Last weekend I attended the annual Montreal and Ottawa Conference. This is a three day, mostly business  meeting of the church, but its also a time of celebration of ministry service where new ministers are ordained or commissioned and a time we give thanks for those who are retiring and remember those have have died in the previous twelve months. During the three days we listen to theme speakers, this years theme was prayer. During the presentation we were asked to discuss this question, "have we lost awe and reverence in worship? Are we afraid of silence in worship and in our culture?" We discussed these questions at out table group, we discussed how to "plan" time for awe and reverence, or at  least how to create an atmosphere in worship that fosters awe and reverence. My question is, have we lost awe and reverence for God in worship? Have we become more concerned about making worship "palatable" for people that worship become safe hum drum? Are we no longer fear filled or awe filled, about the thought of encountering the God of the burning bush, the God of creation whose spirit hovered over the waters before speaking a word, that awesome almighty presence whose name is too holy to be uttered? Can we, should we attempt to reclaim a sense of the mystery of the Holy rather than prepare to encounter the domesticated god of our creation?? What do you think??

"the morning gently rises
opening
stretching
light dawning on a new day
Behold,Behold, I make all things new
beginning with you..
and starting from today (MV 115 )
birds flit from feeder to tree
cardinals, sparrows, Gross beaks,
water moves softly along the seaway
trees greening
a little more each morning,
buds silently opening...
what buds open within me?
silently
what new growth
lifts from the darkness of winter?
be still and know that I am God
words enter my consciousness
be still and know that I am God."

as i write this monday morning, returned from Five Oaks, returned to my congregation and returned to "normal" life. I wonder what will unfold in the coming weeks and months, what are the ways that i will be still and Know God? I see God in and through creation, i feel Gods presence in worship and work. I know there is more. The Celts saw no division between sacred and secular, or spiritual and mortal,  how easy our minds divide these, How difficult it is to accept the experience of the divine in our lives and i believe its something that we seek with heart, body and soul. I believe we seek what is already there, but for whatever reason we deny ourselves the experience of knowing we are in Gods presence. In Acts, it is written "God is that in which i live and move and have my being" what does that mean???

What buds do you feel are opening in you?
What do you think it means to say,  "God is that in which i live and move and have my being"?

and now its thursday, almost the end of this part of the program. i can feel the tug of "normal life" pulling me already. the experience here has been enriching, enlivening and rewarding. today included dance and art, two things i have enjoyed experimenting with and look forward to continuing to experiment. we began to learn about enneagrams an interesting tool to  use to get to know yourself better. self knowledge is always important.
now its time to say farewell, for a year to some new friends, fellow pilgrims on the journey. we will meet again next may for the second  residency of the program and in between we will read books, write papers experiment with art and delve into our spiritual selves.. and i invite you along the journey, to visit this blog and participate in the conversation and journey.

today's art work, tree in  a mandala,
an image of silence....

during the morning i watched a tree....
a tall pine tree
one
yet separate
connected
like community
the roots,
not visible
underground
yet they are present without roots the tree would  fall,
trunk stands tall
strong
high swaying with the wind
how old are you tree
what have you witnessed
storms and summers
children laughing
playing
people walking
praying...
branches wave
clapping
praising
as wind whispers through
needles dance
to their own rhythm
their own music
offering thier own praise
each part connected
roots, branches needles of pine,
connected
and separate
dependant and unique
tree,
what secrets will you reveal,
if i watch
listen and learn
sacred tree
speak....

today began with dance and ends with silence,
today was sunshine,
 journey groups
deep listening
labyrinth,
photography green leaves slowly budding, flowers slowly opening to the sun, water rushing,  gurgling,
trees broken from winter storms
pathways blocked,
images
metaphors,
knitting
silence
meditation
entering, in the words of Teresa of Avila, the interior castle
the place to encounter God's Holy Spirit,
Be still and know that i am God
Know that i am God
Know that I am
is silence now, i will listen with the ears of my soul,
i will watch with the eyes of my heart
what will i hear,
what will i notice
what will i see....??
silence a friend..
invites
beckons....
I am here God, I am here.

the day began early with a 6:30 alarm call, mediation at 7:30, breakfast at 8 and "class" at 9. Class itself began with movement, dance of a sort. Now dancing is NOT my forte like singing... it simply doesn't happen, so today was a day with buttons being pushed.. about dance about physicality and body. do we live in our bodies or merely exist in them?? this is the question i have been left with, no doubt as the week moves along and the dancing continues my pondering will deepen.  The notion of dancing caused me to write poetry.. of a sort.... perhaps I'll post it another time.

art was another topic for the day, drawing our life story and then telling it to our small group. this in preparation for the spiritual journey group i will begin when i return. so much can be said about our lives as we explain them in words but sometimes when you draw it, things are evident that would not have been noticed in a simple verbal telling......  and of course as the story is drawn or told, the question must be asked, where was God in those times...it can be interesting to step back and look at your life form a larger perspective see the whole picture, thus far, and seek Gods presence. Finally, to end the day, using art as a form of lectio devinia... something that needs more thought on my part. now its time to rest before another busy day, a day that will end with the beginning of a 24 hour silent retreat.  this retreat, is all about noticing, stepping back and noticing..... simple yet powerful. "Be still and know that  I am God scripture writes," so this is time, to be still and know God.