“Lets build a happy little cloud.
Lets build some happy little trees.”
Bob Ross
____________________________________
how do we talk about
that power
that presence
that Love
we call “God”
without getting anthropomorphic
even at the burning bush
as Moses felt the sand of the Sinai between his toes
and sought a name
he got a verb
“I am”
Not Zeus, or Jupiter
Not Baal or Odin
just flickering
flame
real
present
powerful
just wind
unseen but felt
something happens when we try to make this
powerful presence
concrete
man, woman, it doesn’t matter
we make God (see how hard it is not to anthropomorphize?)
smaller
and this is part of a more profound problem
our tendency not just to make God in our own image
but our tendency to claim and contain
that which cannot be claimed and contained
we make the mistake of thinking that this powerful
presence
is “ours”
that this powerful presence can be manipulated
and that this power can be not only claimed for our
benefit
but used against others
I am stumbling and bumbling here because
I a fighting against my own deeply held and nurtured
views of
the Sacred
because I believe the Sacred does make a difference
and I believe our connection with this powerful presence
does make a difference
I just am not so sure it works the way we think it does
hear me out
This powerful presence is in everything
This powerful presence is in everyone
This powerful presence, this divine DNA makes us who we
are
and when we are awake to it
because it is Love
we are different
we are what we were created to be
those “in the image”
rather than those we have become
those who have “blurred” the image
This powerful presence makes things happen
and when those things happen, we sometimes call them
miracles
yesterday in worship we heard of a medical supply person
who, unscheduled
found one our beloved on the floor, blue, nearing death
and call to 911
saved our friend’s life
a miracle?
we heard of a traumatized young woman suffering a severe
panic attack
who just happened to be in a building with a mental
health peer counselor
who was able to help her
miracle?
yes
miracles happen, as we are awake to this powerful
presence
and this powerful presence somehow leads us to those in
need
and moves us to act in the ways necessary
to heal and restore
physical healing?
this is harder
why would this power we call God save one person,
and let another die?
we can’t just deal with that issues by saying ‘its in the
plan”
for why would the divine agency plan for one family to
suffer pain and loss
and not another
as if “god” were some sort of demented and arbitrary
chess player
to me it seems as if it all comes down to
the presence
the powerful presence
which it appears we can be open to, or not
and it comes down to this
presence
which is not only powerful
but loving
always
loving
impacting us
perhaps at a cellular level
perhaps mentally, emotionally
socially
changing how what we see
how we feel
how we function
it is about presence
driving us to people in need
helping us see the need
giving us the grace and love to respond to the need
that weird bond taking us to this person
the powerful presence taking us to this place and not
that place
it is about a presence within that simply says “I am”
I am still working this out
and will always be working this out
but what I do know is this
it is not simple
there is a danger in denying agency to Sacred
there is perhaps a greater danger in seeing Sacred
as a cosmic bell hop who helps our football team win
helps us find the perfect ‘second home’
gives us a job (but denies another)
heals us (but abandons another)
alas
questions abound, abound
I want my cake, and I want to eat it too
I do not have the answers
only the question
but until then I will seek the powerful presence
the great “I am”
I will hope the bush burns within me heart
And I will do the best that I can
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