Monthly Archives: August 2003

August 6, 2003 · 9:40 pm

An Aceptable Time by M. L'Engle

From An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The words are hers, the pictures are from my trip.

“Hold me in peace while sleeping

Wake me with the sun’s smiling

With pure water slake my thirst

Let me be merry in your love.”

Reading fiction by authors like Madeleine L’Engle makes me more aware of the mysteries that exist in this world. I think she delves into some of the true mysteries of God and his universe – things that are way beyond our comprehension. I like the way she approaches science – as being a part of the mystery but not all of it. I know it is only fiction, but it speaks to the mystic in me and helps me to accept as unknowable by me, but true none the less, some of the great events and truths described in the Bible.

She talks about the power of words.
“Words -runes, for instance – were sometimes misused. They were meant to bless, but they were sometimes called on for curses…Yes runes were sometimes abused, but it was never forgotten that they had power…
“But Polly, interested, asked, ‘You mean the old rhyme ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me’ is wrong?”
“The bishop agreed. ‘Totally.’ “…
“The bishop continued, ‘That little rhyme doesn’t take into account that words have power, intrinsic power. I love you. What could be more powerful than that small trinity? On the other hand, malicious gossip can cause horrible damage.”

And for an author whose medium of communication is words, words have incredible power. Through them we are taught all sorts of things, complex ideas are transmitted to us, and through them we can share thoughts and even a part of what makes us who we are. We should never underestimate their effect on others.

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Filed under Books and Articles

August 4, 2003 · 8:10 am

Words

Words. That’s what we bloggers mostly deal in. Sometimes they flow out so effortlessly. Sometimes it is hard to say what your heart really feels. And there are times when we write or speak quickly without thought. Once spoken or posted it is hard to take them back.

Why don’t we watch our words more closely? They may look pretty on the page or sound very knowledgeable and sophisticated but what ugly thoughts they can portray. We may think we are clever to use words that sting, are cynical, full of irony – cruel words. We try to make ourselves look so right, so in the know. But we are only trying to exalt ourselves at the expense of someone else.

Words can hurt. They can hurt more than “sticks and stones”. The invisible wounds are not evident at first but sometimes the soul wounds never heal. They fester and the illness planted in us by them becomes a chronic disease that eats away at our self-confidence until we can’t handle anything more and we begin to die. We don’t dare to live anymore because criticism gets too hard to bear. The joy goes. The light goes out. Cruel words can kill – slowly.

I think that is why Jesus said what he did to the Pharisees of his day.
” A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person
produces evil words from an evil heart. And I tell you this, that you must give an
account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say
now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be
condemned.” Matthew 12: 35 to 37.

All of us who care about the Coopers are also hurt by some cruel words they were sent. I, like many others, are hoping that Jordon and Wendy will continue to blog because they are a blessing to lots of us out here in cyberspace and in real life too. God, Please bring healing as only you can.

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Filed under Dealing with stuff

August 3, 2003 · 2:10 pm

The Lower Room

We worshiped in the lower sanctum today. Around tables no less – except for some of the older folks who took over the sofa – my dad included. It was good. It was good to think about how to be salt and light to our city. Now we just have to actually put it into action – that is the hard part. To find how God wants to use us and then do something about it instead of just pondering over the idea – forever – and never get anything happening. (And no! We will not look for committee members to organize this! That would surely kill it!)

We shared in communion today as well. To me this is the highlight of every month as far as my liturgical experiences go. To share in an act of remembrance so significant – well it is just very special to me. It reminds me every time what a great sacrifice he made and how he gave up so freely all he ever had to save us. First in the incarnation – God giving us his son to live among us becoming every bit as human as we are. Then in his death – giving up his very life for us so that we do not have to be defeated by evil. And we have the hope of living forever with him so that whatever we encounter on this pretty scary earth is not all there is.

We were out of comfortable pews today and it was OK. No one complained that I know of.

After church we had more than the usual numbers helping to wash up too. That was a small blessing in itself. I sent Michelle, my daughter-in-law on ahead to our house to start getting lunch ready. We put it in the oven and headed out for a quick trip to a potters house and workshop.

Michelle always has the neatest ideas for gifts and the wedding they are attending is special so a special gift is needed. She told me of some of the ideas she had but passed on – she is an environmentalist with strong links to our Saskatchewan land. One idea was taking the body of a dead but undamaged(for the most part she said) toad of some sort and having it bronzed. But she thought that although she would love it she wasn’t sure the friend’s bride would be. Another was the hawk she found and had mounted but thought the bride might have the same reaction as with the toad.

The pottery is very special. It is the form of a bison. A beautiful rich brown hue with just the right amount of darker brown mottling. The artist who sculpts these incorporates the ground remains of prairie buffalo bones into the clay. So they are a bit real bison. What a beautiful gift – a work of art and a bit of Saskatchewan.

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Filed under Worship events

August 2, 2003 · 8:50 pm

Tearing out the weeds

Today was another day with lots of gardening going on. I even got Sara to join me(with the promise of a little cold cash) in hacking down and pulling out a batch of weeds by the fence. Looks a bit better in the driveway. And I whacked down some weeds that were really wild in the old dog run we have in the back. They were beginning to cover up the clump of volunteer raspberries and so I was rewarded with a tasty treat. The old blossoms on the rose bushes all were deadheaded and everything got watered.

It is good to be physically working in the yard sometimes. I hope I get a bit tanned from it without getting burned of course. I’m always so pale. Comes from being the whitest one of the bunch maybe.

For lunch we(Sara and I) went out with Annette, Kieran and Annette’s Auntie Coleen. Kieran was his usual quiet contented self until the end when he decided it was time we gave him something to eat too. Only one of us could do that so he broke up our party and went home with mom to eat.

I finished reading Leonard Sweet’s Soul Cafe today too. There is too much stuff in there to retain at one reading. I’ll probably put it down for awhile and then go back to it. It is a bit like being at a banquet table with all of the richest dishes in front of you. You’d like to eat it all but it is impossible so you have to keep taking just enough to get a taste and then go back and eat again and again. But you also have to push away from it all and do some digesting too. I think I need time to digest for awhile.

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Filed under Gardening

August 2, 2003 · 10:16 am

Vern's Gone Home

Last night got the news that an old friend had gone Home. He and his wife were, at one time, missionaries in the Congo. They had left the Congo before we arrived but came out for a short working visit during our time there. And he was a medical doctor so we spent a good deal of time together while they were there. They returned to Canada during their retirement and we visited a few times. Always lots of fun – reminiscing about Congo stuff, sharing jokes and stories. He had a very aggressive form of cancer so it has only been a short time since the diagnosis. A very short time. He chose not to do the chemotherapy. Letting go and going on. Now he is Home.

God,
Bring peace and comfort into Vangie’s life right now. Bring her and her children the strength they need to get through the next few days – the numbing days of loss and funeral busyness. Continue to be there with them as the days go on and the loss becomes more real.

May the memory of Vern and his life continue to inspire all of us who knew him.

Amen

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Filed under Day to Day

August 1, 2003 · 10:20 pm

Gardening Day

Today was another gardening day. Weeds seem to grow about twice as fast as the flowers. But the flowers I do have are probably at their best now. I have this one on my desktop.

One of the things I like best about my home is the yard. It is like a bit of wild park and in the summer with all the trees in full leaf it is very private. And if you don’t look too closely you won’t see the weeds.

I must confess that today was mostly spent being lazy. I guess you could say I was unwinding but I think most of it was just downright laziness. Oh well tomorrow I can always make up for it.

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Filed under Gardening