journey and in our life situations, and it's fine wherever you're at.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
 
Grace and peace,
Anita Sorenson
Pastor for Spiritual Formation