August 8, 2008

Function Junction.  The name sounded like a mathematics segment on Sesame Street.  But it is a place located about two miles away from Whistler, British Columbia, Canada (which will be the sight of the skiing and sledding sports for the 2010 Winter Olympics). 

We came to Whistler because it is at the end of the line of the Whistler Mountaineer – a train ride (of course!) from Vancouver.  The scenery is gorgeous – along the coastal mountains, a fjord, sounds, inlets and bays, and rivers and waterfalls.  At several points the train slowed to a crawl (staff called it “Kodak speed”) for especially picturesque spots. 

Whistler is a resort area – shops, restaurants, and hotels – and flowers were blooming nearly everywhere.  Some of the streets are for pedestrian traffic only.  There were a great many people there.  Youth on mountain bikes (using the ski trails?), families preparing for ATV tours or a gondola up one of the mountains (only one of the four were operating), and lots of people wandering in shops and restaurants.  

Function Junction is the name given to the support services for Whistler proper: land fill, sewage treatment, staff housing, warehousing for shop and restaurant supplies – all the things that the guests don’t need to see.  Out of sight, out of mind!

This was a huge contrast to walking about in Vancouver – a city that is 60% housing, and large numbers of pleasant people about whenever we have been outside.  We saw homeless people at the edge of a large park, a ragged woman on the sidewalk hungrily shoving some food from a Styrofoam container into her mouth, a grimy man half asleep with a few coins in a cup near his hand. 

Do we compartmentalize our lives and awareness like the Town of Whistler so that we do not have to be aware of the unpleasant? The Gospel calls us to engage the world and the needs of others. That does not mean we have respond to each and every need, but it means that we cannot relegate the vast needs to the corners of our awareness. What we do for the least and the lost, we are told, we do to Jesus. And even more damning is the reminder that what we do not do for the least and the lost we have not done for Jesus.

13 August 2008

The rays of the rising sun bounce off of the water of Lake Tahoe, covering the surface with delicate pinks and pale oranges.

An hour later, when the color has warn off, the surface appears an icy, barely there blue.

Still later, the areas closer to the shore yield up hints of aqua and cyan beneath the surface, although the iciness still covers the face of the lake.

Past noon, when the sun is high in the sky, the water gleams a brilliant topaz.  The sun has melted away the icy color revealing the blues beneath.  The water looks as a jewel, bright and shining beneath the full sun.

In the evening, this process reverses – and as the sun sets over the western shore (we are on the eastern shore), the water again appears cold and icy. 

We have spent hours watching the lake color approach full bloom, and fade away again.  The window of our room at the Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Center, a wonderful place for rest, reflection and prayer, overlooks the lake.  Just steps away is the Portal of Prayer, where we often pray morning and evening prayer from the Book of Common Prayer.  Many of the psalms and canticles of these prayers speak of light – both literal light and the figurative light of Christ. 

I have been entranced by this twice daily metamorphosis.  And I am reminded of the struggle to be centered in Christ – to let his light shine forth in who we are, and how we live.  I have thought of the times when I have been icy, and other times when I approach a truer reflection of the light of Christ.  How do you reflect the light of Christ in your life?

August 17, 2008

On the map, the distance from Zephyr Point, NV to Carson City, NV is just under 20 miles.  A few miles north, turn east, then a bit more north.  A rather drivable distance, most certainly.  It would be easy to do, to go see if the Carson City Mint had been kept as a historic site, perhaps turned into a museum.  Why, you might ask, would we visit the Carson City Mint?  When in fifth grade, Nevada was Nancy’s assigned State project.  Assisted by her father, she put together a display which included a coin with the CC mint mark (for Carson City).  Growing up in Tonawanda, NY (just north of Buffalo), this place seemed very far away.  And now we were so very close.

But we determined even this little distance would take us in the wrong direction.  It wasn’t that we were planning to drive south or west.  The real issue is the purpose of our study leave time, and how this affects decisions we will make about how we will ‘spend’ our time.  Scenic vistas, journey (labyrinths and railroads, especially) and spirituality centers (rest, reflection, prayer) have a legitimate claim on our time and energy.  Being tourist does not.  So, we didn’t search out the source of the CC mark on the coin.

In a similar way, the photos that we send back are a way for you to ‘see’ what we are seeing, especially the scenic elements, vistas which may have inspired a reflection from us, or have us catch our breath at the magnificence of God’s creation, or give us pause to try to capture a piece of the gift of this journey to share with you. 

But, these photos do not open before you the real ‘work’ of this time.  It is a time set aside for study, renewal, challenge and growth.  These things cannot be captured in a photo.  For example, Don has begun daily use of morning and evening prayer.  Nancy is engaging a practice known as Centering Prayer (she has a wonderful book, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault).  Other things will, we are sure, emerge as this journey unfolds.

These practices will leave their mark on us, bringing us closer to the divine spark each of us carries at his/her core.   You, too, are invited to join this journey.  There are parish activities scheduled to aid the journey (check Trinity’s website).  You are also invited to make daily prayer a part of your life.  We suggest that you start with the Daily Devotions for Individuals and Families, beginning on page 136 of the Book of Common Prayer.  For busy families, perhaps the prayer In the Early Evening, (page 139) or At the Close of Day (page 140) would be a good place to start.  The question becomes how much time are you willing to give to God in prayer?  10 minutes each day? Another short daily devotional resource, which is not for young children, is found in Forward Day by Day (available in the foyer). 

We will not return as ‘spiritual gurus’ – and we will not be certified as spiritual directors.  We will only be able to make suggestions and share some of our experiences.  The work that we are entering, and the work you are also invited to do in this journey time, will continue for all our lifetimes.

August 26, 2008

Because Amtrak’s Coast Starlight arrives in LA at 9pm and the Southwest Chief leaves at 6:45pm, an overnight stay in LA is necessary.  Keeping our exploration of LA close to the station, we found the original center of LA just a short walk from the train station.  It is now an area with a number of historic buildings (the oldest dates to 1814) and a great many shops.  Among the signs we saw was one pointing the way to “spiritual help” at a snack bar and another directing people to “spiritual healing.”

While we didn’t explore either of these, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly went on these places.  Spiritual and spirituality are now such buzz words in our culture, and popular usage is rather vague and difficult to define.  In the bible (1 Corinthians 2: 14-15), a spiritual person is simply someone within whom the Spirit of God dwells, or who lives under the influence of the Spirit of God. 

While in San Francisco, we were fortunate to have a conversation with the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, the woman who is responsible for revitalizing the use of the labyrinth as a spiritual tool (they have been around for millennia, but forgotten in Christianity for several hundred years).  One of the things she enumerated for us is the four signs of a spiritual practice that works.  It   results in 1) deepening compassion, 2) increase in being patient (with one’s self and others), 3) decrease in being judgmental (with one’s self and others), and 4) doing something good for other people. She stressed that these are ways in which we can measure our spiritual growth over time. 

Our baptismal covenant asks “Will you continue in the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers?”  To do this is to journey into a spiritual life.  There are a variety of ways to live out this journey that we are each called to make.  The key is to start somewhere.  Find some practices that bring about the above results, and which you know are effective for living out a faithful life in the world, and which are not separate from everyday living, but become an integral part of it. 

September 10, 2008

The final tally was 81, as I recall: the number of trains that my father and I rode while visiting my son Joe, who lives in Kyoto, Japan.  One ride that we took together was pulled by a steam locomotive, from Kanaya to Senzu and return, along the Oigawa (Oi river).  It was a delight for me to see Joe’s excitement build as we boarded this train (he had not ridden behind a steam locomotive in three years) and listen to him and my father discuss various technical aspects of steam while taking many photos. 

This love affair with steam has been passed on for several generations.  My father’s introduction was from his uncle, then dad taught me the major parts of a steam locomotive by age two, and Joe didn’t realize until he was in college that not all families ride trains, and especially enjoy steam locomotives.  I thought about these things as I listened to the men of Rail Camp (one of whom is my husband) chat over breakfast.  They came from all over North America to attend this event hosted by the National Railway Historical Society at the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, Nevada, and share a deep passion.  Due to my father’s sharing of his passion, I was well able to hold up my end of the conversation.

In The Sacred Path Companion, Lauren Artress discusses four qualities to reflect on with regard to developing a spiritual practice ‘that works.’  One of these, to find your purpose and share it with the world, contains the following discussion (pg 16f):

Not every purpose is a direct service to the world.  Many have indirect benefits to the broader community.  For instance, you may have had a passion for antique trains all your life.  You collected them, shared them at Christmas with your family, and in your last years gave them to your grandchildren.  Is this of service to the world?  Indirectly, I think it is.  The impact of your having found your passion can provide inspiration for others.  The memory of you working with the trains will find a home in your children’s and grandchildren’s hearts. 

I began to think about my passions, and those that others have shared with me.  My mother’s work with fabric, my grandmother’s baking with yeast, my grandfather’s caning chairs and making candles, my older son’s artistry with photography, my younger son’s love of sports – all of these have enriched my life.   What are your passions?  How have you shared them?  How have you been enriched by the passions of others? 

September 16, 2008

The question I posed, “When do you pray?” presumed a regular schedule of conversation with God or time of meditation.  The answer she gave me, “from when I get up in the morning until I go to sleep at night.  All living should be prayer.” offered a way of living life.  Life that is wrapped in acknowledgement of and thanksgiving for God, the Great Mystery, and the gifts God has given us and how we engage these gifts in our living. 

I listened to the Medicine Woman speak about how prayer begins and ends her day, as well as weaves through everything she does.  She spoke of preparing a meal, giving thanks to God for the nutritious food she has been given to prepare, and imbuing it with love for those who will be eating it.  Of work, she spoke about being honest, and sharing God’s love in what ways we are able with all creatures. 

What I heard was an understanding of prayer that encompasses thoughts and words as well as the ordinary actions that we each take every day.  This is the classic Christian understanding of prayer, as well.  The person who links together prayer with deeds, treating one’s whole life as an offering to God, fulfills 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”  This ancient wisdom is worth pondering, as well as acting upon.

September 28, 2008

Fences

Driving today from Georgetown, Colorado to Santa Fe New Mexico (approximately 320 miles) we mostly passed through ranch and farm land. I wish I had the monopoly supplying fencing for the region. Hundreds of miles of fence on both sides of the road for ranch, after ranch, after farm. And yet as we drove there were many cars and trucks pulled off at the side of the road with no one in them. Obviously people in these vehicles had crossed over the fence for some reason or another.

Fences provide several things: protection, security and demarcation.  To me the latter is especially important. Demarcation provides some visible designation of the boundaries of the property. It lets people and animals know where they should or should not be. It helps to contain various people and animal behaviors to appropriate areas.

In thinking about it we realized that it is Big Horn Sheep hunting season (having met several hunters where we were staying.) And we also know it is the season for collecting pinion nuts from the pinion trees in the pinion and juniper forests. These two factors may well be the reason that occupants of the vehicles we saw had crossed the fence designated boundary (one hopes and assumes with proper permissions.)

Boundaries are important for people. We need those things which help us know and understand where we are free to go and what is appropriate to do. Robert Frost in his famous poem noted that “good fences make good neighbors.” I have interpreted that sentiment to mean that when we know the boundaries we are better able to be a neighbor to others.

One of the functions of the teachings of the church and of scripture is to provide us with a sense of where the boundaries are. They are not there to prevent us from doing what we should not, but rather are a means of letting us know where the boundaries are and informing our ability to choose where we go and what we will do.

One of the functions of Christian Education is to help us know the boundaries and assist us in making ethical and moral choices about how we live.  And that function is as important for adults as it is for children.

                                                                                                                                                   Don

Irrigation

Everywhere we have gone in the Southwest we have seen irrigation at work. We have seen drip hoses watering grapevines in California, rigging with hoses spraying crops in Nevada, to open irrigation canals irrigating alfalfa fields in New Mexico. Irrigation is a way of life and living in this arid region of the United States.

It is also true that all of creation thirsts. From the sparrow to the largest moose or elk, from the small plants to the sequoia, from the prey to the greatest predator, the human. We all need water to survive – we thirst.

In Rail Camp one piece of advice we received was that we need to drink before we were thirsty. “To stay hydrated means you will drink whether or nor you think you are thirsty - that avoids problems.  When you become aware that you are quite thirst you are already experiencing the beginning of dehydration.”

It is not good enough to have water available, not to have a large quantity of it down the street nor even to have it with you. To be effective you have to drink it – irrigate yourself with the life giving fluid.

The spirit also thirsts – the psalmist says “my soul is athirst for the living God.”  We need the spiritual irrigation of the living water Jesus promised to the Samaritan woman at the well.

We irrigate our spirit by intentionally allowing the living water to flow over, around and through us. It can be done by the drip hose of weekly worship; and by the spray of regular scripture reading and refection; and it may be done by the irrigation channels of prayer and intercession. But we need to delve into it before we think we need to have it.

When we become aware that we need to worship, read scripture, pray or meditate our soul is already thirsty and in need of irrigation. It is better for us to bathe ourselves in the water of life before we are aware we need it in order to achieve the most growth we can.

                                                Do you thirst?  How are you irrigating your spirit?