A number of years ago I received a telephone call from my sister, Kristen. She had just attended a concert featuring a choir and orchestra in Vancouver where she lives and where we both completed our undergraduate degrees…
Jubilation and Grief
"The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!' "
The picture above shows a view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. It was taken along the traditional route walked by Christians to mark the biblical story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Every year, we do something similar in the congregations of St. Lawrence Parish: we gather together, read the story, and process around the building. We wave palm branches and sing songs of praise. It is this tradition of processing with palms that gives Palm Sunday it's name. I believe the practice of experiencing the story from the inside is important. Enacting the biblical narrative together helps us to become participants, rather than mere observers of the event.
Stillness
“The sole cause of man’s unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”
from Pensées by Blaise Pascal, French polymath, 1623 - 1662
That’s a timely observation, isn’t it? It’s been nearly four centuries since Pascal penned that, yet it seems to me that people today – including myself – are unhappy for much the same reason.
Imagination
There is a film I have been wanting to see for a while. I have wanted to watch it ever since I heard it was being produced. Even though it has been released and is ready to be watched at home, I just cannot seem to sit down and watch it. The subject matter is dear to my heart; the lead actor is one of my favourites. But when I think about watching it, there is a nagging worry that the movie might not be as good as I have built it up to be in my mind. What if it isn't as great as I expect?
Hope and Faith
Living in Texas much of my early adulthood, I always looked forward to Springtime when the Bluebonnets would bloom. They are really nothing more than a weed and spread everywhere uncontrollably, but they are so beautiful when they bloom that the highways and Hill Country of central Texas are transformed into a visual heaven of God’s design.
Steadfast
In a thoughtful note I received last week, a parishioner mentioned in passing how a relative of hers was absorbed in the task of obedience training a young dog. With the imperative of social distancing in mind, she lightheartedly – yet seriously – observed that humans may be more difficult to teach how to “sit and stay” than the puppy. I laughed out loud. She’s right.
Perspective
A few years ago, I tried my hand at cross-stitch. Being inexperienced at the art form, I used a kit, which included a printed canvas pattern and all the coloured wool that would be needed. The stitches themselves were simple. To be honest, the entire project is just a series of coloured X's. By the end, there would be several thousand of these stitches. Individually, the stitches have little impact. Together, they carry more meaning.
