Day 3: Barefoot Walking

Slide Day 3 – The third week of our look at Celtic Christianity, as guided by Philip Newell’s The Book of Creation. (pp. 33-47)..

The focus for day 3 is looking at how God is a generous God.

The Celts see this generosity displayed through a connection between the gift of creation and the gift of God’s grace.

Emerging with this chapter of Newell’s The book of Creation, are themes echoed on the approaching Earth Day as well as themes lifted up in the national movement for pay raises.

There are challenges as we would hope and expect.

What I love about being in a community of faith is that we don’t have to shy away from challenges, but instead can listen with our own ears and share from our own perspectives what we are hearing.

There is a three level movement in this sermon.

The first is our connection with Creation.

The second, considering how this connection with creation results in the way we treat one another.

And the third, how the gift of creation relates to the gift of grace.

Let’s see what moves in us...

First: Our connection with Creation.

As many of you know, Trasie and I spent 7 brown and cold springs in the high desert of New Mexico before moving back to our home of Georgia…,

it's so wonderful to be back in the south for Spring

Greening all around. plants bursting forth!

The colors on the flowering trees!

breathe in the freshness—as long as you don’t have allergies

[SLIDE TWO VIDEO: IN case our experience of this spring has been damped a bit by recent rain, I came across a brief time lapse video of Nature bursting into Spring…

check it out.  ]

I absolutely love it.

Creation: God’s word spoken! as we see in Genesis.

What does it mean for us that God Spoke everything into being? Do we believe this?

“All things have come into being through the Word,” says the gospel of John.

The celts affirm all things at heart are a birth or embodiment of God’s word- Christ.

On day three seeds planted deep within the earth--fruit-bearing life hidden within…burst forth.

A clear sign of an abundance of growth and potential.

Born of God, “God saw all the life springing forth from the ground, and said,

It’s all good.’

Goodness is not just a characteristic…

goodness is the very source of life.

Goodness is the essence of life

Our lives and all of creation come from that which is good;

and therefore in essence are good as well.  

Everything and every person in essence is good?

Day 2 - Born to be Wild

Chapter 2 - Day 2 (Much of what is sighted here is adapted or directly quoted from Philip Newell’s: The Book of Creation..)

SLIDE: Genesis 1: 6-8 -  (as Translated by J. Philip Newell in Celtic Benediction)

"On the second day the storm kept stirring. It was the wind of new beginnings. God was

saying, “let there be a space for creation.” And the wind carved out a hollow in the deep

waters. It was a cradle for life. Above, beneath and on every side of it were the everlasting

waters. God saw that it was good. It was a place for birth and abundance. And there was

evening and morning, creation’s second day.  

Wild. When’s the last time you used the word wild....? In what context?

- to describe someone’s hair?

- a car ride

- a travel adventure

-  a tattoo  

-  the behavior of a three year old?

SLIDE: STEPPENWOLF

- maybe you were just singing along to a song on the radio...  

Like a true nature child

We were born

Born to be wild

We can climb so high

I never wanna die

Born to be wild

Born to be wild?

Believe it or not, Steppenwolf‘s not far from the aspect of Celtic spirituality we are going to talk about today...

This is week two of what will be our seven week look at Celtic spirituality, during Eastertide.

I feel qualified to talk about Celtic Spirituality because, I’ve seen Braveheart! And more importantly, fortunately there are many good teachers out there about the Celtic Tradition.

One of whom [SLIDE: J. PHILIP NEWELL And The book of J. Philip Newell entitled: The Book of Creation: An Introduction to Celtic Spirituality.  will be our guide]

I met Philip Newell about 7 years ago, and was immediately impressed by his work...

- an evangelist of Celtic Christianity which has come out of primarily the Islands of Great Britain, he hopes to offer a different perspective of Christianity from the the more influential  theologies of Rome and Western Europe,

- He believes it is necessary and helpful

And in reading, talking with, and hearing Newell, I’ve found that, the Celtic perspective to be a breath of fresh air in my own faith seeking understanding.

You may find the same...

Today’s focus--on Wildness! is just another example as to why.

Last week, day 1, God spoke light into existence, a light within, over, behind, beyond all things. The light that shines from all of creation; and Peggy, you captured this beautifully in your testimony last week as you described discovering the light within.  It’s not that foriegn of a concept, perhaps because we know it to already be true.

This week, Day 2 - Wildness of God.

Summer Rest and Stillness - Gen 2, Luke 10

Commerce Presbyterian Church, Commerce, GA

June 22, 2014  

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42; Genesis 2:1-3

Summer Rest and Stillness

I have selected two Biblical passages which speak of rest and stillness:

The passage from Genesis, the creation story, in which on day 7, God Rested.

And the passage from Luke which paints the scene of Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet.  

We begin with Genesis (a play on words):

God was busy about creating all that is in six days, and on the seventh..God rested.

Does it surprise you that God rested?

What do you envision when you think of God resting?

What did God do that day?  

Go to the golf course?

Spend a morning in church?

Walk in the majestic sanctuary of the great outdoors perhaps?  

Stroll along any of the recently created pristine beach shores…ahhh

On Day 7, God rested.  

Maybe God did nothing...for an entire day…

I wonder if God rested just on that one day, as it was God’s last chance.

It would only be a matter of time before the troubled human creatures would begin to bombard God with never ending petitions and problems.  

So, after passionately creating days 1-6, On Day 7 God rested.   

One of my teachers, Church of Scotland Minister, J. Philip Newell suggests God resting reflects a notion that stillness is part of ongoing creativity.  (All Newell references are from his book, The Book of Creation, Chapter 7)

Creativity is linked to rest.  

In the story of Creation we find a pattern of activity and rest:

“there was evening and there was morning...the third day...”

“The energy and creativity of the daytime emerge from the dark stillness and restfulness of the night”. (102)

The Celtic tradition seeks to find meaning and understanding by listening to and following the rhythms and patterns of nature:

We know these patterns....

Night is followed by day

sleeping by waking

Winter’s stillness, followed by spring’s energy and blossom.

A still seed when planted, followed by an emerging tomato plant, that eventually produces large juicy tomatoes, we hope.

Plants and creatures seem to understand the patterns of rest and vitality...seem bound by them in some ways

How well do we 21st century humans--created on Day 6, along with cattle--

How well do we sync with nature’s patterns of rest and stillness?  

What is our attitude toward rest as a society?  

In many ways we seem to resist it:

- We have access to energy and light 24/7.  

- Interestingly, as a global society we consume over 2.25 billion cups of coffee every day;

not to mention any variety of the latest and greatest energy drink.  

Is rest encouraged?

I certainly try to encourage my two year old to rest during the day. It’s getting more and more difficult these days as she’s discovering how much she might miss out on if she takes a nap!

With the five year old...forget it, days of napping are long gone!

As an adult, I find it unusual to be encouraged to get some rest….

Some time ago I visited a Monastery near where we lived in New Mexico; and upon my arrival in the morning, the guest master asked if I cared for a room in order to lie down and rest...

Taken aback by the suggestion, I quickly declined the offer....

I had things I had to do....I didn’t have time to rest…

On Day 7, God rested..

Day 7 - Chill...Be still and Know That I am God

Scripture: Luke 10:38-42;
Genesis 2:1-3

Theme: Stillness and Rest.
Prayer:

Thanks be to Thee, O God, that I have risen today,
To the rising of this life itself;
May it be to Thine own glory, O God of every gift,
And to the glory of my soul likewise.

O great God, aid Thou my soul
With the aiding of Thine own mercy;
Even as I clothe my body with wool,
Cover Thou my soul with the shadow of Thy wing.

Help me to avoid every sin,
And the source of every sin to forsake;
And as the mist scatters on the crest of the hills,
May each ill haze clear from my soul, O God.


On Day 7 God Rested.
On Day 7 God Rested.

Sounds like a pretty good idea.  
Could any of you use some rest?

What do you envision when you think of God resting?

A day on the golf course?
Did it include a morning in church?
Maybe God went to one of any of the recently created beach shores?
Back then there would have been no developments, no vendors, just pure sand, silent breezes, and crashing waves.
What picture do you have of God resting?

Day 4 - Harmony

Scripture: Genesis 1:14-19
Theme: This morning’s sermon considers the Celtic practice of venerating the lights of the sky; and how such a practice might lead to a deeper self understanding of ourselves and of God.

I think the first song Ruby memorized was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...much thanks to Dora, believe it or not, for that one.

Fascination, joy, appreciation, awe,
celebration of the lights of the sky: the sun, moon and the stars,
This is what Day 4 of creation in Genesis is all about.

“The unbridled wind of God’s creativity gives birth...now to the lights of the skies.  
The sun, moon, and stars, in their harmonies of movement and light, are further theophanies or [ways in which God is revealed].
Shining out of the darkness of space they express something of the inexpressible.  
“there is no speech, nor are their words,’ says the Psalmist,
‘yet their voice goes out through all the earth.’  (p. 51)

We are on week four of our look at Celtic Christianity as guided by a Minister in the CHurch of Scotland: Philip Newell.
On Day 4:
The sun by day and the moon and stars by night declare the mystery of God.

And the simple question that Newell asks is: What is it that they are saying?

Hmm: Have you ever wondered what the sun and moon are saying?

Like all that has been created, they have been spoken into being by God’s Word.
To not listen to them is ignore the self-disclosure of God. (p.52)

What do the sun and moon say?

    For this answer Newell looks to the Celtic tradition.
And there, Newell takes us in the direction of human sexuality!  

Creation Day 2 - Born to Be Wild

Wild God, restore to your people a sense of Wildness! 

Genesis 2 and 3 - Where are You?

Genesis 2-3 Selected verses - Where are you?

Turn to someone sitting near by you and ask:
Where is God? Answers?

How many times in this past week did you wonder: Where is God? What were the circumstances? Of course, this question presumes that God exists. That there is something behind and within all that is.  It bears some inkling that God is out there somewhere; from beyond ourselves we have been given our life and meaning. But when circumstances in life lead us to wonder: what is our purpose? What are we here for? We may wonder: Where is God?

And when there is no confirmation or satisfactory answer to this question: Where is God? It may be easy to take a second step, which is to dismiss the notion of God's existence all together. "Where is God" becomes "There is no God," or maybe less overtly, "we all alone spinning around on this third rock from the sun."  And once that notion becomes our most prevalent thought...
Oh, it’s on.  Let the rat race begin.

Throughout human history, once humans had any kind of language--”that vast symbol system in which sounds in the air stand in for actions, feelings, relationships and instruction” (L. Rasmussen) Whooo, you should have heard Trasie’s sounds fill the air yesterday when Ruby Gene took off running out of the yard and into the street!  Once humans had language with which to express themselves, this combined with human developing a capacity to think beyond the present moment--You may say I’m a dreamer...but I’m not the only one. An ability to detach from our present reality it “in order to envision and create other worlds, or imagine different pasts and altered futures, with different ways to achieve them.” (L. Rasmussen) 

For the Love of Creation for the Love of God- Genesis 1

Genesis 1 - 2:3

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Santa Fe

What better way to begin a story, than with the story of Creation; full of intrigue and majesty, Genesis Chapter one has not been without scrutiny and controversy.  By no choice of its own, it is been brought in to do battle against disciples of Charles Darwin?  It has caused many to wonder, “Did God’ create the world in a literal seven days, or can we explain it away by saying a day is like a thousand days to God.”

I once had an intelligent Christian pastor suggest that God put dinosaur bones in the earth at creation, that’s why we dig them up. Not because they actually existed billions of years ago.  We have vivid imaginations.

Let us use our imaginations, and rather than reduce this Creation story to popular spheres of debate, instead open our hearts to new ways of understanding it within its original context as well as our world today.  

Throughout time, every civilization that’s ever existed has had a story of how it all began. We’ve always wanted to know, where did we come from?  Why are we here? So, what does our Ancient Sacred story tell us about who we are and who God is?

Readers you may take your places. (Readers space themselves in 7 designated places in the sanctuary to represent the seven days as space in the temple.

Enter into God’s cosmic temple.  (The following is from William P. Brown’s, The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder)

In seven days God created.  Structurally, these seven days take on a certain symmetry

Day 1 - light;   Day 4 - Lights

Day 2 - Sky and waters; Day 5 - birds and marine life

Day 3- Land vegetation; Day 6 - land animals, humans, food.

And Day seven, The day God declares creation holy.  the day God rests.  

As creation unfolds daily, it becomes constructed in the very model of the ancient Hebrew temple.  The first six days establish the architectural boundaries of sacred space. The last day inhabits, as it were the most holy space- God rests in the holy of holies in the temple.  a portico, a nave, and a the place of the holy of holies. “What took Solomn seven years to complete, God took only seven days, and on a cosmic scale!”  

Seven. God "saw" and pronounced creation "good" seven times;

"earth" or "land" the same word in Hebrew appears 21 times (7x3) "God" is repeated 35 times.

Verse 1 has seven words in Hebrew. Verse 2 - 14. The total number of words from genesis 1:1-2:3 is 469 in Hebrew. 7x67. How many times are we to forgive. 7x 70. times.  the perfectly odd integer. Seven connotes a ritual sense of completion or fulfillment.

The readers will alternate days in Spanish and then English.  You may follow along in your pew bibles on page 1.  

I dropped her

And now I can't sleep. Well, I can't sleep for other reasons, too: not enough exercise, things on my mind. But yes, I dropped her. She was sitting in my lap as we lay on the bed together. I heard her stomach start to rumble a bit, so I decided to adjust the spit up rag. I lifted it to straighten it out...and next thing I know her weight shifts and her face is heading straight for the mattress. I react as quickly as I can, but too late. She has fallen about 4 inches, well more with momentum, as her face started about 15 inches from the bed. And yes she did a face plant. She looked at me, her face turned red, and then it squinched up, and her eyes said, "Why, Daddy? Why?" She began to cry. I lifted her into my arms and held her close and told her I was sorry. I stood up out of bed, and began to sway and walk around...trying to comfort her. She calmed down, but when I lay back down in bed with her in the same position as before-one we both know well and one that had previously been safe-she again squinched up her face , it turned red and her mouth openned so I could see her tonsels and she squelched her raspy cry. Wheee Whee Whee.

It was never my intention, and I felt so bad. At three months has gained strength and is less easy to control. It is easy to see how free will can create so many problems. She, unknowingly, exercised her new ablility to move in new ways. And, in the past when I have seen her sway one way or another on my lap, I catch her. This time, I missed it. How does this relate to the Creator and Creature? Are we allowed to fall flat on our faces? How many times have we been caught before we fall? Are some falls are more harsh than others? And then are we lifted up and swayed and soothed until we can be at peace again?