Reading Ahead -- Pentecost 9

"A sower went out to sow some seed ..." It's a familiar parable of Jesus's, one of the first ones he tells. And because of its familiarity, it is easy to let it pass by without really thinking hard about it, with a sort of general appeal to God to make us more like "good soil."

But the word "parable" comes from the Greek parabole, which means to throw alongside. So a parable is a story or series of images that is set into conversation with our own thoughts or ideas about how the world works.

So try this ... very few of us lie around like dirt, waiting for seeds. But many of us keep our own gardens, planting flowers or herbs or tomatoes. How does throwing this image of the Sower of the Word of God alongside your own planting experiences work for you? How are you yourself a Sower of God's Word? How does your spiritual planting work in your life and with the folks you come in contact with? Where do you find thorns? A hardened footpath? Good soil? Where do your words and deeds land with success and where do they fail?

God's Big Backyard -- Day 4

Last night was the final day of Vacation Bible School. The Bible story was about Peter healing a lame man, and then Eric and Colleen Hegg took the kids into the library to show them the Domino Effect ... how one nice action can spread and affect many other people. There were water balloon battles and ice cream sundaes and making clay feet, to symbolize walking in Jesus' footsteps. Chaplain Sarah came and talked about her experiences in Africa, and how many children go to bed hungry every night. We ended with a slide show of the week's events, and then a rousing chorus of "Big Backyard," which the kids will sing in church on Sunday.

God's Big Backyard -- Day 3

One of the best parts of Vacation Bible School is the dinner that we share before the sessions start. Teachers, parents, helpers, children all gather for a simple meal that allows time for us to get to know one another and enjoy some conversation, a cookie or two and a smile.
Today's Community Corner activity was serving the neighborhood by picking up litter around the church, and then along the high school lot and the library sidewalk. The Bible story for the day was about Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus, then coming down to have Jesus over for dinner and announcing to Jesus that he would share his wealth with the poor. The craft was to make a Community Bag to collect clothing, old toys, and housewares to donate to a local charity. The trees on the bags are Zacchaeus trees, made by tracing the children's helping hands, then by gluing real leaves on the bags.

God's Big Backyard -- Day Two

Today the children learned about serving neighbors. In Community Corner, Barb Backus told the children about making meals for Advent House. Then they made cards to send to our parishioners who are serving in the military.Then they made and decorated pots and planted basil in them to give away to neighbors. The Bible Story for the day (told with great animation by Eric Hegg) was the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the snack included making a rocky road for the Samaritan out of graham cracker, chocolate pudding and marshmallows for rocks. It culminated in a wild game of fox and rabbit designed and led by two of the children. You can see what it looked like in this short movie ...

God's Big Backyard -- Day One

It's the first day of Vacation Bible School! Eighteen children gathered in the sanctuary this evening to begin four days of learning how to serve God by serving others. Today's theme was "serving our families." The children learned about how Miriam helped to keep her brother Moses alive. They made snack packs to take home to their families and "service kits" to wear on their belts. There was lots of singing and fun. More tomorrow!

Mosquitoes -- A Gift for Spiritual Growth

OK, I'll be the first to admit that mosquitoes are NOT COOL. Besides being extremely irritating and discomfiting, they carry diseases and in many parts of the world are responsible for tremendous loss and suffering.

But mosquitoes can also be an aid to spiritual growth. You can ponder the mysteries of creation -- why would God want a world with mosquitoes, which have been part of the landscape for 30 million years? When they bite you, you can pray for people in parts of the world where malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases add to human suffering. With the exception of widely scattered West Nile cases, our mosquitoes will not make us sick. Others are not so fortunate. Or you can think of them as God's own way to mortify your flesh -- teeny tiny hair shirts as it were, to disturb your comfort level and remind you of your dependence on God.

But my favorite way to use the mosquito for spiritual growth is to practice compunctio. This is a term coined by St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century. It means the sudden sense of wrong-doing, the "puncturing" or sharp, sudden stab in one's conscience after one realizes one's sin. This quick piercing of the heart is good for the soul's growth, because it immediately turns one back in the direction of God.

So each time a mosquito punctures your skin, take an instant (before smacking the little sucker ...) and examine your conscience. If you are pierced by your own knowledge of falling short, release it to God, turn back to God, find yourself in the forgiving and loving arms of God.

+ Kit

Happy Independence Day

This day, July 4, is an official feast day in the Episcopal Church, although it is not often officially observed. Folks are off at the lake, or firing up the grill, or making fireworks plans. It doesn't feel like a very "spiritual" day.

Yet freedom, true freedom, not some sloganized, flag-waving kind of freedom, is at the heart of the gospel. "For freedom Christ has set us free," Paul writes to the Galatians. It is a freedom of a different sort, not a "do what you want," but the freedom that comes after fully accepting the yoke of Christ, letting his vision, his direction, his compassion, take over your entire life.

So celebrate the independence of our nation today, but think a little more deeply about the freedom that comes once you have given up your self and thrown yourself completely into the loving arms of God.

+ Kit