Ron’s Sabbatical

The sabbatical so far has kept me close to home. It has been a daily mixture of contemplation, chores and some new discoveries. Richard Rohr’s daily meditations have lately focused on the human body as understood in incarnation theology. This was certainly on my mind as I also spent one full day learning more about wilderness first aid and CPR. The miracles of this life are everywhere around us.

It was a joy to sit in the pew on Sunday and simply receive worship. The pastor, who is my friend, will be retiring this summer and shared a very meaningful and personal message about the ministry of the congregation.

One ongoing discovery I’m experiencing are the prayers and poems of Celtic Christian spirituality. “Celtic” is a linguistic term; identifying where Celtic languages were and are spoken. They seem to have a rich tradition of the Christian faith as experienced in daily life. Here is one example by John Philip Newell.

Opening Prayer
In the morning light, O God,
may I glimpse again your image deep within me
the threads of eternal glory
woven into the fabric of every man and women.
Again may I catch sight of the mystery of the human soul fashioned in your likeness
deeper than knowing
more enduring than time.
And in glimpsing these threads of light
amidst the weakness and distortions of my life
let me be recalled to the strength and beauty deep in my soul.
Let me be recalled
to the strength and beauty of your image in every living soul.

John Philip Newell, twenty-first century poet & writer

Greetings Fellow Travelers! Here is another installment of this unusual experience called “Sabbatical”!

Similar to my first reflection, my experience in worship has again given me much to ponder. Perhaps it is because I am in such a different role as pastor as compared to worship participant, or maybe I simply feel guilty for not preparing more for Sunday mornings nowadays. Aside from my own mental gymnastics I am relishing opportunities to explore and discover.

My latest worship experience was in a non-liturgical church that divided the hour between singing and preaching. Mixed in between were announcements and a welcome for first-time guests who received cookies! It was a definite contrast to our SMLC worship and provided a lot to consider. In your travels this summer I encourage you all to seek an opportunity to worship in a different setting and style. It is always healthy to occasionally break out of the bubbles in which we dwell.

One feature of the church I attended were huge windows looking up at a high mountain slope. They were also large enough to view a building which was under construction and one solitary worker going about his job that Sunday morning. Watching that worker during the sermon was my little “sermon-within-the-sermon” you might say. On Sunday mornings it is quite easy to envision the Gospel of Christ being only for those in the room, in the church, and forget God’s grace and mutuality is just as much about that construction worker on Sunday morning. The big challenge of our day is to realize the deep inner-connectedness we share with all others. The more we can be guided by that, the more opportunity Christ’s love has to change the world.

Enjoying the cookies!

Pastor Ron

Hi Everyone!

Here’s another installment of the sabbatical you’ve heard so much about. What? You haven’t heard about the sabbatical I’m currently on? Let me bring you up-to-date.

The big southern swing I had envisioned for April didn’t quite work out the way I had hoped. Some plans and connections I was hoping to make didn’t come to fruition unfortunately. Instead I did make a trip to southern Colorado and New Mexico over a three-day period and enjoyed several National Park historical sites I had never visited before.

While visiting the Pecos Historical Park in Pecos, New Mexico, I had two enjoyable conversations with volunteers with the park. Like many in Estes Park they were retired and had relocated to the area for the primary purpose of volunteering. Both were from larger metropolitan areas in the East but had made the conscious decision to come West and give their time to something very important to their understanding of what American citizenship is about. These kind of people are a gift to our society and the communities in which they live. I hope we keep them in mind as we envision goals for our ministry going forward.

Another project has also begun. It involves installing a new roof on my home. Stan Johnson has graciously allowed me to work along side him as we began the installation process this week. I’m very grateful to Mike VanBrunt and Gary Trunnell who have also pitched in. Sore backs and sound sleep have been the norm this week. The work will be delayed for a while as Stan will be away and Susan and I leave for Scotland. We are excited and I hope to share my next blog from across “the pond”!

Sincerely Pastor Ron

I’m writing on the eve of our return home from Great Britain, primarily in Scotland. It has been a wonderful ten days filled with adventure and new experiences for Susan and me. After two days in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capitol, we struck out on our own to places not well known by most tourists. We were in search of places significant for historical, religious and environmental importance. And we found them! The most well known place was the small island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland. There we learned more about Saint Columba who brought the Christian Faith in the sixth century! The depth of history makes one very humble in the scope of life. The picture included here is my foot stepping into a footprint carved into The Stone of Destiny at Dunadd, a hill fortress of the first kings of Dal Riata, the time prior to the Scots. You need to know my foot didn’t fit the stone. There will be no kin doms in my future to be sure! The many layers of religious history and practice have given me much to ponder during this time. Our lives are a small part of history, yet an incredibly important part to the whole human experience. It begs the question: how do I live? Answer: faithfully.

Grace & Peace Pastor Ron

A Fine Roof Overhead

Read Mark 2:1-12

When the four friends of the paralyzed man in Mark 2 found they couldn’t enter the house where Jesus was speaking because of the crowd they found another way. They went up on the roof of the house and made an opening to lower their friend down to Jesus. This story is hilarious.

Can’t you just see it? Jesus is speaking. All eyes and ears are on him. His words of wisdom and divine knowledge are gripping the crowd. Then suddenly the roof begins to give way. People cower under falling debris and Jesus stops speaking. He’s looking up with everyone else, wondering what’s going on. Then the paralytic descends through the roof and Jesus smiles.

With a new and improved roof on my house I feel pretty comfortable now. No more shingles in the driveway after a windy night; no more worries about water seeping into the house. I have a fine roof overhead. I’m confident no paralytics will be lowered into my living room. But is Jesus smiling?

We value comfort and security a lot in our society. I’m happy and appreciative for my roof. Yet I hope it isn’t shielding me from the hilarious, and sometimes life-changing events, which God uses to draw us closer. If divine encounters aren’t going to enter by way of my roof, perhaps through an open door, a particular need, or the heart of friends taking me places I didn’t anticipate. Trusting that Jesus is part of it all seems to be where we need to start.

Meditate on what actions you take for the sake of comfort and security that might be shielding you from important divine encounters.

See you all soon!

Pastor Ron