Pastoral Ponderings- Travel

Have you ever noticed how travel helps bring a sense of perspective on life? Though we never had much, my parents gave me the gift of a love for travel when I was a kid, with our annual pilgrimages to the mountains of North Carolina. Whether it’s the perspective of miles of endless desert, or strangers offering tea with smiles capable of breaking barriers of language and culture, travel can reorient you to the Divine.

And O the blessings! If it weren’t for people’s wanderlust in ages past, there’d be a lot of people piled up somewhere in the Horn of Africa or the Fertile Crescent “over there.” And perhaps worse yet, we’d never have coffee, cinnamon, pepper, sea shanties or fireworks!

Lured by thousands of bats flying out of the ground in the lonely hills of New Mexico in 1898, some other kid named Jim saw huge dark hole in the ground and was fascinated. His adventures into the endless dark underground across the next 45 years introduced the rest of us to the beauties God crafted over countless millennia now known as Carlsbad Caverns.

I spent some time in Afghanistan on my first deployment, and one time walking around the command post, some Afghans who were doing some work on the post were taking a break. As I was walking by, they motioned me over, and offered me some tea as a sign of friendship and hospitality. It’s amazing how simple as hospitality and tea can build bridges across culture and language like nothing else!

The world would be a much more drab place, a much less Holy place if not for the urge to take that first step on our journeys of discovery. Reflect on your own travels, even if only to the store In Town—how have those travels helped open your eyes to see the Hand of God beyond your ken? Whether in the Beauty of Creation, or in the beautify souls who have blessed your journey—it’s amazing how the spirit-craft of God’s hand shows up for those who have eyes to see.

From the tiniest crystalline structure visible in the “logs” of the Petrified Forest, to the immeasurable vistas of the Grand Canyon or the Rocky Mountains, the lure of God’s majesty in Creation will ever drive my journeys of discovery—and hopefully, yours too!

–Your Eager Traveling Companion—Pastor Jim

P.S.– don’t forget the concert THIS SUNDAY, March 15, at 5 at Twin Falls (60 N. River Rd., Munroe Falls)– share this note and invite a friend!

Pastoral Ponderings—Play!

Have you ever noticed how close the words “play” and “pray” are? Only one letter—but close in concept as well. In play we have a good time, usually with others, usually with communication and laughter. And isn’t that the same—or SHOULDN’T that be the same with our prayer—only we’re having a good time, communicating, even laughing with God.

It’s pretty clear in the Bible that God created humanity to have others to play and laugh with. All that was created was to be blessings, and to bless humans in countless ways. And if you’ve ever wondered about God’s sense of humor—just look at how funny it is when men and women try to understand and relate with each other! And it’s not just people—you’ve likely noticed that animals of all types play too—and the more developed the animal is, the more they play! There’s even a whole field of study in science called “the science of play,” studying how important it is both in human and in animal development.

When in our creation stories, God seems to be careful and intentional in the many facets of creation, you can bet your britches that God was intentional in inventing play and laughter too! Problem is that as we “mature,” we see play as being less important, maybe even childish, so very many of us actually forget how to play! And if we forget how to play—how to have a good time with others and with God, look at what happens to what we call prayer! All too often, we seem to be of the opinion that when it gets to be time to pray, it must be time to “get serious”—meaning no more smiles, laughter or fun. It’s usually a lot better for our human relationships when we enjoy our time together, when we smile and laugh together—where do we get the idea that God’s not interested in smiles and laughter?

Try an experiment this week—find more ways to play, smile and laugh with our human connections, AND with our prayer—our God-connections, and see what happens to our prayer lives. I bet you’ll notice some positive change, AND more of a sense of closeness with God. Whether it takes a child, a cat, a stranger or someone you’ve known forever, remind yourself what it’s like to play with abandon, and what that kind of play does both to may you feel better, but also to help you better connect with God.

Remember the old adage—the family that PLAYS together, stays together! Keep on playing! — Pastor Jim