A Morning Blessing

 Thank you, dear Mary Oliver!

Tall Trucks and Cinderella Stories

I should have noticed the whooshing sound, but I didn't.

 Rob and I headed out early Wednesday morning for the Wilmington train station. We were thrilled about this spontaneous day trip to New York City for a long-awaited family reunion. However, when we arrived, things did not go as planned. There was not a parking spot to be found anywhere near the train station. We circled the block – there were lots of garages, all full. Our search perimeter grew larger as the minutes ticked by and our departure time loomed closer. Red neon signs glowed forebodingly: Lot full. Lot full. Lot full. I look over at Rob, who by now was sweating. “We’re gonna miss our train,” he said. Suddenly, it occurred to me, I forgot to pray. 

“Please, God, help us find a parking place,” I prayed.

Seconds later, no kidding, we turn a corner, and immediately spot a green open sign at the entrance to a lot we had driven by several times. 

Thanks be to God, we park. We make our train. 

This is no fairy tale. This is classic Holy Spirit. 

During the days and weeks after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the disciples had their own frustrations. They were likely still processing Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension as they gathered in that room in Jerusalem for the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot.

What happened that Pentecost morning was huge for the Church. The Holy Spirit descends, and followers of Jesus are suddenly equipped with energy, skill, and desire to spread the Gospel far and wide. Stands to reason that this kind of radical change might require time for integration. Perhaps this explains why the Holy Spirit initially took a back seat to the other persons of the Trinity. Some have said that the Holy Spirit spent centuries on the sidelines, riding the pine…sitting the bench… 

Some contemporary scholars have recently referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Cinderella” of the Trinity.[1]

Remember when the UMBC basketball team upset UVA in the first round of the NCAA Division I men’s tournament? The UVA Cavaliers were first seed, UMBC Retrievers-16^th, yet they managed to pull off a win that’s still remembered as a Cinderella victory. 

We love it when Cinderella gets to go to the ball. 

No need to be a fan of fairy tales or sports to appreciate this analogy. The Holy Spirit’s on fire! She’s got game! And yes, she is often referred to with a feminine pronoun. But we mustn’t get too far ahead of ourselves.  It’s easy to be blown away by the Spirit. 

^“The wind blows where it chooses,” John writes, “You hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes (John 3:8).”

The feminine Hebrew word for wind, Ruach, evokes the power of God, the movement of God in creation, the uncontrollability, and ineffable nature of God, a wind that moves waters in Exodus (14:21).Interchangeable for both wind and Spirit, is the Greek word pneuma.

The Spirit is also associated with breath. God breathes life into Adam, (Gen 2:7). In the famous story of the dry bones in the book of Ezekiel, heard back at the Easter Vigil, God’s breath restores life (Ezekiel 37:9-10). The post-resurrection Jesus breathes the Spirit into the disciples (John 20: 22-24).

The Spirit hovers over the waters of creation and speaks through the prophets of the Hebrew Bible.[2]She grows the church and inspires human hearts to love (Romans 5:5). She intercedes for us and directs our prayers (Romans 8:26). The Spirit is credited with salvation in this life and in the life to come.[3]She dwells with us.

And then there’s… parking spaces. 

But wait, there’s more. The Holy Spirit invites us into relationship with God, with Christ, and with one another. 4^th Century theologian and Bishop Basil of Caesarea puts it this way:

“Christ is our way up to God.” Even as Christ is our way to God, the Spirit is our way to Christ. A contemporary theologian adds, “The Holy Spirit is always the means to God, but never the end in itself, which is why it is impossible to specify what the Spirit is in itself.”[4]

Whoosh!

The Spirit leads persons to other persons; the other persons of the Trinity, and one another. How many of us have felt we were mysteriously led to meet someone important?

The Spirit unites us, assisting us with the commandment to love one another. 

The Spirit reveals God to us, often through different art forms. Art can be spiritually transformative.

One theologian writes:

Art “quicken(s) into lit presence the continuum between temporality and eternity, between matter and spirit, between man and the ‘other’.”[5]

Whoosh!

At a recent Quiet Day, our own Kathy Arth shared some of her poetry. The same Spirit that breathes inspiration into Kathy inspired Bach, Beethoven, and the Beatles, not to mention Barrett, Beakes, and others of you in this congregation.

In that tumultuous period of the early church, fifty days after Passover, a hundred twenty or so diverse Jews gather in a room for a festival. There’s an intense whooshing sound, like a strong, startling wind blowing through doors and windows. Tongues of fire rest atop each of them. They begin to speak, each in a different language, and yet, remarkably, they can understand one another. 

Womanist Cole Arthur Riley writes that on Pentecost, the Spirit’s descent makes language “a portal to the divine, a path to God, to one another, and to a shared imagination.” Riley cautions, “Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit of God rejects assimilation under the guise of unity.”[6]  

This wisdom (another aspect of the multi-faceted Holy Spirit) could be a guidepost for us as this community envisions our next steps.

I neglected to share one critical detail about our little parking debacle. We needed to find a parking garage that wouldn’t take the roof off my husband’s ridiculously tall truck. 

Like the shoe in the Cinderella story, we, too, must find the right fit for our time away during construction. Are we being called into relationship with another congregation? How might our ministries best continue to flourish? What might we learn from different scenarios? What wisdom might we have to share? As construction draws closer, may we discern wisely, together with the Holy Spirit. 

St. Mark’s, do you know you are a dream team? And our time is now! Can you feel it? This unique community of faith is being called to be church in innovative and exciting new ways. 

As we dream about various possibilities during our reconstruction, I pray that we will remain open to the movement of the Spirit while holding onto our vision of what is unique about us. In my discernment, before arriving here as Curate, the word I heard over and over to describe St. Mark’s was generous. 

The brilliant American theologian Walter Brueggemann, who passed away this week, could have written this for us at this pivotal moment. I am sure the Holy Spirit had a hand in it. They write:

“Sink your generosity deep into our lives
that your muchness may expose our false lack
that endlessly receiving we may endlessly give
so that the world may be made Easter new,
without greedy lack, but only wonder,
without coercive need but only love,
without destructive greed but only praise
without aggression and invasiveness….
all things Easter new…..
all around us, toward us and
by us

all things Easter new.
Finish your creation, in wonder, love, and praise. Amen."

---

[1] Alister E. McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction, 25th Anniversary Sixth Edition (Chichester, West Sussex: Blackwell, 2017), 280.

[2] McGrath, 281.

[3] McGrath, 281.

[4] Catherine Mowry La Cugna, God for Us: The Trinity and Christian Life, 1. HarperCollins paperback ed., [Nachdr.] (New York, NY: HarperSanFrancisco, 2006), 362.

[5] “A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World. 1: Christ and Reconciliation” (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2013), 185.

[6] Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human, First edition (New York: Convergent, 2024), 265.

June Yoga Practice

 June is bustin' out all over. It can be a lot. So, this practice is a reminder to stay present in the moment at hand, not jumping forward in thought, word, or deed until that now moment properly arrives. Even if you spend fifty minutes with this video breathing along with us and nothing more, you are practicing yoga. And good for you!

Holy Hummingbird!

 

A tiny hummingbird threatened to destroy me this morning. 

Our eyes met briefly before the marvelous creature rose like a drone and darted elsewhere. 

When Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven has come near, I believe him with every fiber of my being.

I’ve seen things—miraculous things, too precious for words. Momentary glimpses of the numinous in beautiful and terrible moments.

Mere thank yous feel entirely inadequate. Praise sounds so churchy. 

Relax into delight. “Something like scales” fall away. 

Medicine I never knew I needed.

What prepares us for love such as this?

Perhaps small doses are still all we can manage.

Dreaming of Ram Dass

Ram Dass was in a headstand

I was happy to see it. 

His last years were spent in a wheelchair, after all.

In the dream, I was in a hurry.

This seemed to bother him.

But he did not falter.

He stayed. Upside down.

Sirsasana, King of all asanas. 

Stimulating the lymphatic system,

Enhancing mental focus.

Building strength, concentration, balance!

In my haste, 

I might have missed his message.

Now.

Here.

Be. 

 

Whassup?

 What’s up? Whassup! Seriously, Whassup?

Remember the iconic Budweiser commercial? It was silly, but quickly became a cultural phenomenon after airing during Monday Night Football back in 1999. It was a humorous, endearing expression of the comfortable friendship among several men enjoying a football game. The spot was an unlikely hit as it wasn’t created by a large ad agency with a huge budget. Rather, it was a small, independent filmmaker, Charles Stone III, who developed the campaign based on his award-winning short film, True. Stone has since gone on to direct numerous notable film and television productions. 

For this commercial, Stone hired some of his friends, including Scott Martin Brooks, whom I first met years ago on a film shoot in Philadelphia. In the commercial, Scott plays a character named Dookie who sits in front of a now-ancient-looking desktop computer as he and his friends exchange the famous, oft-parodied, ridiculously hilarious greeting “Whassup!” On the set of our shoot, Scott shared that he never thought he would ever be an actor, let alone become famous for a Budweiser commercial. But he did.

God is always up to new things. All too often, we just cannot see or fathom what is happening while it’s happening. I imagine the disciples felt that way too—a lot.

Can we talk about Peter’s vision? It’s strange, right? A sheet coming down from heaven with all those animals on it. Peter sees it as a new vision for the church, one that is more inclusive, a lot less judgmental, and way more open to change.

And then there’s the reading from Revelation; yet another vision - a new heaven and new earth.

Finally, Jesus gives the disciples a new commandment. “Love one another as I have loved you.”

There seems to be a whole lot of new this week. Something we’re getting used to here at St. Mark’s.

Jesus begins his farewell discourse during the Last Supper in this 13^th chapter of John by commanding his disciples to love one another as brothers and sisters, using the Greek word for divine love, the highest form of love, agape. It’s a command, not a suggestion. Jesus knows things are going to get more difficult before they get better. Judas has just walked out because of this. Later, Peter, too, will cave to pressure. Discipleship is not easy. 

Jesus addresses his disciples as little children: 

“Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

How did Jesus love his disciples? Here are some of the ways I can think of. You may come up with more: 

With kindness, like when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet.

With patience, as he shows his wounds to a doubting Thomas.

With tenacity. He even comes back from the dead to love them!

With acceptance, meeting each of them exactly where they were.

With reminders like bread and wine. “Do this in remembrance of me.”

With boundaries. Jesus takes frequent time-outs.

With creativity, by sharing illuminating stories about God’s love. 

With radical unselfishness. He commends his mother to the care of John even as he is dying on the cross.

In truth, we might be wise to acknowledge that loving one another like Jesus can be remarkably hard, especially during troubling times.

But God is always doing a new thing, always encouraging us to find creative new ways to be in community, ways to find unity in diversity. 

We can do this because God is with us in this. 

“It’s all love,” my friend Scott explained to a reporter when asked about the reason for the seismic popularity of the Whassup commercial. 

It’s all love. 

Easy to say when things are going our way. When there’s lots of money in the bank, when the weather’s sunny, when the traffic’s light, it can certainly feel like it’s "all love." But throw in an unexpected setback or two, well, that’s when the rubber tends to meet the road. Even the strongest, most solid relationships can falter under the strain. 

Friends, may we remember that God is doing a new thing when we receive the bread of life and the wine of the new covenant. May we be reminded that we are commanded, not merely asked, to love one another. And may we be inspired to ever more expansive new expressions of that love in community. May our communion also remind us that it’s not entirely on us. God is in all our new things.

Whassup? Worshipping in a community of love where all are welcome is whassup. Small churches making a big impact is whassup. 

Agape is whassup. It's love that gets noticed, love that calls us to action. We might want to ask ourselves, what is love asking of us right now? 

Here's link to the video.

The Flower Full Moon

On this day of the Flower Full Moon, which also happens to fall the day following Mother’s Day in the US, we may feel called to reflect on the fullness of the love of Mother; Mother God, our earthly mothers - our original source of nurturance - Mother Earth, who supports our descent into this realm at birth, sustains us throughout our lives, and welcomes us back into her womb at our deaths. The Full Flower Moon invites us to imagine with faith the growth that comes when we can fully comprehend that very often the light shines brightest when things appear darkest.

Can we draw from the love that is offered this day, and in the week ahead? Can we release past hurts and traumas? Can we offer forgiveness and grace where necessary, staying open to new growth and transformation?

The yoga shape suggested for today is supported fish. It is a heart-opening shape that invites expansion and growth while encouraging us to accept the support of props.

Supported fish is a shape that can help us practice receiving love while resting, allowing our nervous system to return, as much as possible, to its original factory setting. 

Today is a lovely day to relax in a supported fish for ten minutes or so. Breathe here. Notice the effect on the body, the mind, and the spirit. 

Today might also be a good day to plant a Summer garden, create something new,  make vacation plans, reach out to someone who would appreciate hearing your voice, mend a relationship, to pray or to dream.

Welcome to the Donohue Show!

A Sermon for Easter 3 

Lectionary Readings Here

(With apologies to the real Phil Donohue of blessed memory...)

Donohue: Phil Donohue, who passed away last year, was a television pioneer. The Donohue Show’s 29-year run on television began in 1967 and ended in 1996.

Oprah has publicly admitted that if not for Donohue, there would have been no Oprah Winfrey Show. Donohue tackled some of the most controversial topics of the day, bringing to light many of America’s most divisive struggles. His innovative approach to TV talk came about when Donohue realized that, during commercials, some audience members asked better questions than he did.

Stage Manager: And we’re live in 3-2-1…

Donohue: Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the new (slightly disorganized) Phil Donohue Show

SM: (Theme music up)

Today, we’re discussing two prominent male leaders in the early Christian church, their struggles, and their triumphs. We’ve invited a distinguished panel of experts, some first-century women with firsthand perspectives on the Apostles Peter and Paul. 

(SM: Applause sign)

Since we are talking about Peter and Paul, you know, naturally, we need a Mary. Please welcome to the show, Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles, here today to weigh in on Simon Peter, later Apostle Peter. Also with us today is Dorcas, the only named female disciple in the Bible. And, last but in no way least, we have the amazing Thecla, a saint in her own right, and a lesser-known follower of Paul. Thank you all for shedding some light on these two important but complicated men.

Mary let’s start with you. What can you tell us about Peter, as written about in the Gospel of John? 

Mary (takes mic from SM): Well, first Philomena, let me just say, thanks for having me.

Donohue: Please call me Phil.

Mary: Let’s just say Peter has not always been my biggest fan. I can forgive him for that. You should know that Chapter 21 of the Gospel of John was probably added later. Things were getting divisive toward the end of the first century. This passage may have been added to unite the Johannine church, reminding them that Jesus lived and breathed before his death and then showed up in his resurrection body afterward, to do things like cook fish on the beach. And to highlight Peter’s critical role in building up the church. Personally, I am glad for this story. I like how Peter was given a chance to redeem himself. Jesus had a way of meeting people exactly where they were. People like me - like Peter. Peter could be a hothead, very impulsive. But he took Jesus’ death really hard. He must have been so excited to see Jesus on the beach that day that he put on his cloak and jumped into the lake to swim to Jesus! Most people would have done the opposite. That’s our Peter. 

I am not surprised that he dragged the other guys out on the boat that day. It was so like him to shut down his feelings. I don’t think he was in his right mind. Grief will do that to a person. We were all so stunned, after the crucifixion, you know? But the Risen Jesus got us all right back on track. 

Donohue: Jesus asked Peter if he loved him three times; first using the Greek word for divine love, agape. The following two times, he used philia, Greek for human affection. Is that significant?  Do you think Jesus was holding up a mirror to Peter’s three denials? 

Mary: Yes, yes, yes! Peter was devoted to Jesus, but like so many of us, he got caught up in the moment. Jesus always meets us where we are. Peter needed to know he was forgiven and that he still had an important role to play. 

Donohue: Audience? Questions?

Audience Member 1 (raises hand, takes mic): Mary, John’s Gospel says this was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles after being raised from the dead. I’m counting four. There is this one, two times in the upper rooms, but what about you and Jesus outside the tomb?

Mary. Great question. There may have been lots more visits by Jesus that weren’t written down. The number three does seem important though.

Audience member 2 (raises hand, takes mic): What about the number 153? Is there any special meaning to the number of fish the disciples catch in John’s Gospel?

Mary (takes mic): Personally, I like the theory that 153 divided by three is 51. Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance and redemption. Kind of fits with everything Peter’s been going through.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right spirit within me.
 Do not cast me away from your presence,
    and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and sustain in me a willing spirit.”

Also, that is a boatload of fish! The giant catch might point to growth in the church. Or something entirely different. 

Donohue: Before we go to commercial, Dorcas, can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to know the Apostle Peter? 

Dorcas (takes mic from Mary): Sure! Dorcas is my Greek name, but some call me by my Hebrew name, Tabitha. I’ll answer to either. Basically, Phil, I died, and Peter brought me back to life. He was so kind. Gave me something to eat and drink. Soon, I was back to work sewing clothes for the community. You know, hearing what Mary had to say about Peter’s faith journey, I admire him. After Jesus died, Peter could have hidden away, gone back to his old way of life, but he committed to The Way, to preaching, teaching, healing... In such a scary political climate, that takes real courage. My story, probably written by the same anonymous author of the Gospel of Luke, follows Paul’s conversion in the book of Acts.

Donohue: And…we’ll be back, to talk about Paul after a message from our sponsors. 

Stage Manager (takes mic from Dorcas): And we’re out. Phil, we have a caller.

Donohue: OK, cue it up…

Stage Manager: We go in 3-2-1…

Donohue: We’re back with Thecla, who has some insight into the fascinating conversion of Saul of Tarsus to the Apostle Paul. But first, we have a caller. Go ahead, caller. Do you have a question?

Caller (SM play): Phil, I’m a first-time caller from Baltimore. Love your show, hon. Why do you have these three women up there talking about men's experiences?

Thecla (Takes mic from SM): I can take that one, Phil. A lot of people might not know about me. I was written about in the Apocrypha. You can Google me. T-H-E-C-L-A. I guess you could say I am a person of privilege. I first heard Paul preach near my home in Turkey. I immediately wanted to be baptized. I wanted to help Paul grow the church. This, as you can imagine, was difficult for a woman, so sometimes I would dress as a man. I got away with it, more often than not. That was fun.

(Addressing caller): 

The reason we’re up here, Steve, is because persecution was a real threat for both men and women of The Way. And women were leaders of the movement, too. Before his conversion, Paul was one of the worst oppressors. 

Donohue: What can you tell us about Paul’s dramatic conversion? 

Thecla: Like I said, he was not always a friend to Christians. Then one day, on the road to Damascus, he had an encounter with Christ as a blinding light. Saul lost his sight for three days. It was restored by a Christ follower named Ananias. The rest is history; Saul became Paul, and after that, he was on fire for Christ! Started a bunch of churches. He got things moving. 

Donohue: Thank you all so much. Let’s give these three brave women a hand.

SM: (Applause sign)

Donohue: What questions are you left with? Paul was a known Pharisee, well-educated, and a prolific letter writer. Peter, a fisherman, was likely not as learned as Paul, yet both were critical to the remarkable spread of the early church. These guys were innovators with excellent leadership skills. Their styles may have differed, but they knew how to get things done. Based on what we’ve heard today, what leadership qualities did Jesus see in Peter and Paul?

What leadership skills and styles are necessary for advancing Jesus’ Way of Love in today’s church and the world? 

If Jesus were to offer direction about where next to cast our nets, what would his instruction be? Would Jesus feel the need to question us as he did Peter? Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?

Are we prepared to follow Jesus, no matter the cost?

Until next time… 

SM: (Theme Music up)

Here's a link to the sermon.

 

Birdsong and Belief

A Sermon for Easter 2. Lectionary readings here. 

Since the weather has gotten warmer, I have been sleeping with the window open, and I love hearing the birds singing just as I am waking up. But sometimes they actually do wake me up! Like the other night, when I heard what I was pretty sure was an owl loudly who-who-hooting before the sun came up. I got so excited I couldn't get back to sleep. I had to find out which kind of owl it was. Turns out it was a great horned owl, according to the recording on the Audubon Society website. The next morning, there was this little fella who showed up just as I was ending my yoga practice on the deck. I typically try to end my practice with a little silent meditation, but this guy in the tree next to our deck just wouldn’t have it: 

Just listen to this song! There is so much variation - forgive my anthropomorphism, but there’s so much unabashed joy. As if right on cue for the Easter Season!

Welcome to Eastertide – 50 days following Easter, where it’s not just this sermon that’s a little different. We might think about getting a little used to different,” to quote a blurb from the hit TV series, The Chosen. It is during the season of Easter that we might get reacquainted with Jesus in some fresh new ways. Thomas can help us with that.

Thomas shows up each year on this 2^nd Sunday of Easter. Like the bird, he too shows up right on cue with questions, which garner him his now-famous moniker. The so-called "doubting Thomas" also does us a great favor. Thomas gives us permission to seek more information, to go deeper, to ask questions. I appreciate him for that. 

Easter morning, I noticed the baptismal font was empty after the stripping of the altar and sanctuary on Good Friday… Fr. Chris asked me to take care of it. I heard him say, “There’s a bowl on the sacristy counter, fill it up, put it in the font, then bless the water.” “I got this,” I thought. A little later, right before the service, I noticed someone from the altar guild quickly scooping out all the water. It became suddenly apparent to me that the glass bowl simply slides right into the font, water and all. Font fill fail. After a busy Holy Week, my inner dialogue could have quickly devolved from “how stupid” to “I’m stupid” to “I’m a terrible curate.” I could have easily jumped on the shame train. Mistakes happen and, God knows, we can be our own worst critics.

I’ll bet some of the disciples could relate. They listened to Jesus, but didn’t yet have ears to comprehend the full meaning of the Kingdom Jesus came to introduce. Like me, the disciples were works in progress. Jesus may have given his disciples good-natured nicknames, but he didn’t label them. Labeling them as failures would not be of service to the cross. Labels become stereotypes, which can turn into all manner of isms. They’re not productive. Jesus doesn't label Thomas when he asks for more information. When Peter cuts off a man's ear, Jesus doesn't shame him. He quickly reminds Peter of his commitment to non-violent resistance and heals the poor man’s ear (John 18:10-11). Peter, the rock, would put his gifts to good use in new ways to build up the Church. That’s the power of the cross and resurrection. That’s why we praise God on Easter morning. There’s simply no time for shame.

“My Lord and My God!” (John 20:28). In what feels like an amazing grace moment, Thomas expresses words of sheer praise and adoration as he finally gets the whole crux of the cross and resurrection. 

That little bird I shared with you gets it. 

When I first read Psalm 150, I initially thought it to be an odd pairing with the Thomas story, but as I meditated on it, when the bird would let me, the more I saw the connection. I should say, I heard the connection. Psalm 150 is the very last Psalm, and it’s a supreme song of praise for the God of all Creation. It’s fantastic! Whoever organized these poems for us knew what they were doing. What a way to end the Psalms! And whoever pairs the readings in our lectionary has also given us a great gift.

In this first week after resurrection, like Thomas and the others, we may show up here with our very honest, very human doubts and questions. A week later, like the disciples in that upper room, we may show up a little dazed and confused, wondering what went wrong and if we could have done something differently, wondering what’s next. 

What can possibly follow resurrection? 

Only to praise the Lord of the Universe who gives us life and breath, and stars and seas, and the beauty of holiness, and birds and babies, the love of family and friends…We show up this week with our fears and doubts to praise God anyway with all our hearts and minds and souls, with tambourine and dance, strings and pipe, and loud clashing cymbals—all the sounds. 

Psalm 150 is a perfect response to the absurdity of resurrection. In his sermon last week, Father Chris called it God’s greatest joke on death and despair. Christ has risen! Love gets the last word! What better, more iconic and ironic response than to praise, even amidst trauma and terror, and any current seemingly insurmountable problems. God, the fountain of life and source of all goodness, who made all things and fills them (correctly) with blessing; God who created all that breathes to rejoice in the splendor of God’s radiance. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.

That little bird gets it. If you’re still not feeling it, there’s this:

According to several sources, including Conservation Mag, listening regularly to birdsong can reduce anxiety and enhance and improve our mental health. These same experts suggest we aim for 120 minutes a week in nature for maximum benefit. 

Apparently, more people than ever are out in nature with binoculars and those ridiculously long camera lenses. Experts say we can attract more birds by installing bird feeders and bird baths. New apps can help us decipher which bird species we are hearing sing their lovely songs. Turns out my little guy is a mockingbird. I really don’t think his name does him justice. 

Without eyes to see or ears to hear, Chat GPT weighs in about the mockingbird’s “impressive ability to mimic the songs of other birds.” Takes one to know one, Chat GPT.

We might take a lesson from that little bird who doesn’t give a flying fig what people or artificial intelligence call him. There’s no time for that. Instead, he warbles out songs of audacious praise: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia! Christ is Risen, that all may come to know and believe in the praiseworthy power of God’s unpredictable, incomprehensible love.

If we do this, I wonder if, in fifty or so days, things will feel different. 

As we journey together through this upcoming Easter season, like Thomas and the others, we can expect to encounter Christ in new ways. As we meditate with a posture of openness, praise, and thanksgiving, we might reflect on God’s mercy, love, and faithfulness. Just as he breathed his spirit into those very human, very imperfect disciples, so God breathes in us, the new and always improving Body of Christ, each of us loved and called to be God’s ears and eyes, hearts, hands, and feet in the world.