For an upcoming District Pastor's meeting, I've been researching local labyrinths. In that research, I found that Church of the Nativity in Fort Oglethorpe has an outdoor labyrinth. Maybe I had run across that information before, but it didn't mean anything to me since I live in Hixson, TN. But because my appointment places me in Georgia (Flintstone, Rossville, and Fort Oglethorpe), that becomes significant.
Last week, I went to Church of the Nativity for the first time on Monday and walked and prayed the labyrinth. I went back again on Tuesday. I imagine it will become one of those "go-to" places in this part of my world, much like the pavilion at Flintstone UMC.
Walking and praying a labyrinth soothes my soul. Monday and Tuesday were no different. My stress level had gotten a little high. The week before I dropped my laptop on my foot, shattering the touch screen (optimizer) on the top portion. That wasn't the first thing I dropped that morning. I dropped a saucer and a muffin. It was the laptop that clued me in, though, that my stress level was higher than I recognized.
I did a quick examen (check) and realized that I hadn't really taken the time to allow my soul to catch up with my body lately. I hadn't been on a good walk or a good hike. I hadn't really taken time for centering prayer.
I took some moments for quiet and stillness that Monday morning before heading out to pick up my laptop. The screen had other issues and could not be fixed at the time, so now I am getting used to not using a touch screen these days.
After I picked up the computer (in Fort Oglethorpe), I decided to check out the labyrinth I had found online in my research before going in to the office.
Church of the Nativity is located on 1201 Cross Street in Fort Oglethorpe and was on my way to the office.
When I got there, I found the labyrinth in the back of the property. It is a beautiful labyrinth with a gravel path, decorated with river stone, mulch and plants.
As I walked the path, I found 6 "heart stones".
In the center of the labyrinth is this stone:
Prior to walking the labyrinth, I read these words from devozine, a youth devotional, on Instagram:
Oh, how I needed those words, in addition to the walk. The words were perfect to begin my meditation and walking time.
My soul did catch up with my body that day.... and again on Tuesday. Walking a labyrinth has been part of my spiritual journey for several years now and it always settles my heart, mind, and soul. It represents the ebb and flow of the journey inward and the journey outward.
This past Saturday was World Labyrinth Day. Though I didn't make it out on that particular day to walk a labyrinth, I'm grateful to now know of an additional one in the greater Chattanooga area.
If you live in the Chattanooga area and you're looking for a labyrinth for a prayer walk, check this one out.
In addition, you can check out these other outdoor labyrinths:
(1) Burks UMC on 6433 Hixson Pike has one in the back of the property in the
grass
(2) The Bright Schoolon 1950 Hixson
Pike has a concrete one and asks that people let them know they are on the
property
(3) St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on 305 W. 7th. (outdoors, but accessed by going indoors)
(4) New
Hope Presbyterian Church on 7301 Shallowford Road
A prayer for entering the labyrinth: (taken from Burks UMC pamphlet "The Prayer Path")
Lord Jesus, be with me in my walking. Be with me in my listening. Christ, open my heart, mind and body to receive.
A prayer for leaving the labyrinth: (taken from Burks UMC pamphlet "The Prayer Path")
Holy Spirit of God, I hold in my heart the gift you have given to me. However confusing, however clear, I accept it as your gift for me today. May I savor it and respect it until I understand the treasure that it is. Amen.
Today I preached at Fort Oglethorpe UMC. We had an unexpected death last weekend and the service was this past week. The music leader took a break last week and this week as it was her brother who passed. Because I had worked ahead, I hadn't revisited the Scriptures or title for the week until the first of the week. It was appropriate for the week. But not just for the recent death in this family and in this congregation. Looking around the worship space today, there were at least 3 other families who have experienced deaths in their families since my appointment. There have been deaths in our other two churches too. There is brokenness in lives. If not due to the death of a loved one, then for other reasons. There is a need for wholeness and healing in all lives. Today's message, "Love, Peace, and the Holy Spirit" speaks to that wholeness and healing that Christ spoke about to the disciples.
As with any sermon I post, what is written below is not always what is said verbatim in a service. Things are added or omitted, but it gives you a general idea of the message.
"Cry Out to Jesus" by Third Day (This was the Special Music played prior to the sermon. It was an added blessing to the service that had brought healing to others as they had watched it during the week.)
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"Love, Peace, and the Holy Spirit"
May 1st, 2016 (Easter 6)
John 14: 23-29(NRSV)
Fort Oglethorpe UMC
John
14: 23-29(NRSV)
23 Jesus answered him,
“Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will
come to them and make our home with them.24 Whoever does not love me
does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the
Father who sent me.
25 “I have said these things
to you while I am still with you.26 But the Advocate,the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all
that I have said to you.27 Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let
your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.28 You heard me say to you,
‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice
that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.29 And now I have told you
this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
Today is the 6th Sunday of Easter. "Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen indeed!"
We come together this morning to worship the Lord of
Lord and King of Kings in the midst of life—continued grief and continued
celebrations. We join together in
community to hold one another up, to encourage one another, to pray for one another
as each of us has different concerns, burdens, struggles, joys, and
celebrations.
Today’s passage brings us a message of hope in
spirit and in truth that we are not alone.
Let’s begin in verse 23. It is a tad odd that the lectionary passage
chooses to start with a verse that states: “Jesus answered him” and without
looking back, we don’t know who asked or what the question is. The context for the passage is that Jesus is
in the upper room, sharing his final discourse with the disciples. Here is verse 22: “Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you
will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?”
Knowing the question
helps us better understand the answer … or does it? Jesus has a way of not always answering the
exact question answered. Jesus answers
here in verses 23-24: “Those who
love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to
them and make our home with them.24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that
you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.” The answer doesn’t directly answer Judas’
question about revealing himself to the disciples, but talks about those who
will love Jesus, how they will respond, and how the Father will respond to
them. Jesus also clarifies that the word
heard is from the Father, reminding the disciples of Jesus’ relationship with
God. To simplify these 2 verses, we love
God and Jesus by keeping the words of Jesus which are of God. Remember when Jesus put it very simply for
the disciples to remember how to show love in context of what is the greatest
commandment?
Matthew 22:36-40 --“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the
greatest?”37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the greatest and first commandment.39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’40 On these two commandments hang all the law and
the prophets.”
Love. Jesus taught about love in word and deed.
The
next things Jesus teaches here is about the Holy Spirit and peace.
Verses
25-26—“I have said these
things to you while I am still with you.26 But the
Advocate,the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind
you of all that I have said to you.”
Jesus
is trying to prepare them for his departure in this final discourse. He is sharing everything that he can with
them while he is still with them. But he
wants them to know that when he is gone, the Holy Spirit will be with
them. Here, the term “Advocate” is
used. Other terms are: counselor, guide,
helper, companion, comforter, encourager.
The Father will send the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name to be with the
disciples to remind them what Jesus taught and to continue to teach them.
The
Holy Spirit is a gift from God sent to minister in all these ways. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in
your life? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit as Advocate? Counselor? Guide?
Helper? Companion? Comforter? Encourager?
Earlier
in this final discourse, in John 14:17, Jesus told the disciples that they will
know the Holy Spirit: “You
know him, because he abides with you, and he will be inyou.”
How amazing is it that
we are not left alone, but have access to the Holy Spirit who abides with us
and in us?
Jesus
uses the teaching of the Holy Spirit to lead into that of peace.
Verse
27—“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them
be afraid.”
Though there are many
powerful teachings in this passage, for me, this is the take away verse for
today, the central verse. Notice the
bulletin cover.
Jesus is telling the
disciples that he offers them peace. Not
as the world gives, but peace. It is a
peace that often defies understanding and flows deeper than our
circumstances. For me, it is the type of
peace that one has when your brother has been in a race car accident and is in
a coma for several months and you don’t know what is going to happen. It truly is the peace
that passeth understanding. Even though
I have heard this saying, I didn’t know its origin, so I looked it up:
Philippians 4:7 (KJV)—“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Other versions use “transcends”
or “surpasses” instead of “passeth”.
How
many have known this peace in difficult situations? How many sitting here today can testify to
that peace even in the midst of Jim’s untimely death? This peace helps us through the difficult
times and helps us heal in the broken and wounded areas.
Jesus
continues his teaching in this passage in verses 28-29: “You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to
you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because
the Father is greater than I.29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it
does occur, you may believe.”
Jesus has tried several
times to let them know he would be leaving them. It hasn’t been easily understood. Even though they walked with Jesus, learned
first-hand from Jesus, lived with Jesus, they didn’t always understand
him. In fact, they often misunderstood
him. I continue to be grateful for
Jesus’ grace in working with the disciples because I know that the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit will work graciously with me as well.
When Jesus tells them
that they would “rejoice” knowing that he is leaving, he isn’t telling them not
to grieve. He is setting up the bigger
picture for what his purpose was and is.
He realized that because of the relationship he had with them, his
leaving would be difficult. The Easter joy of resurrection and being with the
Father does not negate grief of losing the relationship. Jesus knew that grief when he wept at the
grave for a friend. There is a way to
experience both joy and grief in loss of a loved one.
What Jesus offers the
disciples (and us) in today’s passage is love, peace, and the Holy Spirit. What Jesus is reminding them and us is that
we can be made whole. Today, we
celebrate Holy Communion, a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and love for
us. It is a time of remembrance, but not
one of grief. It is a time of
celebration as we recognize that we are made whole in Christ and whole as the
body of Christ.
