The Ocean A Pleasant Place

Psalm 42:7-8 KJV A peaceful place listening to the ocean roar

Endure All Things With Hope

Romans 8:18-27 KJV; 8th Sunday after Pentecost: No matter what we endure we have hope and we continue in the mission of the church that others may also have the same hope in Jesus Christ.

Strength For The Weary

The weary shall mount up wings of an eagle

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

                                                                                  (Isa 40:28-31 KJV)

I have been a bit weary lately. It seems it gets more and more difficult each day to get anything accomplished. We are in the process of selling our home in Michigan. We have been waiting to close on the sale for months. I have paperwork laying all over my office. Every time I think we're close to closing, I'm ruffling through all of the stacks of paper once again. The title company seems to be having problems figuring out things. Today is exactly four months after we accepted the offer. So... I am feeling very weary. I have to keep reminding myself that God will take care of things according to his will and in his time so I am editing and reposting this story I wrote a year ago to remind myself and you to trust the Lord to give us strength in all things.

I was on a sabbatical kayaking on the southern shore of Lake Superior many years ago. The stretch I was traveling that day was very remote. There was no cell service. There were no roads. There were no homes along this stretch of shoreline. There were only woods. There was also a storm that came up once I was on the water. The rain was light; but, there was a lot of wind and some really rough wave action. It was not the first time that I had paddled during small craft warnings. If it had not been for my husband waiting at a park with lunch for me at the end of this stretch I would have pulled up on shore and set up my tent until the weather calmed down. But, he was expecting me and I knew that if I was way too late he would have the Coast Guard out looking for me. Although, weary from battling the wind and waves I was determined to keep going. 

I was finally quite exhausted. The wind and the rain had gotten worse so I decided to go on shore and eat a little bit of lunch hoping that the storm would die down a bit. The landing was a little rough; but, not too bad. I ate lunch taking cover under a tree from at least some of the rain. The prospect of launching was a little daunting as the water grew fiercer. I love Lake Superior; but, she is something to be very wary of so I laid down and fell asleep  waiting for her to calm down. When I opened my eyes I beheld a bald eagle on a limb above me; looking down; watching me. I could see his eyes plainly. I could see every wet feather on his head. I remembered this verse from Isaiah: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

My strength was renewed. I got up and back out on the water with the assurance that God was with me. The launch was much rougher than the landing. I struggled against the waves as I launched and paddled far enough from the shoreline to where it was not quite so rough. It took over six hours for me to make the about three hour journey to where my husband was waiting for me. And... yes, he had grown very worried. But, thankfully he had not called the Coast Guard, yet! 

There are many days that we grow weary. Sometimes the storms of life wear us out. Sometimes even the lack of storms can actually make us weary of life; weary of the same old things. But, no matter what causes us to grow weary and to lose our strength or our courage to move forward, we can know that God is with us. We can be confident that He will give us power and strength. He gives us the courage to rise up with wings like eagles and keep going no matter what challenges the days will bring us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Departed Brothers: Fr. Basil; Fr. Nicholas

Monastery at Jacob's Falls, Eagle Harbor, MI

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

                      (John 13:34-35 KJV)

I met Fr. Basil in 1997. I was the Vicar for a church without walls in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. I had up to five services all over the Keweenaw during any given week and by weeks end I needed to be refreshed. I needed to hear the word and not just preach it so I began attending Saturday evening Vespers on the shore of Lake Superior at the Holy Transfiguration Skete, Eagle Harbor, MI; a Catholic Monastery of the Byzantine Rite. When I first began attending worship with the monks, services were held in their living room. It has since grown greatly!

  

I always left worship with the brothers rejuvenated and ready for the coming week. For those of you who have not attended one of their services, they are completely chanted, including the readings. There are no musical instruments to accompany the chanting; just voices. The words are not drowned out by the organ. I can focus more fully on the word when I can hear it. And... they didn't even mind my chanting. After I had moved away and continued to worship occasionally with them, Fr. Nicholas had commented that he always smiled when he heard me chanting behind him because he knew that I had made the trip to be with them once again. Yes, when I attempt to sing or chant people often smile. I am a preacher not a singer! But, I love doing both. Worship at the monastery is also done  mostly standing. The only time that there is any sitting down is during the readings; unless you are disabled. Whenever I hear people complaining about  standing  too much during worship; I think of Jesus being tortured and hanging on the cross for so many hours for our sakes. 

Fr. Nicholas passed away in 2017. As I was surfing the internet this morning I stumbled across Fr. Basil's obituary. He died on November 30th of this past year. It was a bit of a shock as he always seemed so healthy. 

Despite doctrinal differences, these co-founders of the Holy Transfiguration Skete were truly brothers in Christ. I do miss them. They not only  spiritually supported me and my ministry in the Keweenaw and elsewhere, they were  supporters of many people in need whether the needs were spiritual or physical even as the brothers left behind still are there praying for and helping those in need. What I have witnessed is genuine love for others through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Time has been passing here on earth rather quickly it seems. I will not be seeing brothers Basil or Nicholas again here on earth again. But, that is okay as we look to living in the Kingdom prepared for all who believe, in the presence of God, for all eternity.

May God continue to bless the brothers of St. John's Society with love and with his peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Judging By Appearances

And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

                                                                                                         (1 Samuel 16:1, 6-7 KJV)

When Samuel was sent to anoint the son of Jesse that God had chosen to be the next king he looked at Eliab and decided that he looked like a king. But, God told him not to judge by their appearances. God does not choose by what people look like. He doesn't choose by their height, their weight nor does he judge by the color of their eyes, hair, or skin! He chooses by their character; their abilities, what is inside their hearts and minds. He knows each of us intimately and he knows what he will he accomplish through us. In the end, David the youngest son of Jesse who had been left in the fields to care for the sheep comes and is chosen by God to be anointed king. The least of the brothers is to be first in the kingdom.

It is too bad that as humans we often judge others by the way they look without considering what may be in their hearts. One of my granddaughters likes to routinely color her hair in various bright colors. Right now it is bright orange. A year and a half ago she moved near us and I took her around to job interviews. She is bright and very out-going as well a pretty conscientious worker. It so happened that on one day she had two job offers. She had a dilemma. Which one to accept? She had experience doing the work of one of the positions.  However, the management there wanted her to take out her piercings and dye her hair to a normal color. She had no experience for the other position but they did not care about her outward appearance. I encouraged her to accept the position that would allow her to be herself and keep her orange hair. I felt that she would enjoy working with people who weren't judging her by her appearance much more than working in the place where she had to change to be accepted. She went with the more relaxed place of work and is still working there. She really enjoys the people she works with as well as the work on most days.

Yesterday, she and and I went on a kayak tour. I have been kayaking since 1996 so I don't really need to be on a guided tour for safety's sake. But, I do not know the rivers all that well around Florida so I sometimes use tours so that I can familiarize myself with the waterways.  The river was a pretty lazy river. We did more floating than paddling. About halfway through the tour we turned to go back upstream. One of the guides came over to me and said he wanted to give me heads up that we would be going against the current so it might be a bit rougher. He did not warn anyone else; just the "old lady". I couldn't help but smile as I was pretty convinced that my paddling abilities were being judged by my wrinkles and graying hair. I was not offended. I've been around long enough to know he was probably genuinely concerned. He was actually a very nice young man. Smiling, I did let him know that I didn't think it would be a problem as I had on a few occasions kayaked Lake Superior in small craft warnings. That little paddle upstream was, of course, not a problem. In the flat land of Florida the creeks and rivers really are quite smooth paddling and most of the way back to the landing we were still floating and not paddling. I actually do like to paddle. In the future I will be careful what paddling tours I go on or find a good GPS app and skip the tours. I go for the scenery and this tour was particularly beautiful. But, a little bit of exercise doesn't hurt, either. 

We must be careful not to judge people's hearts or abilities by their outward appearances. This is repeated by God throughout the history of his people. He does not judge by appearances; nor should we.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

I Prefer The WIlderness

 

"It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman." (Prov 21:9 KJV)

Whether it is a contentious man or woman or even a contentious and angry neighbor, it is better to dwell in the wilderness where one is not wholly distracted by conflict. God did not intend for us to spend our lives fighting with others.

I have had more than my share of contentious neighbors. I have often said that I would prefer to live in a tent than in a situation where I don't even want to go outside. There have been more than a few places like that. The last place that we lived in had a dock on a canal that I could launch my kayak from. By the time we finally moved I rarely sat on the dock because my neighbor would watch every move I made. I felt like I was being stalked!

I am now living in a more rural area without too much land; but, with wooded areas surrounding us. The area is growing. But, at least for now my yard is not visible to any of my neighbors. We also own a small home in a cedar swamp on a river off of Lake Superior. We should sell it since we don't use it much; but, I am reluctant to because I am not sure if one day I will begin to feel closed in again and I will have to retreat to it and hide out in the wilderness.  Many would disagree that this would be a right way to go; but, that is who I am.

Simply put: After years (decades) of living house to house with others, I love the wilderness. I love people too. But, I do need quiet time and space to spend with the one I love most. I don't appreciate it when anyone disrupts my ability to commune and communicate with my God; with my Lord and Savior. 

The prophet Isaiah wrote:  "Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!" (Isa 5:8)

I thank God that He has provided me with quiet and at least semi-wilderness places to abide with Him at this point in my life. (I also thank God for Robin who shovels our roof in Michigan and makes sure home in Michigan still has a roof when we get there!)

God's Peace - Pr. J.

He Gives Strength To The Weary

 

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

                                                                                  (Isa 40:28-31 KJV)

I was on a sabbatical kayaking on the southern shore of Lake Superior. The stretch I was traveling that day was in a remote area. There was no cell service. There were no roads. There were no homes along this stretch of shoreline. There was only the woods. There was also a storm that came up once I was on the water. The rain was light; but, there was a lot of wind and some really rough wave action. It was not the first time that I had paddled during small craft warnings. If it had not been for my husband waiting at a park with lunch for me at the end of this stretch I would have pulled up on shore and set up my tent until the weather calmed down. But, he was expecting me and I knew if I was way too late he would have the Coast Guard out looking for me. Although, weary from battling the wind and waves I was determined to keep going. 

I was finally quite exhausted. The wind and the rain had gotten worse so I decided to go ashore and eat a little bit of lunch and hopefully the storm would die down a bit. The landing was a little rough; but, not too bad. I ate lunch taking cover under a tree from at least some of the rain. The prospect of launching was a little daunting as the water grew fiercer. I love Lake Superior; but, she is something to be very wary of so I laid down and fell asleep  waiting for her to calm down a bit. When I opened my eyes I beheld a bald eagle on a limb above me; looking down; watching me. I could see his eyes plainly. I could see every wet feather on his head. I remembered this verse from Isaiah: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

I got up and back out on the water with the assurance that God was with me and that my strength was renewed. The launch was way rougher than the landing as I struggled against the waves to get back out and far enough from shore where it was not quite so rough. It took me some time to get to the park where my husband was waiting. What should have been a three no longer than a four hour paddle had turned into over a six hour journey. And... yes, he had grown very worried. But, thankfully he had not called the Coast Guard, yet! 

There are many days that we grow weary. Sometimes the storms of life wear us out. Sometimes the lack of storms can actually make us weary of life; weary of the same old things. But, no matter what causes us to grow weary and to lose our strength or our courage to move forward, we can know that God is with us. We can be confident that He will give us power and strength. He gives us the courage to rise up with wings like eagles and keep going no matter what challenges the days will bring us.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Time With God

Woe unto them that join house to house!

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! (Isa 5:8 KJV)

Isaiah makes it sound like it's a good thing to be alone and for some of us it is. Others, for some reason unknown to me, enjoy living side by side. I've tried it. It was bearable most of the time. I have also lived in places that were not quite so bearable. 

I am still trying to adjust to our latest home. It is a humble home on almost two acres. We really can't see any neighboring houses. The area surrounding our property is wooded areas and we have a small pond in the middle of it. I definitely appreciate those things! Yet, I find myself missing our home in Michigan. There is nothing expansive or extravagant about our property there, either. Yet, it is also mostly surrounded by a cedar swamp except for the bay that connects to Lake Superior in the backyard. There will probably never be anyone building in the swamp to the north of us as the Ojibway Tribe owns hundreds of acres there.  

I miss our secluded place in Michigan; but, when I consider the cold they are experiencing right now and the very slow economy that seems to be terminal there, I can really appreciate our home in Florida. We may not be as secluded as I like; but, it is secluded enough and I do not have to live on top of or below anyone in an apartment or condo. I do not have to live ten feet from my neighbor or contend with an HOA.

There is a time and a place for everything. There is a time and a place to be social. It is a very good thing to be in the company of others. But, there is also a need to be alone at times so that we can find rest in the company of none other than Almighty God. 

We; after all, need some quiet and alone time in order to hear God whisper. When Elijah was on the run and seeking to hear from God, he did not hear Him in the noise. In the sheer silence, he heard His whisper.

And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. (1 Kings 19:12)

There may be many who can shut out all the noise of living house to house. They may actually enjoy it. I am not one of them. I need the quiet presence of God to keep my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. I thank God often for the homes He has provided me with and for the opportunity to spend time alone with Him.

May God grant you enough quiet to spend quality time with Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J.