Wonder is our work

Dear Friends in Christ,

As I stare down my 63rd birthday tomorrow, I am more grateful than I can say that, even after all these years, I can still be surprised and delighted by simple things – the hummingbird that greets me on my porch each morning; the red tailed hawks that have once again taken up residence in the nest the crows built two years ago; the way my dog greets me when I return home whether it is after 5 minutes or 5 hours; sunsets that paint the western sky every shade of red, orange, and purple; the daffodils poking their heads out of the damp earth; and most of all, in the joy and wonder my two year old grandson finds in every new thing he discovers, and in the trusting way my newborn granddaughter snuggles on my chest and falls asleep. These and many other things surprise me every day and fill me with wonder and joy. They have the power to make me pause, stop what I am doing, interrupt my thoughts, and pay attention.

As people of faith, we are called to manifest the Kingdom. In the face of all the pain and suffering of our world the task of turning the world right side up can feel like an overwhelming and impossible task and it is easy to feel hopeless and helpless. In a world where there is so much bad news, it is easy to forget that there are daily reminders of God’s presence and God’s faithfulness if we can only see them. Today I discovered this poem by Mary Oliver that speaks to what I believe is our work to do – to love the world as it is in all its beauty and pain. Sometimes that means standing up for the oppressed and speaking God’s truth. And sometimes it simply means seeing small miracles in the midst of the world’s pain and suffering. I hope I will never be too old or too jaded to find joy in small sings of God’s presence in our world or take them for granted.

Messenger by Mary Oliver

My work is loving the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird - equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn? Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work,

which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished. The phoebe, the delphinium. The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture. Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,

Which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes, a mouth with which to give shouts of joy to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam, telling them all, over and over, how it is that we live forever.

Yours in Christ

Rev. Jane+