by Kathy Christianson

Trust is such a big part of faith. To live with a knowing that there is a higher power – something greater, way greater, than ourselves. To know and believe that there is a spirit, a very Holy Spirit, that is with us always. In this trusting, we know that we have a silent partner who guides us, protects us and stays with us, as we make our way back to Home.

We heard in today’s Gospel that the Israelites were very upset with Moses because there was no water. That must have been very difficult. They must have been very scared. But in their need for water they seemed to have verbally attacked Moses. With the Israelites being such a large group that must have been very intimidating.

One thing I noticed in this passage from Exodus is that the people were making demands and asking questions of Moses. I wondered to myself – why weren’t they asking for what they needed from God? After all, God was a partner with them on this journey to the Promised Land. Had they forgotten that God was with them?

In our lives, it is not a hard thing to do – to forget that God is with us. We can get so caught up in ourselves and others, that we forget and turn our attention away from the fact – our belief – our faith – that God is with us.

There is a Cherokee Indian legend that I am fond of and would like to share with you. The author of this legend is not known –

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone.
He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it.
He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm.
The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone. Even when we don’t know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
Moses had complete faith, which included that deep trust that God was with them in their passage through the desert. Moses asked God for what he needed and God made it happen. God granted Moses’ request.

This Lenten season, let us waken our consciousness to the presence of God. Ask God for what you need and trust that it will be granted (but in God’s time….not ours). And then be grateful. Even before you see the results, be thankful. For this thanks sends proof to our Creator that you trust that your need will be fulfilled.

Most Rev. Dianne Sullivan

What does it mean to live a resurrected life? “Resurrected” as Christians understand it’s meaning, is living a restored life; raised from the dead; full of life.

To live a “resurrected” life has at it’s core the idea of being restored, coming alive again, being raised up, revived and awakened. There’s a sense of hope and undeniable faith that in the end everything will be ok.

“You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the world’s problems at once but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” Michelle Obama

I recently read an article that offered a nighttime ritual that touched me deeply.

As we crawl into bed and are about to enter that subliminal space of sleep, we review the day and who we have been that day. Without judgment or criticism we look at ourselves and offer blessings. And then we look towards tomorrow and offer blessings to who it is we will be. Who we will be tomorrow rests on the shoulders of today. Drift off and watch the sweetness of dreams that unfold.

How do we live a resurrected life from one day to the next? What would that look like? What would we be feeling? How would we act? What would we be saying? How would we live if we weren’t afraid of anything? What does hope look like? How does it conquer darkness?

There is the powerful story of Yu Xukang, a single father who lives in the Sichuan Province in China, who would do just about anything to give his son with disabilities every opportunity in the world.
Everyday this father walks 9 miles total with his son, who has physical disabilities, on his back to his son’s school so that his son might get an education. The 12-year-old has a disorder that has caused his arms and legs to become twisted and his back to be hunched over. There is no public transportation available to take him over the rugged terrain to class. This single dad estimates that he’s walked about 1,600 miles since he started taking his son to school and then home.
“I know that my son is physically disabled but there is nothing wrong with his mind,” he told a newspaper. “However, I couldn’t find any school here with the facilities to accept him and was constantly rejected.” Waves of disappointment could have stopped him but he persevered.
Xiao Qiang was accepted to the Fengxi Primary School, Yu vowed to do everything in his power to make sure his son would get there every day. His dream is for Xiao Qiang to one day go to college.

This father awakened to his own courage and perseverance but he also awakened to his son’s potential and he restored possibility to his son’s future. This is living a resurrected life. This is a life that is steeped in hope and courage. A life that is lived for someone else, where our deepest desire is to give all that we are away. When we search for someone else’s happiness we find our own.

Living a resurrected life means we face uncertainty every day. We know that the illusion of control is but a shadow and we refuse to allow our fears to bring us to a stop.

“Bethany Hamilton, is a suffer. Her story was told in the movie Soul Surfer. Her arm was bitten off during a shark attack. But Bethany went back into the water to try surfing again less than one month after the horrific attack. She was asked how she could have gotten back into the water so soon and her response was that she knew if she waited even another day longer, she may never have gone back in again. “ She knew fear could have stopped her.
The writer of the article says,
“How often we are faced with just such a thing in our own lives – the waves beckon, but we stand frozen on the shore, wanting assurances of perfect safety before we dive back in. And because safety is never guaranteed, we often never get past dipping a toe in before we turn away, too afraid to try again. “

How many times we are faced with a similar dilemma in our lives. It takes tremendous courage to take a risk and not allow the ocean of fear to drown us. It’s also the little things that we face that can hold us back. Making a phone call, we would rather not make, picking ourselves up when we are struggling, keeping a promise or commitment, saying yes when we would rather say no.

It’s necessary to know what lies deeply in our heart. What is our passion? And how do we follow that? Is that passion greater than your fear of diving in and taking a risk. Perhaps your passion is to love well, to follow your goodness. Will you pull back if your wound is opened again? Or will you live your passion, your resurrected life?

Adversity can be our greatest teacher. When it comes knocking on our door will we open the door and invite it into our hearts? Or will we slam it shut never really knowing how it might have raised us up, so that we could become more than what we believed we could be.

Today Bethany is one of the greatest surfers in the world. A champion many times over, and an inspiration to millions.

Xiao Qiang and his father were offered a place to stay closer to the school, ending the daily 9 mile trek and today Xiao Qiang is first in his class, assured of a college education.

There is something mysteriously present when we follow the passion in our hearts: when we are conscious and aware of how we want to live. If God is the creator then it is God who has inspired our passions, and therefore we are most alive when we follow those passions.

May the waves of hope and love carry you deep into the softness of your heart and into the fearlessness of courage. May you taste the sweetness of God’s breath within your soul and know your place in this world.

By Kathy Christianson

Today is the first Sunday in Lent.

I like to refer to this time as the Big Time Out. It’s that time to pause and reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going in our faith. It’s like when you go on a trip and on the way home you go over all the events of your trip – maybe remember the way the sun felt on your skin, the laughter, the worry over whether Uncle John was going to tell his dirty jokes or how you felt when cousin Lisa told you that you grow more beautiful with age. During Lent, we have the opportunity to review our spiritual journey.

It’s a fairly common practice amongst many religions to set aside a time for reflection. People of the Jewish faith observe Yom Kippur. Members of Islam participate in Ramadan. The Hindu fast and reflect during Durga Puja. For the Iroquois Indian, their spiritual year begins with the Midwinter Ceremony, also around this time.

When we receive ashes, this tradition is usually accompanied with the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” From the time we are born until the time we pass over to the other side, it’s all about the journey. With our greatest reward being able to see the face of God.

As we heard in today’s Gospel, God gives us all that we need for our journey. We are denied nothing. We are given trees which are good for food and they are pleasant to look at. We have connection and shelter in the Tree of Life. From the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, we are given free will – the ability to choose. To make our own choices as Robert Frost shared with us. Which road are we going to take? I believe we can never take a “wrong” road. The question remains, when we do choose, did we get the results we wanted? Are we any closer to God?

Maybe during this Time Out we can take the time to reflect and ask ourselves:

• Am I the best person that I can be?

• Do I come from Love in everything I do and say?

• Have I taken the Right Road? Is it time to try another path, or is the path that I am on giving me fulfillment and joy?

• Am I closer to God?

It’s never too late to take a different road. If you decide that the direction you’re moving doesn’t fill your soul, if you don’t feel connected with God, take a moment, and choose to take a different road.

For my deacon studies I am now reading the Book of Numbers in the Bible. There is a blessing that I couldn’t wait to share with you. This version of the blessing is from the Book of Numbers in the Torah:

The Lord bless you and protect you!
The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!
The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!

This Lent, please consider inviting God to be with you. Sit with the holy presence. Choose the path that leads you to God.