In the wilderness you must leave who, what and where we know that is safe or the very least familiar. You set out with the hope and a prayer that God will reveal where, when and how you are needed. To enter into the wilderness is a risk. Uncertainty is high. Fear…real. God is at work in gentle ways in our lives. Fear is redeemed to courage. Loneliness is redeemed to love. Rejection is redeemed to acceptance. Our half lived life is redeemed to wholeness.
Rev. Dan
Last night we screened "The Tree of Life". Movies cut a window into our culture and our lives. The film explores the tension between Grace and Nature, or what we call, Nature versus Nurture. I was uplifted by the spiritual and emotional depth and honesty of the filmmakers as they explored a family story told through the bonds of love, shame, regret, and pride.
A character in the movie says, "without love, your life will just pass you by". Said another way, when we are not honest with ourselves and our God-given purpose on this earth, we obstruct peace in our own lives and those who love us. I was inspired by the film's ability to shine a light upon humanities heights, courage and truthfulness; as well as the tenderness of compassion, and the ruin of indifference.
Rev.Dan
Just finished reading Anne Lamott's book, "Grace Eventually". In one chapter she talks about the messiness of life. We spend our life our slogging through job loss, portfolio "corrections", diagnosis, aches and pains, and the heartbreaks of life; and it is in exactly these places of muck where we renewed with God's grace. The muck of life is the fertile soil for grace and being made anew in God's image. This is good news in deed!
Rev. Dan
Posted on
Tue, August 9, 2011
by Carolee Mech