July 22, 2018
For the last 20 years
or so, my primary individual spiritual practice has been meditation. I would like to share a version of a
meditation that I have been doing recently.
Maybe you have meditated before and maybe you have not. Maybe you did
once and decided never to do it again.
But there are no meditation police running around. I can’t tell what is going on in your mind.
So, if you want to think about what you’re going to have for dinner or put
together your shopping list or zone out for a few minutes, I won’t be able to
tell.
But if you are willing,
I invite you to get comfortable where you sit.
I recommend feet flat on the floor, hands resting empty and comfortable
in your lap. Sit upright but don’t be
stiff. What’s more important than any of
that is simply to be aware of your body, just as it is. And if it would help you to concentrate, I
invite you to close your eyes, either all the way or just partially.
Now bring your
attention to your breath and become aware of your breath, just as it is. There
is no special way to breath. Your breath
already knows how to breathe, so however you are breathing is just right. So, relax!
Now bring your
attention to your heart center. That
would include your physical heart, but would also be something more, something
located more in the center of your chest. As you bring your attention to your
chest, you also bring your awareness with you.
As you bring your awareness to your heart center, you may also sense a
certain energy. Just be aware of that energy, or simply be aware of whatever
there is, even if there seems to be nothing special. Again, don’t worry! You’re not doing it
wrong!
Now, from your heart
center, offer gratitude to yourself. Maybe it’s something you have come to like
about yourself, or something you have done recently, or maybe it is that,
despite everything else, you have shown up here this morning. Offer some
gratitude, however small, to yourself.
Now, from your heart
center, offer gratitude to one other person, someone for whom it is easy for
you to generate appreciation – a parent, a grandparent, a spouse, a family
member, a close friend, a teacher, a mentor, a co-worker, even a beloved
pet. Offer appreciation to one other
person. That person doesn’t have to be
perfect. For the moment, set aside any
imperfections and offer gratitude.
Now, again from your
heart center, offer gratitude to someone whom you appreciate a little less,
maybe even someone who occasionally can be difficult. Nevertheless, think of one thing, even
something very small, that you can appreciate about that person. If you have trouble with this, again, don’t
worry!
Finally, from your
heart center, offer gratitude to God. That may be very easy for you. But it may not be. Perhaps, given the way your life has gone
recently, maybe you are not feeling very thankful to God. Still think of one small thing. And even if your cup is overflowing, think of
one small thing about which you can offer gratitude to God.
Wherever your attention
has gone, bring it back to your heart center for a moment. Then bring to your whole body, to your body
in the pew, to your presence in this sanctuary.
And when you are ready, I invite you to open your eyes.
In the last few years,
I have been reading the gospels – not so much as a simple narrative account of
the life of Jesus – but rather as a training manual for discipleship. This
includes some lists of dos and don’ts, like his instructions to the disciples
before he sends them out on their own.
But, also, what they are to do when they encounter challenges. For as important as this basic teaching is,
it is not enough. It is not enough for
everything they will encounter, every situation they will meet. It is not
enough for the life with God to which Jesus is calling them. For this they need
to learn to live from their hearts.
Mark 6 is a good example of this. In verse 7, we learn that Jesus
sends the disciples out and he gives them a list of does and don’ts – Pack as
light as you can. There is no special
equipment needed and there is no need for a special appeal for funds. Keep it simple. Stay in modest accommodations and be content.
If you’re not welcomed, don’t make a big scene.
Just shrug your shoulders and walk away.
The disciples then head
out to continue the work of Jesus – casting out demons, healing the sick, and
so forth. They return in verse 50. Sandwiched in between their going out and
their coming back is the story of the death of John the Baptist, our gospel
lesson for last week. It not only
presages the death of Jesus. It also lets the disciples know – and lets us know
– that living in the way of Jesus is not always a tiptoe through the tulips.
So, when they return,
Jesus doesn’t show them a power point on sales figures, give them a motivational
speech and then send them out again.
Instead, he takes them away to a quiet place, a lonely place, a deserted
place. They need to rest and reconnect
with God.
They go so far as to
sail across the Sea of Galilee. But, unfortunately, this does not stop the
crowds. People run all the way around the sea.
Some even get there before Jesus and the disciples reach the shore.
When Jesus sees them,
he doesn’t turn the boat around or drop anchor and stay offshore. He gets out and he looks on them with
compassion. His heart goes out to
them. Then he gets back to work.
Late in the day, the
disciples go to Jesus and say, “We’re a long way out in the country and it’s
very late. Give your blessing and send
these people off so they can go home and get some supper.”
Jesus looks at them and
says, “You feed them.”
The disciples are
aghast! “What? Are you serious? We could spend a fortune and not feed them all!”
But Jesus was serious. So,
he said, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They said, “Five. Plus
two fish.”
Jesus got everyone to
sit down. Then, he took the bread; he gave
thanks to God for the bread; he broke the bread; and he gave the bread. And also the fish. Everyone – all five thousand – ate as much as
they wanted. And they still had 12 baskets left over.
After the meal was
finished, Jesus told the disciples to get in the boat – without him this time –
and sail across the sea. They encounter
a stiff wind and can’t make any progress, even though they work all night.
Jesus has been at
prayer all this time. He walks out to
them on the water and intends on going past. They see him, but they don’t
realize it’s him. They think they are seeing a ghost. They are scared out of their wits and they
scream.
But Jesus says to them,
“Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid.” He steps into the boat and the wind
dies down. The disciples are at a loss
because they didn’t understand what he showed them in the supper.
They reach the other
side. And their work goes on.
There are times in ministry when
the need seems overwhelming and the resources are limited. When
Jesus raises the prospect of feeding the crowds, the disciples are
incredulous. There is no way that we
have enough to accomplish this work!
But Jesus simply takes what they
have – five loaves and two fish. He gives thanks to God for them and then he
shares them. So, we too in ministry –
when we feel as though what we have to offer is not nearly enough for the task
in front of us, we should simply take what we have, give thanks, and share,
trusting that whatever we have – with God’s power – is enough.
There are also times in
ministry when resistance is fierce, and we may despair that we are making any
headway at all. We may even wonder if we
are going to survive. Then we can
remember his word to the disciples – Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid. Rather
than losing our heads, we can take heart – we can live out of our heart center.
And what applies in
ministry also applies in our own lives – to live that life with God to which
Jesus is calling is to open our hearts to those around us; it is to practice
gratitude and generosity at every opportunity; and it is to not lose our heads
when we feel threatened, but instead come to our hearts and trust the presence
of Jesus. “Take heart; it is I; do not
be afraid.”
So, I invite you once more to get
comfortable in your seat, however that it.
Become aware of your body. Become
aware of your breath. Now bring your attention to your heart center. It may seem the same as before. It may seem different. Whatever it is, it’s OK.
Now in your heart center offer
some gratitude to God. Then hold these words
– Take heart; it is I; do not be afraid.
And finally, join me in prayer…
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