Time to let go

One of the challenges–and sometimes a perk–of getting older is that you realize that it’s time to let go of items and events.

Sometimes that’s pretty easy. You discover that what seemed so important at one point no longer holds the same meaning for you. Or you discover that you are tired of having so much “stuff” in the house to dust and vacuum around. You may find that the events that kept you so busy for so long now take up time that you want to use in other ways.

But sometimes it’s much more difficult.

Some “things” carry memories and sentiment that still mean a lot to you…memories of people now gone or events that changed your life.

Events may be ways you have been involved in ministry in some form and you wonder if there is anything that can fill the hole that will be left when you no longer provide it in the way you have over the years.

Sometimes you have no choice but to let go because you just don’t have the energy to keep up…or you begin dealing with health situations that require a change.

I’ve been providing music ministry by playing for church for almost 70 years now. It has not only been a ministry for others; it has also fed my soul. Recently part of that ministry has involved accompanying a choir as they provide ministry to various congregations in my faith tradition.

But I’ve now found that it’s time to let go. I no longer have the energy to keep up with all the choir activities. I have been dealing with some health situations over the past year that have made it not possible to sit on a backless organ bench for the length of a service, although I can still offer piano ministry by sitting in a chair rather than on a bench or stool…and I can still do some organ playing as long as I am careful with where and for how long.

That’s not been an easy decision. I’ve had to give myself permission to mourn the loss of something that has been important most of my life. But in making that decision, I have discovered that some other possibilities have opened up…including composition, something I was interested in many years ago but put to one side as life intervened.

Learning when it is time to let go can be one of the most challenging lessons of life. But seeing it not so much as a “have to” but instead as a way of allowing other doors to open can make it an easier decision to make.

Having an epiphany…

“Epiphany” is not a word we hear used much in everyday conversation. When it is used, it is along the lines of someone “having an epiphany”…an “aha” moment, a sudden realization, an unexpected new way of seeing something.

I’ve been thinking a lot about that word this last two weeks, though. Partially because I was originally scheduled to preach a couple of weeks ago with the theme being “Recognize the Messiah” and the scripture being Simeon’s recognition of the baby Jesus as the Messiah when his parents brought him to the Temple, according to the Law.

But also because this last weekend was the celebration of the Epiphany in the Christian calendar. That celebrates two different events–the appearance of the magi with their gifts to the young child, and also Jesus’ baptism many years later. What these two events have in common–and also have in common with Simeon and the baby in the Temple–is that they are all experiences of people recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, the promised one. They are all “aha” moments…life-changing events for the individuals involved.

And it got me to thinking and wondering about my own epiphany experiences. When have I had them? Are there times when I have recognized the Divine? and times I have missed?

Epiphanies are not limited to one religious tradition. Nor are they limited to one time of year. We may experience them at specific times and places, but epiphanies by their very nature are unexpected. We cannot plan to have an epiphany, but we can be open to them.

May we all be blessed this year with epiphanies…those unexpected “aha” moments that cause us to look at people and the world around us with new eyes.

Advent 2

We’re still waiting, aren’t we?

Passively waiting? or working as we wait? And if we’re working, what keeps us going?

This week’s emphasis is hope. Not a pie-in-the-sky-everything’s-going-to-be-all-right kind of hope. That kind of hope may serve us when everything is going well–but what happens when our plans are disrupted? when things don’t go the way we planned? when we are hit with an unexpected accident or death?

How do we hope then?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, hope is “to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true.” An archaic definition is “a sense of trust.”

That first definition is what we usually think of when we talk about hope–it’s something we want to happen or be true…and when / if it doesn’t occur that way, then we lose hope. Maybe a better description of that kind of hope is “optimism”…what may be.

But if we live our lives with the older definition of hope–“a sense of trust”–then we can live in hope…a trust in someone we might call God…Creator…Allah…whatever name we use.

There’s a quote by Vaclav Havel about hope that I think catches up the meaning of hope during this Advent season:

So during this time of waiting, let us do so in this deep sense of hope. Let us live in that sense of trust–and let’s work together for things that are good for all of us.

Easter’s over…now what?

The chocolate bunny’s ears have been eaten (and maybe the whole thing!)…the Easter eggs have hopefully all been found and recovered from their hiding places. Family dinners have left us feeling full…morning sunrise services have been attended…new Easter outfits have been worn and proudly shown off.

And now it’s Monday.

Is Easter just one of those special days when we decide to attend church…and then we’ll show up again around Christmas? Maybe there’s a bit of preparation around those days–after all, isn’t that what Lent and Advent are for? But they’re kind of beside the point as we gather up everything for the Easter baskets (and then for the gifts under the tree). Or are they?

What do we do now that Easter’s over?

According to the Bible, the earliest followers of Jesus weren’t sure what to do either. Yes, the women shared that Jesus’ body wasn’t in the tomb–and the men heard their testimony that he lived and had appeared to Mary. But what were they supposed to do with that? Was it even true?

They stumbled about for a while.

It took Jesus appearing to them and talking to them several times before it really dawned on them that things were different…that the time they had spent with Jesus called them to be changed people. And they were. They couldn’t go back to the lives they had lived before.

What about us? We have the benefit of hearing their stories…of seeing how they were changed.

So…Easter is over…now what?

How much longer?

I stand in front of my closet and look at the clothes I haven’t worn for a couple of years…clothes for getting dressed up and going out to concerts and to church. My wardrobe has basically consisted of sweats or jeans and sweatshirts or long-sleeved shirts in the winter, and shorts and t-shirts in the summer.

I look at my jewelry—the earrings and necklaces that are still in the drawer of my jewelry chest or hanging on the earring keeper. I haven’t worn them much either the last couple of years. Periodically I put in some earrings just because I want to keep my pierced ears open. But I haven’t worn any of my “fancy” jewelry for a while.

I’ve missed those chances to dress up. I’ve missed the opportunities to connect with friends who love live music the way I do. I’ve missed the connections and sharing in worship.

But I’ve been lucky. I’ve been able to stay warm and safe. I’ve been able to stay in my pretty small “people bubble” with folks I trust who care enough to get vaccinated…to wear a mask…to socially distance…who recognize that part of being community is doing all we can to help keep everyone safe.

I wonder just how much longer this will last. When will I be able to wear those dressy clothes and jewelry again? When will I be able to share regularly in live concerts and worship?

I never dreamed we would be closing in on almost 900,000 deaths from Covid in the United States…and people would still believe that somehow it’s not real. I never dreamed that there would still be so many people refusing to get vaccinated because they don’t trust the science—but who still want treatment developed by that same science when they get sick. I never dreamed that so many would refuse to listen to medical personnel and scientists—instead, getting their “information” from the Internet or from podcasts promoted by individuals who have NO background in science or medicine.

I want to wear my dressy clothes and jewelry. I want to be able to go to concerts…to church…to other events without worrying whether someone next to me is contagious because they believe their “freedom” is more important than community caring.

When will that happen? I honestly don’t know. I just never dreamed it would take this long.