Thursday, July 26, 2012

July 26, 2012


When I look at your heavens,
the work of your fingers,

   the moon and the stars that you have established;

what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them?
from Psalm 8


These summer nights a person has to stay up really late to see the stars. The moon passes through its phases above us, and the thunderclouds roll across the evening skies with power and beauty.


No wonder our ancestors in faith attributed each vista of beauty and each uncontrollable power to God’s creative hand. I am overwhelmed sometimes by the natural wonders around me and awe leads me to praise. Or fear. Or wonder.


I don’t really think God is painting each sunset. But I do believe that God loves this world, and that it is God’s World, not mine. I am part of it and God is mindful of me. Wow. I have that in common with the poet who wrote Psalm 8.


So I am primed for praise. Ready to listen for God’s love when I am afraid. And open to God with wonder, sheer wonder, at the earth and our part as mortals walking around on it.
  

Blessings of beauty and awe to you,




The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

Friday, July 13, 2012

July 12, 2012


In the Gospels Jesus is portrayed as a border-crossing man. He went from Galilee to Samaria and back again. He traveled extensively in the region, and stopped in villages, cites, at the seashore and on hillsides. He brought blessing, healing, and wisdom.

Are you crossing borders this summer? Are you traveling across provincial boundaries, or national borders, or into parks? I wonder what it calls out of you to go to a different place: patience perhaps, or wonder or concern.

Perhaps you are enjoying the pleasures of our city this summer. Sunshine, thunderstorms, friendship, family, farmers’ markets: what do they call out of you?

Perhaps again this is a season with a different kind of border crossing. There may be a loved one who is looking toward the final crossing, the mystery of dying. May the blessings of our eternal loving God be with them, and you.

Maybe the border this summer is a line you drew in the sand and now the change is a household change, or an adjustment in your identity. Peace to you.

In all the borders we cross, God goes with us. Jesus went all over the places around him, with blessing, healing, and wisdom. Please trust that we are praying for those spiritual gifts to rest on you.



Blessings,
  
The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean

Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 4, 2012


This week we began our summer Sundays with neighbours at Knox-Metropolitan United Church. For four weeks they will come here and lead worship; we will offer hospitality, refreshments, a program for children, and babyfold care. Then we will be their guests for four weeks and lead worship there. Incidentally, worship time there is at 10:30, half an hour later than here. So if you come this week, come at ten. If you come to worship July 29 – August 19, come at 10:30.

Steven Johann is the minister at Knox-Met, and he preached Sunday. He asked us to look at our hands. Look at yours. How have your hands been busy? What stories could the marks or wrinkles or blemishes tell?

He read the Bible stories from Mark about Jesus healing a woman with a haemorrhage, and a little girl. 
We can restore people in our own ways, he reminded us – how do we use our hands? How do we embody God’s love with the work of our hands? 

Good food for thought. Good question to ponder as you dry dishes, or grasp the car steering wheel, or shake a neighbour’s hand. Good news that we reach out with God.



Blessings,

The Rev. Dr. Catherine Faith MacLean