Peter, Paul and Mary

A couple of years ago, I heard now-retired NPR broadcaster, Diane Rehm, interview Peter and Paul, the surviving members of the popular sixties trio, Peter, Paul and Mary. The occasion for the interview was to introduce the release of their book, Peter, Paul and Mary, Fifty Years in Music and Life.

Peter, Paul and Mary were my favorite vocalists when I was a teenager. The lyrics were simple, the tunes catchy, and soon I was singing their songs when I walked to school or hummed in the classroom. Their unique style opened the way for new forms of music prior to the Beatles.

Diane asked a lot of questions. I learned Paul's first name is Joel, his middle name, Paul. Mary died in 2009, but Peter and Paul continue to perform. Paul remarked that those who hear them sense Mary's spirit as they present concerts all over the country.

Peter and Paul spent time remembering Mary and their relationship through the years. Paul explained that when Mary  visited a friend she never said good-bye, but "to be continued."

The Upper Room

Jesus gathered his disciples in the upper room and shared with them a meal of bread and wine we now call the Last Supper. Jesus showed the disciples a piece of bread and said, "This is my body." Then Jesus gave the disciples a drink of wine from a cup he held. "This is my blood."

Jesus wanted the disciples to have tangible items and a ritual to remember him and his ministry that would continue throughout time. The Last Supper or Holy Communion as we now call the meal is a way for Jesus to comment, "I am not saying good-bye. My life will continue in resurrection and we will meet again."

Mary realized even though she may not see a friend for awhile, she was not saying good-bye at the last encounter, but "to be continued" until they were together again. "To be continued" carries an excitement and expectation of new conversations and encounters where "good-bye" has an element of finality.

"To be continued ..."

Jesus wants us who believe in him and who partake of communion to remember, he, too, did not say good-bye, but "My life continues in your life until we meet again." Bread and wine, symbols of my body and blood, will empower you as you continue my ministry wherever you go and with whomever you meet. We did not say "good-bye" to Jesus at the cross, but "to be continued" when we receive communion and serve in the kingdom.

Reflection Questions

1. Are there friends to whom you say good-bye when you leave?

2. Are there friends to whom you could say "to be continued" as you depart?

3. How can you offer to continue Jesus' ministry?

Prayer: God, the cross did not mean "good-bye" for your son despite what seemed obvious as Jesus was placed in the tomb. Resurrection means "to be continued" as we receive the love of Jesus in our hearts and serve in the kingdom. Amen.

"Call the Midwife"

"Nonnatus House, midwife speaking," is the friendly greeting people hear when they call the convent where nuns and midwives live in London's East End.

"Call the Midwife," the popular PBS  series originally set in the fifties, but now in the sixties, chronicles the adventures of nuns and midwives who visit expectant mothers providing London's poorest pregnant women with the best possible care.

I enjoy watching this show based on the memoir of Jennifer Worth, one of the midwives at Nonnatus House. Each episode weaves back and forth between the drama of helping women give birth in their homes to watching the nuns chant in the chapel or pray in their rooms. Taking the love of God into dirty, one-room flats to help those in poverty, is the mission of patient and caring midwives, some of whom are nuns.

The Rhythm of Liturgy

When I watch this show, I am reminded of those days in my early twenties when I thought God was calling me to be a nun. Growing up in the Episcopal Church, I learned early in my life the sustaining presence of liturgy. Each Sunday, the same words in prayers, responsive readings and psalms greeted me as I sat on a hard wooden pew for a service called "Morning Prayer." "Holy Communion" celebrated the first Sunday of the month, contained a different liturgy from "Morning Prayer," but was equally nurturing.

The repetitive nature of the liturgy during my formative years offered comfort and grounding each week because I came from a home that was chaotic and unpredictable. My attachment to God grew each week and I knew I could depend on God being present for me when people were not.

Craving a Convent

As I finished undergraduate school, my heart often yearned to live in a house surrounded by prayer and people who were loving and kind - my perception of what a convent was like.

I learned that the Episcopal Church did indeed have nuns and monks, so the path seemed clear - for awhile, anyway. When I completed graduate school, my search for a job began along with a pull toward service in God's name. However, I also had a desire to be a wife and mother. All of these conflicting thoughts churned my soul, leaving me confused and undecided for the future.

A Household of Peace

God intervened when I met a young man who eventually became my husband, and wanted to be a pastor. Life in God's kingdom took an unexpected turn. Marrying Mike opened a new dimension of love, service and eventually two, sweet girls.

Mike and I created a house filled with prayer, love and kindness. Although I joined the United Methodist Church when Mike began his ministry, my soul still sought weekly familiar liturgy in worship.  God's presence through liturgy carved deep paths that were sustaining and grounding when I was growing up and continued to be important now.

Now that Mike is retired, we are free to worship many places. Every Wednesday, Mike and I attend a thirty minute service of "Holy Communion" at a local Episcopal church. When I hear and say the words in the Book of Common Prayer for "Holy Communion" my soul is stirred to those days long ago sitting on a hard wooden pew.

Liturgy for My Days

For my birthday last year, I asked for the book, A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.  Each day I find a set of readings and prayers for reflection that wrap my soul in God. Some of the readings remind me of those when I was young listening to words that brought me to God. I slip these on like a person dons a favorite sweater or comfortable pair of shoes. They offer assurance even a sensation that I am home - home in liturgy that brought comfort and peace early in life and continues today.

Watching "Call the Midwife" for the six-week-long season connects me to those days when thinking about entering a convent seemed the direction my life would take. Even though I did not enter a convent, Mike and I created a home filled with prayer, love and focus on service to others - not unlike the daily practice of nuns who pray, love, and serve others.

The nuns in the series, along with my liturgy book, remind me to stay attentive to God, to practice my faith every day, and to spread God's love wherever I go - especially to the poor or those on the fringe.

Questions for Reflection

1. What moments, prayers, rituals or liturgy do you recall from your early memories of church?
2. Were they meaningful and formative to your faith?
3. How are they present in your faith practice today?

Prayer: God, you come to us in many ways. Sitting in church Sunday morning is a wonderful opportunity to hear your word in a sermon, prayers, readings and music. Even when we were young, your presence can open our souls to life with you. Guide us in our faith to move closer to you as we say the Lord's Prayer, participate in responsive readings and proclaim our faith in creeds. All of these bring our hearts to you. Amen.

Troubling The Water

Tracy K. Smith, last year's poet laureate of the United States, seeks to raise national awareness for a greater appreciation of reading and writing poetry.

Tracy is using her stipend of $35,000, to visit rural areas, where most writers are unlikely to travel. She says, "I want to just go to places where writers don't usually go, where people like me don't usually show up and say, 'Here are some poems. Do they speak to you? What do you hear in them?'"

The cover story of the April 15, 2018, New York Times magazine features Smith. "The meditative state of mind a poem induces, she believes, can be a 'rehumanizing force,' an antidote to the din of daily life, in which our phones continuously buzz with news alerts perfectly algorithmed to reinforce our biases."

One of Tracy's Favorite Poems

One of the poems she likes to read to the audience is "Wade in the water/God's gonna trouble the water." God 'troubling the water' is a reference to a line in the gospel of John 5:1-7, testifying to divine healing. People are gathered around the pool at Bethseda.

She explains, "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. Trouble on the surface of the water is a sign of God's presence."

My Experience with John 5:1:7

I've been swimming laps at least five days a week since 1975. Mike and I started swimming when he was a seminary student at Duke University Divinity School.

Through the years swimming became a place of silent worship as well as a great way to exercise.

When I studied John 5:1-7 a few years ago, I decided to begin swimming by taking my hand and 'stirring the water' before entering the pool, asking God to bless my time and speak to me while I swim.

Over the years, swimming back and forth from one side of the pool to the other, I've received insights and perspectives for my life, as well as images to draw. I've felt God hold me close as I worked through anger, resentments and residue of trauma.

Afterwards, I get out of the pool and shake off the water that still coats me with God and helps me emerge with a soul-cleansed and refreshed.

God Troubles The Water Today

God still troubles the water today with words for the poet, Tracy Smith, with insights for me when I swim and for others who hear God's voice.

For Your Reflection

1. In what circumstances have you experienced "troubling the water" - God's presence in life?

2. How can you "trouble the water" for others?

Prayer: God, you "trouble our lives" every moment we breathe as your presence is always available no matter what is happening. We don't need water for "your troubling" to happen, for wherever we are, you are. Your troubling blesses our lives and keeps us close to you. Amen.

What Do We Say When Good Things Happen?

A few years ago in mid-October, Mike and I were driving home from the Landmark Center near downtown Indianapolis, where Mike performed the wedding of a friend of Anna's from high school and college. Although we only knew the bride, we had a great time visiting with family members and guests at our table.

We were thankful to end the day with a happy occasion because we spent the morning visiting two separate families prior to funeral services for a beloved grandfather and young son.  Less than a week ago, we attended another funeral for a colleague of Mike's who died swiftly from a rapidly spreading form of cancer.

Mike and I discussed the events of the past eight days, mentioning the question that appears repeatedly when unfortunate circumstances come into the lives of people  - "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Mike said, "Why don't we ask - 'Why am I blessed? Why do good things happen?' We have no better answer to when good things happen than we do when bad things happen."

His comment brought a shift in my perspective. When unfortunate and unexplained things come our way, we struggle and ask, "Why?" When we travel safely to work or to the store, when we share fun times with family and friends, when we have a healthy annual physical, when we read a book with an interesting plot that helps us relax, when we take a walk, when we have a day where everything goes smoothly, do we ask, "Why did good things happen today?"

Do we thank God for our good life or do we take for granted uneventful moments and roll them into the folds of our heart with nonchalance?

How do you respond when good things happen?

Prayer: God, our days can be a mixture of challenge and peace. Help us give thanks at all times knowing you are with us to celebrate and care. Amen.

Candle Hour

Every Sunday, I look forward to reading The New York Times. I am a native New Yorker and always find interesting features and perspectives each week.

In a recent issue of the magazine section (Letters of Recommendation) I read "Candle Hour" by Julia Scott. She explained that when she was a teenager, an ice storm came through Montreal, knocking down a giant tree limb in the front yard of her house. For seven days and nights, the power was out, forcing the family to use candles for their light source.

The author concluded that no one in the family remembers what they talked about or ate during that week, but they all remember the use of candles, enabling  them to read, eat and continue with daily life.

Now that she has settled in California, she started the practice of "candle hour." An hour before she goes to bed, she turns off all of her devices and lamps and lights a couple of candles, "enough to read a book or stare at the flame. I have a journal ready, but don't pressure myself to write in it. 'Candle Hour' doesn't even need to last a full hour. I sit until I feel an uncoupling from the chaos or until the candle burns all the way down or both."

She continues, "Candle Hour" has become a soul-level bulwark against so many kinds of darkness. I feel myself slipping not just out of my day, but out of time itself. I shut aside outrages and anxieties."

My Thoughts

Always looking for new ways to connect to God, I decided to sit with a candle in silence for an hour. Sometimes I have trouble sitting still, so I planned my hour at the end of the day, 6-7 pm. I gathered some paper, a pen, a glass of water and a book I've been reading. I put away my cell phone, set the kitchen timer for an hour and began.

At first I focused on the candle flame, watching it move and sway even when the air seemed still. I took a few deep breaths, inhaling God's presence. My heart became filled with a deep peace. When I felt restless or my mind started to wander, I looked at the candle.

I worked on a poem I wrote the night before and reflected on a passage of scripture. The first time I looked at the clock, eight minutes remained in my hour. I was amazed I sat for so long. During the closing minutes God asked me a question, "To what are you holding on?" I  rested in this question and knew I would spend more time in the days ahead pondering the meaning. I concluded the hour by reading a few pages from a book.

Reflections on Candle Hour

I can understand why Julia Scott maintains an occasional practice of candle hour. I felt refreshed at the end of the day and experienced new energy for the evening. My soul was renewed as if I'd been on a weekend retreat. Clarity during the hour helped edit the poem I wrote. Receiving a question from God will direct my thoughts for deeper reflection.  I received so much benefit from candle hour. I am eager for another time in the days ahead.

Suggestions for Candle Hour

1. Set aside electronic devices.
2. Decide how much time you want to devote to the practice. If an hour seems too long, try thirty minutes. You know what works best. Set a timer.
3. Have something to drink close by as well as paper, pen, a book or needlework. You can also use this time to reflect on a passage of scripture.
4. Light the candle. God is here.
5. Take a deep breath.
6. Ask God to quiet your mind and open your heart.

Reflection Questions

1. How was your experience with "Candle Hour?" Were you able to let go and relax? How did God come to you?

2. Did you receive any new insights, perspectives or clarity as you sat?

3. Would you like to try "Candle Hour" again?

Prayer: God, when we light a candle we see a visible representation of your presence. We are also reminded that Jesus is the light of the world. Let us remember that as believers we carry the light of God wherever we go. Guide us as we sit with a candle to listen for your word or just rest in the peace of silence with you. Amen.

Questions for Holy Week

Lent is just about over.

Typically, during Lent, Christians are asked to look inward and spend time in self-examination. Here are a few questions for reflection as Holy Week begins. Perhaps, as you answer each one, you will come upon a new insight or perspective about yourself or God to carry you into the days after Easter.

1. Where or when do I encounter God's presence?
2. What name do I call God?
3. What does God call me?
4. God's word for me today is _____.
5. I need to forgive __________.
6. I am in awe of God's _____.
7. I sense that God wants me to ____________.
8. God is challenging me to __________.
9. An object that reminds me of God is _________.
10. How has God been present for me today?
11. The greatest joy of my life with God is _____________.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for Lent when we can set aside time in our lives to rest in your light. We are happy for Easter, when Jesus becomes eternal light to fill our hearts each day. Amen.

Letters - Annabel and a Former President

When my 101-year-old long-time friend, Annabel Hartman died in late December, 2016, she left me a stack of correspondence that spanned thirty-three years. Annabel valued the permanency of the written word in many ways.

For example, Annabel and her husband, Grover, kept a guest book on the coffee table in the living room. Before visitors left, they were invited to sign and date their time at the Hartman home. Even little children who could barely write were included.

Although exchanging letters began when our family moved from Indianapolis to a new church out of town in 1989, we continued to write each other, when Mike was assigned a church in central Indiana, in 1996.

 In the talk I gave at her memorial service, I recalled how even when we lived in the same town and the two of us could talk on the phone or visit, we still exchanged letters. Writing to each other was one of the foundations of our friendship, one that offered me an opportunity to preserve the wisdom, encouragement, and perceptions on life Annabel gave.

A President Who Liked Letters

Former president, Barack Obama, read and responded to letters from constituents as a regular practice. He read ten letters a day from the multitude of mail reaching the White House. Staffers carefully choose the letters Mr. Obama read and responded to each night after dinner.

Obama describes the value of letters in an interview from the Sunday magazine section of The New York Times on January 22, 2017:

     "Constituents feel like you are hearing them, and that you are responding to them - that makes up for a lot of stuff! That kind of instilled in me the sense of - the power of mail.  And people knowing that if they took the time to write something that the person who represented them was actually paying attention."

The article continues:

     "The letters gave me permission to legitimately slow down, an opportunity for nuance and contradiction. I didn't understand how meaningful it would end up being to me."

     "By the time I got to the White House and somebody informed me that we were going to get 40,000 or-whatever-it-was pieces of mail a day, I was trying to figure out how do I in some way duplicate that experience I had during the campaign. And I think this was the idea that struck me as realistic. Reading ten letters a day - and reply, I could do that."

Barack Obama concluded:

     "I tell you, one of the things I'm proud of about having been in this office is that I don't feel like I've lost myself. I feel as if - even if my skin is thicker from you know, public criticism, and I'm wiser about the workings of government, I haven't become ... cynical, and I haven't become callused. And I would like to think that these letters have something to do with that."

Even a former president valued the communication he received from the American people, represented in the ten letters he read and answered each day.

Abiding Love

I miss Annabel so much and can't believe she is gone, even after living 101 years. I thought she would live forever.

At the memorial service, I showed those gathered my stack of letters bound by a tan string. "Here is a stack of letters I received from Annabel. They are pieces of her that I can access whenever I want a 'visit' or need 'to hear' her voice again."

A few days ago, I randomly chose a card to read, dated November 5, 2009. She signed the card, "Abiding love, Annabel."  Looking up the definition of abide, I found: to remain, continue, stay. Although Annabel isn't here anymore, her love for me abides always.

For Your Reflection

1. Is there someone to whom you would like to write a letter, perhaps offering encouragement, sharing thoughts or recounting what is happening in your life? Take some time to get a piece of paper, a pen and envelope and offer your recipient a treasure of communication.

2. Have you received letters in the past that have particular value? How do you cherish the person who wrote?

Prayer: Thank you, God, for ways we record our sentiments and thoughts on paper. This lost of art of communication has permanence allowing us to read and re-read what has been expressed. Allow us to make room and time to record our thoughts and offer pieces of ourselves that others can refer to forever. Amen.