Parable of the Trapeze

"Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I'm either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or, for a few moments in my life, I'm hurtling across space in between trapeze bars...

But every once in a while as I'm merrily (or even not-so-merrily) swinging along, I look out ahead of me into the distance and what do I see? I see another trapeze bar swinging toward me. It's empty and I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart of hearts I know that, for me to grow, I must release my grip on this present, well-known bar and move to the new one."

~Danaan Parry, "The Parable of the Trapeze" (link to full parable below)

This is the most splendid description of what I feel is happening within me these days. I am swinging along on a trapeze (don't look down!) All is well until, like Danaan Parry, I see an empty trapeze bar swinging my direction. It's calling to me and feels just like what I am to do. The hardest part is that space between the two trapeze bars, when I have nothing to hold. I'm in a sort of free fall, waiting to grab onto the second trapeze bar. I know that I cannot hold both the bars at the same time, but letting go of the first intimidates me. I encourage you to click on the link below and read the full Parable of the Trapeze by Danaan Parry. Can you see yourself in the parable? Love, heidi

The Parable of the Trapeze

Firm foundations...

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock..."
Matthew 7:24

Conversely, those who hear Jesus' words and do not heed them will be like the squirrels in my tree, whose house has been pretty much destroyed by wind and weather at this point! It looked like such a sturdy shelter for them, too, when they built it last fall. I marveled at them, racing up and down the tree with stuff in their little mouths as they added to the nest. It was big and looked like it belonged in the high-rent district. But now, months later, there's not much left of it. The baby squirrels have grown and gone and probably are making nests in other trees. The parents have retired and have moved into little squirrel care centers, I guess. What does this teach us about our own shelters? Besides the fact that we are all just passing through? It teaches us the importance of a firm foundation. Jesus gives us a firm foundation in how to live our lives as his followers. We can either do it or not, but his words are out there for us to heed (Matthew 25:31-46). I don't think a firm foundation can be based on fear or threat of punishment. Doing something to avoid hell seems like a sandy foundation to me. But doing something for another out of love and respect for the other, who is also a child of God, seems more sturdy and reliable. Jesus taught us to love and serve each other and that is as firm a foundation as we can find. Love, heidi

Wisdom from Joan...

From TV show, Joan of Arcadia:
Joan to the Little Girl God: "The way I felt about Iris, it was so ugly. Why would you put those feelings in me?"
Little Girl God to Joan: "Everyone has a part of themselves they don't like, Joan. You carry it around like a weight. The lucky ones realize that when it becomes too heavy you can choose to set it down. That's when you can see things the way they really are."

For those who aren't familiar with the TV show Joan of Arcadia, it was on in the early 2000's and became a voice of wisdom for me when I was going through a hard time. Joan was a teenage girl, struggling to fit into a new high school and God would appear to her and make little suggestions for her. She only knew the person was really God when God would say her name. In this episode, Joan was jealous of a new girl, Iris. She said snarky things about Iris and surprised herself how icky she could be when it came to Iris. Through the episode, she got to know Iris a bit more and found how pained and difficult Iris' life had been. She saw Iris how she really was, and it brought her up short in how she felt. Wouldn't it be great if we could chat with God when things bug us? And God would give us great advice like this? There are times I surprise myself how ugly I can feel about things. Why do I feel so icky? Thankfully, I can pop in a DVD and there is the Little Girl God saying, "You carry it around like a weight...when it becomes too heavy you can choose to set it down." Good advice...Love, heidi
(If anyone is interested in watching Joan of Arcadia, the two seasons are available on DVD from Amazon)

Praying to a dear friend...

"Your father knows what you need before you ask him."
Matthew 6:8

Jesus' disciples have asked him how they should pray in this passage and Jesus seems to give them reason to question even why they should pray. If God already knows what we need what's the point? Richard Rohr frequently says that we don't pray to change God's mind about us but to change our minds about God. That's sure a good explanation! We pray to be in relationship with God. We pray to connect, converse and convene with God. Maybe we pray less for a specific outcome than for the grace and strength to get through the difficulties of our unfolding lives. A great example for how to pray is Mary, who at the wedding feast at Cana, just stated the problem to Jesus. "They have no wine," she says (John 2:3). That's the deal. She doesn't tell him what to do about it. I try to do the same, with mixed results. "Blaine is flying solo in a small airplane." I state the concern, trying not to add the Yikes! factor. God already knows my mother's heart! Ultimately, no matter how we pray or the why, or what-for, God always just loves hearing from us. Let's spend some time today, thinking about how we can pray to give glory to God and naming our concerns just like we would to a dear, loving friend. And finally, let's try to step back and trust that God's will for us is the best outcome. "Your will be done." (Matthew 6:10). Love, heidi

Spirit of Christ...

"Jesus said to his disciples, 'I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now...'"
John 16:12

Sometimes I feel this happens on retreat. Jesus has my undivided attention for days in a row and there is just so much for me to learn! This time I even stayed an extra day at the hermitage to get a little bit of the "much more" Jesus had to share. My main study book this time was "The Universal Christ" by Fr. Richard Rohr and it is indeed a doozy! The hermitage was a perfect place to observe the Christ-soaked universe that Fr. Richard describes in the book. Everything and everyone have been breathed into life by our Creator Christ and thus, contain the Spirit of Christ. "Whoa, that!" one would say--really? But looking around the mesa, bathed in spring, it was easy to see. From the tiniest bug to the foliage to the young buck mule deer I saw several times, the spirit of Christ was present. Fr. Rohr calls creation the first Incarnation of God. God came first in creation and we little humans are part of that, too. I felt like I was just another creature in the midst of creation, celebrating the fact that we all are en Christo, alive in Christ. So, today, our nearly-summer Monday, let's look at our world a bit differently, can we? Either the spirit of Christ is in everything or it is in nothing. Let's stretch ourselves and try to see it in everything and everyone we encounter this day! Love, heidi

Who are the sheep?

"'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was distressed that (Jesus) had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep...'"
John 21:17

Peter is getting an opportunity to apologize to Jesus here on the beach, for his three denials the night Jesus was arrested. But, there is so much more to this exchange...stuff for us to read and heed, too. Jesus is telling Peter that loving him requires action. Loving Jesus is much more than simply saying so, it is doing so. And one doesn't have to think too hard to understand who the sheep and lambs are that Jesus is telling Peter to tend, either. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus answers the question "Who is my neighbor?" with the story of a guy who goes out of his way to help another guy--a guy unlike himself. And that is the critical message for us in our day. Our love for Jesus is demonstrated in how we treat others; from our family and loved ones to the people we may feel we share little in common. The "other" guy. The other we may not understand or see as worth getting to know. The other we may disagree with or be on opposing sides of issues. The other we may even fear for some reason. The sheep and lambs Jesus is telling Peter to tend are the "others" we are tempted to cross the street to avoid. But showing love to them is showing love to Jesus. Let's allow that to guide our actions this summer Friday! Love, heidi
(Oh, and I will be on retreat at Marymount next week, so will be praying for all from the porch of St. Helen's hermitage!)