to doubt or not to doubt

One of the things I am most grateful for in my life is my ability to have doubts. I grew up in a house where my father would answer after we asked why, Because I said so! As I grew up he said believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see. Both of these seem to contradict themselves. "Because I said so" is never a good answer to give to anyone. We all need to be able to have the answers we need when we need them. I think we get those answers when we question and struggle with our thoughts and our actions. We all have times in our lives when we seem so sure of what we need to do and other times when we are filled with doubts. You know, it is okay to have doubts, we need them in order to give us the encouragement to keep seeking what it is we are meant to do in this lifetime and to be the best people we can be doing it. Our gospel story today in church, written by the writer we call John, is the story we often call Doubting Thomas. We often use that title as if it were a bad thing to have doubts, but I think it is a great thing! I wish we could all be a little more like Thomas and then we might work twice as hard to discover the mysteries of life. I think Jesus encouraged people to have a strong faith life, but not one of blind faith, perhaps open eyed faith. A faith where we question, struggle, and work together for a better world. May we all be open eyed as we go through this day and the rest of our days. Go with the love of all that is holy in your hearts.

It's Easter, Christ is Risen Indeed!

Greetings on this Easter morning. The sun rose beautifully at the Museum this morning and those of us brave enough to go to the sunrise service at 5:45 were blessed to see it. So Easter 2014 - what does it mean to us to say that Christ is Risen since it was almost 2000 years ago that first Easter morning when the women went to the tomb and discovered it empty. Well for me, it means that each year on this day I get to reaffirm my decision to live my life as a follower of the teaching of that great Jewish Mystic, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus taught folks that there is more to life than rules and regulations, he taught them that these rules and regulations need to be administered with compassion, justice and love. He taught people that they could have an intimate relationship with their God. We still think about and talk about these things today. This morning, we will hear a story, a beautiful story that begins in a garden. We will sing and pray using words like Christ is Risen and we will share in a meal, a communion together as we remember that the spirit is with us and within us always, and that we are loved for who we are and who we will continue to become. Christ is Risen, Indeed!

A Beautiful Sunday in Eston!

Good Morning All, what a beautiful sunny day in Eston today. I love days that begin with a beautiful sunrise. Yesterday the church had a booth at the Volunteer/Newcomer event in town at the complex. There were so many of you who stopped at our booth. Thanks for all the support and welcome to all the newcomers in town. Today at church we will be having our annual meeting. So many people to thank for all the work they do for our church and so many of them behind the scenes. A special thank you to Diane Anderson who is the person who keeps our church moving forward day after day. Take care all, and have a great day and a great week. Until next week! A Quote for the day: Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you… - Lao Tzu

Midweek ponderings

It seems to me that it is getting warmer outside, don't do you think? It was only -2 this morning, instead of -12 or -22. Much more seasonal. I can't wait for the nice weather. Although I am a winter lover, the cold weather got to even me this year. As I sit in my office, getting ready for the Lodge service today, I am reminded that Easter is almost here and that with the coming of spring, resurrection is more apparent. So often in our living we run from day to day, not stopping to feel and to see what is right around us. Do we see signs of resurrection? What brings thoughts of resurrection to mind for you? Is it the sight of a new bloom on a plant, the return of the birds who had gone for the winter, is it a feeling, that feeling of peace that we all long for? What exactly does resurrection mean to you? For me, Resurrection is a feeling, a new sense of the Holy, a time when I feel calm, hopeful and loved. A time of Peace. I am taking part in an Inner Peace E-Retreat this year. So each day I get an email with a message, a practice, and an affirmation. On Monday I got a message that contained a story, It didn't say who wrote it but I want to share it with you. The thought behind the message is that we struggle hard for inner peace, when maybe we don't need to struggle so hard after all. So here it is, hopefully the author won't mind: There is a powerful story about the danger of chasing peace through effort. An investment banker was on vacation in Mexico. He met a Mexican fisherman who was cleaning up a couple of fish he had just caught. The businessman asked him how long it took him to catch the fish. He said, "Not long." So the businessman asked him, "Why don't you stay out longer. You could catch more fish. "The Mexican replied, "This is enough to support my family. Now I have time to live a peaceful life--play with my children, take siestas with my wife, and drink wine and play guitar with my amigos in the evening. "The businessman said, "You should consider spending more time fishing. You could buy a whole fleet of boats, and open your own cannery. Eventually you could move to America and list your company on the Stock Exchange. "The Mexican said, "How long will this all take? "The businessman replied, "15 -- 20 years." "What then?" asked the Mexican. The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part. You will become so wealthy you can stop working. You can move to a coastal fishing village and live a peaceful life--sleep late, play with the grandkids, take siestas with your wife, and drink wine and play guitar with your amigos in the evening. " So, the moral of the story: Maybe we don't have to struggle so hard. Maybe if we stop looking so hard for peace, we will find it is already here. Resurrection is all around us, it is in the physical but it is also in the spiritual. It is part of who we are as people and we just need to slow down and take a look inside and out. My prayer for you today is that you will be able to take time, slow down, reach deep inside you to that place where the spirit dwells and surround yourself with peace.