Virtual Chapel – Page 8 – Life in the Deep End

September

September 12, 2021September 20, 2021Vona Wilson

Being on the land always brings pleasure to my soul. I’ve been running to the wilderness all of my life. Finding spaces to observe the wonders of creation and allow my soul to rest. This was my daily pastime as a young child. We had a wilderness at the end of our one-street neighborhood. It was wonderful! A large creek that always had a strong current (or so we thought, at such a young age). Plenty of wildlife, including many snakes which we delighted in catching. We had snake hunting excursions. We built forts and dams, swung from vines and discovered new things every summer. We learned to frog gig on that creek. We hunted squirrels and rabbits as we walked the fields…always to ultimately arrive at “the creek” – our wilderness, the haven. This small, single lane neighborhood was the adventure land of my daily childhood.

Today I run to the river. The reparian buffer (a term I’ve only recently learned) is that space between the river and where we trod that is to be left alone – untouched – allowed to grow and thrive; to die off or push through; to dance as it desires. And dancing is exactly what it is doing in September. The flowers are shouting. The milk pods are birthing. Life is full. It provides shelter and space for the wildlife. It protects the water from our more damaging actions. It is life giving. And as I walk it today, it is a holy space.

Riparian buffer at Waters Edge. September 2021

I don’t own land anymore. So it is the true grace of God that a path by the river has been provided just outside my door. All I need to do is make time to to walk there and see the gifts God has ready to offer anyone who comes. I hear the poet in my ear:
I sha’n’t be gone long.- you come too. -Robert Frost

Rainbow – Kacey Musgraves

Monday Blessing

August 30, 2021Vona Wilson

But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.  Isaiah 43: 1-2

Sometimes creation speaks when we cannot. The sunrise lures me and begs for my attention. Stop right here and marvel again how much beauty and strength can rise in the face of any situation. No war can stop it. No hurricane can destroy it. No brokenness can shame the sun from rising or hold back the clouds from making a grand display. The creative spirit of God rises and blesses the day’s beginning.

It will not only be this morning. All day long and well into the evening there will be signs that God is with us. There will be glimpses or whispers, tiny little things that are placed along the path to remind us that we are seen; we are loved. The One who created us is walking with us. The wisdom of the Lord is guiding our steps. Go slow enough to receive. Keep walking courageously forward, even if that is a tip toe step today. Every tiny movement in the sky was beckoned to create the sunrise. God invites us into this day too.

Lord, however your people need to see you today – thank you for revealing yourself to each one. Whatever we need to hear from you as a people on earth – thank you for speaking to us; we are listening. Whenever we turn to other voices and sources for wisdom, Holy God, please lure us back to what you have made known to us in the life of Christ. In you we remember who and whose we are. Help us to carry that strength and joy into this day. There is no place you will not meet us and lead us safely home. We love you, Lord. We need you and we trust you completely. Amen.

I, I am the Lord,
    and there is no savior besides me.
I announced, I saved, I proclaimed,
not some stranger among you.
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
    and I am God.
From the dawn of time, I am the one.
    No one can escape my power.
    I act, and who can undo it? – Isaiah 43:11-13

Word of God Speak – Mercy Me

Wee Hours Prayer

July 27, 2021February 6, 2023Vona Wilson

Nudges of your Spirit come in the wee hours.
Perhaps, Lord, someone you love is reaching
for your hand of grace.
We are seen. Even in the wee hours.
Reaching into the dark spaces of grief
and uncertainty
of pain.
Come now, Holy Spirit, come.
Come now with your mercy
into the wee hours of our lives.

Where suffering has interrupted the days of a focused life; Lord have mercy.
When grief grips our souls and tugs against the pursuit of healing; Lord have mercy.
For the past that returns unwanted, for the futures we dare to dream; Lord have mercy.
Bring your arms of grace around our trembling bodies.
Offer your blanket of peace to cover the places
of our lives left out in the cold unattended.

Lead us to our simple prayers:
Help! Mercy! Come quickly Lord Jesus to help us!
Remind us again that your love persists
In the wee hours
In the waking hours
In all hours.

For you, Holy God, created us and placed us in time on earth
Where your grace is never offered too early,
and never arrives too late.
We find our peace in the arms
of the resurrected Christ
holding us all again.
One miracle moment at a time.
Bring rest. Restore our breathing. Bring peace.
Let your love lead us back to sleep.
Amen.

Fires

Moments of Faithful Risk

June 29, 2021June 29, 2021Vona Wilson

“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. “ – Matthew 26:6-7

Bethany is the town where Lazarus and his sisters lived, but in this situation, the meal is at Simon’s house. It is the most unexpected house to host a meal. Simon was known as a “leper” until he was healed by Christ. Now he is hosting a meal for Jesus.

The woman that comes with the expensive perfume is named as “Mary” when John writes his account of this story (John 12:3). She must have been saving this perfume for just the right situation and time. It is valuable. Somehow she knew (by God’s grace and a nudge of the Spirit?) that this is the time, this is the moment, for her to give it. She chooses to give it all to Jesus. She doesn’t know why, she just knows she is supposed to offer it.

The disciples – the followers of Jesus – are appalled. It is too extravagant; a waste. Jesus is pleased; she obeyed the nudge of the Spirit and did something that involved her in his story of redemption. God’s plans are fulfilled. This woman’s offer of love and devotion prepares Jesus to offer his greatest gift of love: to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13)

We know Christ’s sacrifice is near; and we know resurrection is coming. His preparation and her involvement in his journey of obedience…these are moments of faithful risk. In the kingdom of God we take risks to love across societal norms, boundaries that limit access to Christ, and even fears whether they are real or imagined.

We return to the neighborhood today and knock on doors to invite the children to come out for “Bible Club”. Some will say yes. Some will wait for another day. We will teach the Bible stories, play games and sing. Love, friendship and joy will be shared, if even for a few short hours of the day.

I do wonder… Is it possible that we, who are so deeply distracted with our busy lives, are bringing “perfume” to the neighborhood? Or is it much more likely that Jesus finds us in Simon, the Leper, and asks us to come into the neighborhood and be healed so we can serve others with him?

Jesus is grateful for the woman’s lavish love. He says this moment is so important that every time this story is told, her act of faith and love will be shared. He wanted us to know this. She took the risk of walking into a setting where women were not typically welcomed. She gave her greatest gift and it prepared him for his. How are you giving your best for Christ?

Prayer
God help us to walk humbly as we go through your neighborhoods today. Heal in us whatever keeps us from loving and serving you freely. We have no good apart from you so please come near. We love you. We trust you completely. Thank you for trusting and loving us enough to bring us here with you.

Serving with our youth group in Memphis. The joy of witnessing what God is doing in our teenagers is a gift. Being with children in the neighborhood is just finding where Jesus is already and joining the miracle. Grateful.

Our Dads

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021Vona Wilson

I was blessed with two of them. My “Dad”, is the one who raised me and taught me to love animals, take risks and that you don’t have to answer every question. I learned unconditional love from him because God showed me how to love when it made no sense. I would not be the person I am today if Dad had not been who he was.

Over time I realized that my dad’s suffering was what helped teach me unconditional love. And boundaries. And some stuff I’d rather not have learned. But there is so much more that I am so grateful to have learned! Things like: It is OK to bite if you get backed into a corner. You can always drive in snow; go slow and watch out for the other guy. If you want to eat you better damn well make sure you have a job. And sometimes your dreams get fulfilled in ways you didn’t expect, but that is OK, just go with it.

My second blessing was my stepfather, who married my mom many years after I was an adult. He fell in love. She fell in love. They decided to make a life together. For all the years of their marriage (20+) he loved her so well. She loved him so well. I suppose without the stresses of raising children or paying mortgages, their marriage was truly a refuge and delight for later years. He was the most gracious man I’ve ever known. Never in a hurry. Always interested in what was going on in our lives. And he loved our mom.

Their marriage blessed me with extra siblings, and most of all it blessed me to experience what joy and delight can come when you least expect it. In the last year of his life there were a few health challenges. I was in their home for an overnight visit once when I woke up to someone singing. It was my mom. She was serving him breakfast on a tray, and she was singing to him as she entered the room, “Good morning! Good morning!” I could hear the love in her voice. I could see the appreciation and love on his face. They did their last season together so very well.

I think dads have a tough job. When I finally “grew up” and experienced some big falls myself, I realized that my dad did the very best he could with his life. He was a very tough man. And broken, like all of us. His heartaches and life griefs were overwhelming. But he continued. It wasn’t always smooth or what he imagined, but he persisted until he took his very last breath. And then he was free.

I know Dad could have given up and stopped living at many different points in his life. But he didn’t. He kept going. And because he kept going, we did too. We kept learning about love and mercy and grace. We kept asking God to show us how to navigate the days, and God was faithful to help us. We all just kept living and doing the very best we could with what we had to live with – including our broken selves!

Both of my fathers are in heaven tonight. They have no pain or sorrow. And anything that was not resolved on earth for either of them, has been completely resolved in heaven. I’m so grateful they were both chosen to be my dad and stepfather. I’m so glad we lived all the way until their very last breath, and we lived fully. It is a gift I always cherish, and a gift that never stops bearing fruit.

A Night Prayer on Father’s Day
Holy God, thank you for our dads. We never need them to be perfect, we just need them to be our dads. So please give all fathers an extra measure of your love, wisdom and care. Please remind them of your mercy and grace that is always available and give them courage to ask you for it. Most of all, as this day comes to an end, please cover all dads with your great compassion, and please cover all of their children with your steadfast love. Thank you, gracious God, for being our perfect father, and for giving us our imperfect and amazing dads. Amen.

It’s Always Been You – Phil Wickham

Morning Fog: Happy Friday!

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021Vona Wilson

The weather icon cautions me that fog awaits the day and I know instinctively it is good. Low visibility reminds me that God still sees the long view. I learned it several years ago from my neighbor in the country. “We know the sun is rising even though we can’t see it.” She loved to say it; it was a mantra for her and it became one for me. We are people that need to be reminded!

I ran to see the fog and was shocked to see the sun piercing through the shroud as if to say:

I’ve changed my mind.
The fog will not linger.
The lift is now.
Caution is replaced with courage.
Clouds are being swept away.

It happens like that sometimes. Life does. A solution emerges with the same immediate announcement of a light bulb in a pitch black room. Or that subtle inching, nudging….even squeezing into our lives like a little whisper that persists until it is shaping us into a way of being we didn’t see coming.

The fog is a friend when it comes. Reminding us in ways we can experience. Slow down and pay attention. Take a breath. Remember that the sun has not been taken away. We are being shielded while new light, new voices, and new revelation are being formed. Welcome the day; it is the careful provision of our Creator.

God, thank you for being in the fog with us and never losing sight of the long view. We welcome your new day! We love you and trust you. Amen.

Here Comes The Sun – Beatles Remix
https://youtu.be/KQetemT1sWc

The Monday Grace

May 24, 2021Vona Wilson

The joy of the birds must be exuberant. A morning song of certainty that every rising of the sun holds new life. I was walking to the river as the birds made their melodies, and my neighbors were ahead of me. You know – the people we call “neighbors” but I really do not know them yet at all. I’m exercising; they are appreciating the gift of the day, a centering perhaps. My gym shorts feel a bit informal in contrast to their flowing garments in all colors of the rainbow. We are all as we are; it’s Monday.

My neighbors pause at the river, as I will. We pass one another there and I utter the only greeting I can say without thinking, “Namaskar”. I only know it because of the grace of my other neighbor who taught me how to say something in addition to “Namaste”. The greeting is a little awkward; unexpected, I think. We don’t know each other.

The river is quiet, and someone is already fishing. I offer gratitude for the grace of a morning walk, for the songs of birds and the dance of the river. My heart could stay a while, but my head moves me along. It’s Monday.

The route home brings our paths together again. “Namaskar” my mouth speaks and my spirit, by now, has been seen. “Namaskar!” they greet me. The smiles and joyful words I do not understand tell me: all is well. We have a small conversation where it is clear I do not know the language. Their English helps us along, but is limited.

We learn one another’s names. Well, we learn them for a moment. I suspect we will have to learn them again and again! The humility of grace is that today we could see one another, and it was enough. Actually, it was more than enough. Peace and gratitude are flowing, and the day has barely begun.

Prayer
God thank you for the community you are creating wherever we are this week. Whether we meet in person or in prayer; on the street or in our homes – help us to see each other and your presence among us. We humbly and boldly ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to guide us through this day. Like the birds, help us to sing with joy. And give us courage, Lord, to dance when we are invited.

Night Before Pentecost

May 22, 2021May 23, 2021Vona Wilson

The night before Pentecost holds its own special anticipation. We will do strange things tomorrow, like wearing red and watching for any new glimpse that the Spirit is active. I was hanging banners in our Historic Sanctuary late this afternoon and as I was finishing up a wind came through and one of the banners shifted. I’m sure it was the cord that slipped, not quite secure. But it didn’t appear or feel like that.

It felt like a wind blew through the sanctuary; a wind that no one created. There was a sound. The banner shifted. The movement of its shift caused it to keep moving back and forth, until it finally held still. I may have been holding my breath as these moments unfolded. I may have left a little faster with a nervous smile and a curiosity in my spirit. This “wind” reminds me on the night before Pentecost, that this is God’s story. And God never stops revealing new things to us.

I went home. I watched the sunset and prepared supper. I tried to be “normal”, but there is nothing “normal” about this life. On the night before Pentecost we remember that anything can happen when God is fulfilling promises. It can happen in our lives. It can happen in our communities. It can happen in our world. That’s just how the Spirit of God shows up, and we are called to be ready to follow. I’ll never be ready enough – but “Come Holy Spirit come” anyway.

Sunset on the night before Pentecost, 2021

Holy God, help us to never stop anticipating the surprising presence of your Holy Spirit being poured out on your people. Even when we are doing ordinary things we have no idea that you are doing something extraordinary. We welcome you to blow through our gathering places on this Pentecost Sunday. Open our eyes and our spirits to see. We trust you completely and we love you. Amen.

Where is Our Faith?

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021Vona Wilson

“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water and they obey him.”
Luke 8:25

The disciples are in a storm on the lake. The waves and wind came upon them very quickly and began to overwhelm the boat. If you’ve ever been caught in a storm on the lake you know the fear. You do everything you know to do and if the waves still come and the wind stays up there is a point at which you realize, “I’m not sure we’re going to make it out of this.” I’ve had a couple of those experiences and they are unforgettable. Any trip to the lake or sea can end in disaster; you have to know that if you are going to be on the water. That’s where the disciples are in this moment. The way Luke tells it, “they are in great danger”. Jesus, meanwhile is asleep, probably exhausted from teaching and ministry.

When they wake Jesus up and tell him their situation, he gets up, tells the wind and waves to stop, and they do. Just like that.

When the power of God reveals itself in our ordinary lives it does often bring “amazement and fear”. How can we be so close to a God that will get so intimately involved in our daily human situations? God invites us and even encourages us to be that close.

The disciples are still grounded in the temporal. No doubt they were navigating this storm that blew up in the best way possible. They had experience on the water. They were skilled; they know this lake. This is not their first storm, but it is their first storm with Jesus involved in their lives.

When they had exhausted their own efforts, they asked Jesus to get involved. Jesus doesn’t tell them to adjust a sail. He doesn’t give them any nautical wisdom that will suddenly put the boat in a different position against the raging waves. Jesus has a spiritual strategy and draws from the eternal. After all, he created the wind and the water.

Sometimes it feels like our world is in a raging storm. The waves are crashing over our boats! The wind is shifting us in directions we didn’t plan or intend to go. The sky will clear for a day or two and then here it comes – another storm. This story with Jesus and his disciples on the lake seems to encourage us to take on a different strategy when the storm descends. Rather than first going to our temporal methods, what if, in the storm, we reach first for the eternal. What if we run right on down and wake Jesus up and ask for divine intervention? What if we put all of our skill, knowledge and wisdom at the faithful service of Christ? Even if it means, we don’t use anything we have known or used before.

Jesus is showing the disciples what is possible with God. Christ gives us access and encourages us to ask for help. It means letting go of how we think “help” needs to come or what it needs to look like. It means trusting that the God who created the wind and the waves (and us!) will guide us to a safe harbor that we will never reach on our own. Where is our faith?

Creator God, you who set the skies and seas in place, we love you. We welcome your help and wisdom as we walk into this day. We humbly and boldly ask for your intervention in the situations we are navigating. In our families; our minds and hearts; our businesses; our health...whatever it may be. We name it before you now and ask, "Jesus, we are in danger, please come and calm the wind and waves. Lead us to safe harbor. We trust you completely.  Let it be. Amen.

Growing Pains

April 27, 2021Vona Wilson

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual houseto be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. – I Peter 2:1-5

I can still remember my mom explaining a mystery ache in my body with these words, “you’re having growing pains; it will pass.” I’ve recently heard colleagues explaining some of our COVID prevention strategies as “growing pains” while we continue learning new ways to do life and live with the virus. “Growing pains” seems to be a persistent theme.

Growing in up in our salvation has growing pains too. There are seasons of doubt and suffering. There are moments are sharp joy and revelation. We stumble when we forget to let light shine in where darkness has entered. And sometimes we just crawl our way through one day at a time, a few inches at a time.

Still, we are being built into a spiritual house; we are growing and maturing through all of these seasons and moments. Talk to someone in their 90’s who has been walking with Christ for many years and they will quickly tell you: the growing never stops. The pains of a season will cease and the challenges we face in our journey today will fade. We mature and grow. New stretching and learning will be required, but something miraculous keeps unfolding. The Scriptures are full of stories about ordinary human beings slowly growing into living stones, that are part of a spiritual house…a holy priesthood that the Lord is maturing. That means you too.

There is a quote by Teresa of Avila that I kept on my dashboard during a long season of growing pains. It helped me every day.

Let nothing disturb you
Let nothing frighten you
All things pass
God does not change
Patience achieves everything.
– Teresa of Avila (1518-1582)

God, thank you for your grace in not giving up on us. Thank you for continuing to teach us and grow us up so we reflect more and more the person you created us to be.  We trust you, our Creator and Savior, to keep building us into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood. Amen.

Caleb + Kelsey Mashup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oHN1-ifsT8