This week, I’m learning with pastors from Tacoma, Washington to Long Island, New York, along with a fair share from North Dakota and Minnesota (still quite a few Lutherans out there, after all) at Camp Lutherlyn, one of our ELCA-supported camps, just north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Because, as much as we know the landscape on the organized religion (and many other) front is being slightly altered, to say the least, we also know that just sitting in a room in front of lecturer isn’t going to help enough: we need relationships. We need conversations. We need humility and honesty. We need a willingness to try and a grace to pick us up when it doesn’t work. We need people who can very well say, “I know exactly what you’re going through. It reminds me of…” but will hold back and simply listen.
It’s not always ideal to have to make the trip from one side of Cleveland to the other, but after our Bible study Monday evening, focusing on Matthew 14:22-33, in which walking-on-water Jesus saved not-so-walking-on-water Peter, the full moon started to emerge with its eye-catching beauty in the sky. One of the details in that story is the time when Jesus starts defying the laws of physics. Scholars say the literal translation would be “in the fourth watch of the night,” meaning between 3 and 6am.
Last week, I had to take a detour from a road that seemed to never get any attention since we moved here several years ago. Nevertheless, the bold “Road Closed” sign forced me to alter from this version of “we’ve always done it this way.” We weren’t exactly running behind schedule, but it was still a nuisance, nonetheless. And then this car in front of us, on this particular “road less traveled,” had a bumper sticker that seemed to be as outlandish as the detour: “I hope something good happens to you today.” The alteration ended up being worth it, in the end.
Sparky seems to be our de-facto neighborhood dog. A couple times each day, he’ll do his obligatory stroll up-and-down our block with one of his “parents.” Our children thoroughly look forward to the possibility of even seeing him through our front windows, let alone the thrill if he’s walking towards them on the sidewalk. All he needs to do is place his front paws up on the stroller with his own canine-version smile and a joyous tail-wag while allowing them to pet his fluffy goodness (and maybe even one of the “parents” will hand off a treat to be shared with him) and their day is made, leading to smiles and giggles whenever his name is mentioned the rest of the day. Granted, perhaps they’re easily amused, but sometimes the animals have a way of uplifting the soul that we cannot overlook.
Word has it that people seemed to appreciate the worship song selections even more so this past Sunday: from “Here I Am, Lord” and “Shine, Jesus, Shine” at 9am, to “Oceans” and “Graves into Gardens” at 11am. And perhaps there was deeper appreciation because of worldly happenings that were weighing on people’s hearts and minds and to the depths of the soul.
