Irony and hope.

In the cathedral in Brugos we came across an amazing chapel off the main nave.  The art work was marvellous.  There is an Da Vinci painting of Mary Magdalene.

  It is reminiscent of the Mona Lisa. Opposite this is the alter area of the chapel overlooked by a statue of Saint James on a war horse with sword in hand tramping moors and slicing off heads.  The irony in the scene is the placement to a modern statue of the flogging of Jesus.  The eyes of Jesus communicate sorrow and one can't help but wonder if the true sorrow is the use of his name to glorify violence just above in the figure of st. James.  

I wonder if it was done on purpose or did the Spirit speak in the placement.  

The irony is oblivious but is the same true of our lives and in our church?  If one person is hurting in our community the the irony is there.  On a wider scale:  How many of us live in luxury compared to the rest of the world?  In Canada we worry about 7% unemployment while there is 25% unemployment in Spain.  I walked with local Spanish man out for his morning walk run for a kilometre or two.  He told me he had been unemployed since 2008 and since he had no debt and owned his home he was able to live off savings.   He is fit, intelligent and seemed very capable but there is no work in his region.  

 We might whine about housing prices, and employment in Canada but we have it much better than most of the rest of the world.  Meanwhile our better world isn't shared with all in our communities. On July 31st, the homeless in Abbotsford  were once again  evicted from their camp just blocks from our church and just few hundred steps from the door of my office.  We still have the food banks started in the 1980s. They were suppose to temporary.  

Where is the irony in this?  Well, while we still must give food to the "needy" we have grown our economy and our wealth has multiplied.  New houses our bigger, and modern kitchens are a wonder and today's low end cars were yesterday's luxury cars.  We have improved medical care, food production, houses, cars, highways and transportation, and invented whole new personal information devices but we can't feed the needy, and can't house the homeless.  

More irony: we have more, we know more, we move faster in greater comfort but we aren't happier.

The message of the gospel should answer the irony of our lives.  The teaching of Jesus of Peace and meaning comes from being truly together.  There can be no true peace, no true hope, no true change until we overcome the irony of the wealth and poverty embedded in our cultural system.    Until we let go our ego needs to have more, and control more, we will never have peace.  I have with me two sets of clothing, washing up supplies and few others items, totalling 18 pounds of stuff, with this stuff and the means to purchase food and a bed for the night I have all I need.  

We aren't flogging Jesus, or trampling our enemies in the name of the Jesus but how can we see the suffering in the world and not remember Jesus provocative words; I was thirsty, I was hungry, I was imprisoned, I was homeless, I was alone and you offered nothing.  

Meanwhile we walk the camino and God has seemed to have decided to have us collect people in need.  A lonely one needing friends and a safe place, and a hurting one, almost lame, and needing support and care, an alone one in train station with us for few hours and it goes on, a hospitaller grieving the loss of the hostel,  a hospitaller struggling with a difficult pilgrim, a pilgrim wondering what to do about bed bugs.  The call to compassion is placed before us and is so clear on the pilgrimage where people are challenged and pushed to there limits.   and God joyously laughs as we realize  that there is no vacation from the call of compassion!

In the everyday life that we all live it is so easy to miss the call and forget the desperate need for compassion in everyone's life.   

So the journey continues.  Peace. Bill 

The gift of helping

We have been stopped.  Not in a bad way.  Resting is an opportunity to reflected and heal in all ways.  My littlest toe on my left foot is suffering so we are stopped for the day.  However we are not alone a German woman has paused with us with aweful blister and swollen ankle.  We all went to the clinic yesterday and briefly saw a stressed out doctor, then a very helpful nurse who took very good care and gave us motherly advise.   The spainish health care system is fully public so there was no cost.  Good thing we had all the travel insurance.   So we find ourselves travelling with Michelle from central Germany.   The decision to take a rest day was difflecultly for me.  I wanted to push on through it with stubbornness and strength.  When it was clear that Michelle needed to stop it was easier for me to make the decision.  I felt emotional, vulnerable but her tears helped me to release and let go.   So after a morning nap and soaking my feet the compassion and skill of the nurse was welcome.  

Both Kelly and I were independently feeling that somehow the divine spirit meant us to stay and help Michelle, maybe for her sake and ours.   The Camino opens ones heart up to see the intervention of God in the lives arround you.  Personally I felt that my little toe blister shouldn't have become infected.  It was the smallest of the three blisters I am contending with so maybe between my body demanding rest and Michelle needing our compassion all things have come together. 

The wisdom from this experience for the church is that we should remain open to the gift to offer compassionate ministry.  Something may come our way, or someone, and we should be willing to set aside our plans to respond.   What is the goal of the journey, to gain some great accomplishment, to earn some great honour, or to truly connect with other humans beings, and thus to truly connect with God?  Caring for another pilgrim has given our journey meaning, a new purpose beyond the designation.  "Blessed is the pilgrim who realizes it not the arrival to the destination that counts but who you arrive with that is the blessing."  Most congregations miss the obvious ministries, and callings, that abound in the world arround us.   Often the focus becomes the destination rather than the journey.   Maybe the destination is about the budget or just plain survival, but while all the people of the congregation are emotionally attached to some "crisis" then a suffering lonely pilgrim can walk right by with no one noticing. 

For a number of days we walked with a strong independent woman, she helped others, and was self reliant but she needed company.  Because we walked with her we stayed at a number of inexpensive hostels, including a refuge attached to a church in a small community.  She was the type of person that one would welcome into the church, to serve, to join in and contribute.  In Burgos we needed some extra rest so she went on ahead and we met her in Rabe, 13km out.  In Rabe we met Michelle and as you now know we rested.   Being needed for company, and friendship is lovely but when one is called to offer compassion it becomes Spiritual.  

I think there is a question in there for every congregation, is your ministry about fellowship and community alone or is your ministry about compassion.   A nice social club can meet the needs of fellowship, but feeling your heart ache because  you have been called to be compassionate towards another is a deeper, more purposeful, and maybe even a divine experience.  Likewise the difference between a book club and a book study or bible study with spiritual content.  The group of friends talking about a book they read can be instructive, and can create community.  However the study group who brings the Spirit into the discussion are inviting not only personal change but are invited to respond to the call to serve in the world.   

Meanwhile the hospitality of the local people continues to impress me.  Last evening we had asked our host to call a taxi to shuffle us on to the next stopped on the Camino.   It was posted on the wall that the trip would cost us 60euros.  Instead she found a friend to drive us for 45euros.  Advantageous  for us both.  She enbraced  us all, kissing our cheeks and sent us our way like children off to school.  

Today we rest in Castrosjeriz at a campground with an Albergue (hostel) in the shadow of a fort on hill that is a least 2000 years old.  Tomorrow we will see where the Camino takes us and with whom.

Tomorrow the church will see where the journey takes us and with whom, the journey never ends for the church if there are people of faith with compassion in their hearts. 

Rest and reflection

We are in Burgos at the municliple albergue.  An albergue is, like a hostel.  In our room there are 25 pilgrims.  Some are friends we met along the way, some are odd folks we met at other albergues, some are strangers.  Some of these pilgrims are young adults in their 20s and others are much older us.  But all are pilgrims on the camino, each with there own hopes, goals, and struggles.  

The nationalities represented include  canada, denmark, hungry, Germany, Spain, Italy, United States, Australia, holland, England.  And those are only the ones I am sure of.   The international character of our shared room is indicative of the whole camino.   This is a world wide pilgrimage. 

In the church we often become focused on our internal concerns; budgets, the pastoral need of our people, the building, the interrelationships within the congregation. But in reality we are not a local institution rather we are a World wide movement and family.  The woman who got my attention at the Mass the other day so that I knew to go forward for the pilgrims blessing was my sister. Her concern for my spiritual well being as a pilgrim was a family taking care of each other.  At Trinity Memorial we are fortunate to have Korean sisters and brothers sharing our community with us.  This reminds us that we are not an isolate community but part of something that is found throughout the world.  

We are in Burgos and tomorrow we begin the Mesetta.  It is gruelling two week walk over a hot semi acid grassland.  Few trees and few changes in the contours of the land.  It is a place of spiritual testing as often the personnel issues of life creep into ones thoughts.  Limitations, weaknesses, breakdowns, failures, giving up, struggling through, admitting decline, these can all show up on under the hot messeta sun.

The very same can be said for many of our congregations.  The way through is to except the limitations, weaknesses and not to let the failures and breakdowns to define the journey.  It is not that giving up is not an option rather it is that to give up because your ego is hurt is defeatists.  Give up because you physically are unable to continue but don't give up because you feel weak, or humble.  So too with the church,  a congregation  should never give up because it is humbled by its decline or a shamed of its status, while the people are still dependent on the ministry of the church to do their own mission in the world, then the church has strength and has purpose.  Stay true to the journey not to an ego goal.

We need to rest and recover after walking  for ten days.  Rest is important and critical to staying true to the journey.   Peace Bill 

Rhythm

I was too tired the other day to finish a post I had begun and so I lost a few paragraphs.  I sure it was very wise and interesting but I have been reminded to let go of things, so, so be it.   However I have so e things to reflect on now that may not have occurred to me a few days back.

One is that I can no longer say without considerable thought how long we have been walking.  Whe. I asked Kelly she said "YEARS." Not necessarily in a negative way.  I know that yesterday was Sunday so I guess I could count back from Sunday.  Best way I guess is to say we have been travelling for one week as of tomorrow. 

I attended the Sunday evening mass and had to try to translate the spainish and interpert the RC liturgy.   The second task was easier.   Greeting in the name of theTrinity, passing the peace of Christ, the invitation, the Sanctus, the Lords Prayer, the call for the presence of the Spirit, the benedictions, all were recognizable.   The language of faith and ritual and tradition, which brings me back to the reflection I starts the other day about language and rhythm.   

I have noticed that each language has a rhythm and even having a decent vocabulary without the rhythm of the language you are always a visitor to the language.  The rhythm shows up in folks in behaviour and attitudes as well.   I think I, heard once that language development in a child is more than just learning the langauge changes the brain.  Make sense to me.  

Interestingly I think this applies to church and faith as well.  There is a rhythm to the rituals and traditions of the church.  So even though I couldn't understood most of what the priest said last evening I felt I was part of the gathered people of God.  I knew the rhythm.   The question a church might wish to ask is if the rhythms of the life and worship of the congregation apparent?  Can someone catch on to the pattern?  Or is the rhyyhm so complex or subtle that is hard to find?  This "church rhythm" is not just in the worship but in the whole life of the church. 

Meanwhile the rhythm of life is very apparent on the pilgrimage: the daily pattern of sleeping, packing, eating, walking, eating, washing clothes, eating, and sleeping again,  the rhythm of the steps of the daily walk, the rhythm of the sun rising and setting and the moon rising at night and setting in the morning, and even in the sway for the wheat and flowers in the endless fields along the way. 

All our lives have these rhythms. We live by them and they give our lives meaning.  We see the rhythms in birth and death, and in all our normal mundane activities of life, and even in our bodies, breathing, and the beating of our hearts. 

Meanwhile we walk each day, in each our own way. 

Bill 

News from home

We walked 24 kms today.  Before we started I wouldn't have said that by day three we would be walking over 20k but the walk invites one to take on more than expected.  

 El Magitic Casa. 

Last evening we stayed at an albergue we had really enjoy last time.  The same folks were running the place but they had had to sell the albergue and change things up.   This will be Simone's last season for both her albergue work and her life partnership with Miguel.   She shared her story a bit when we reminded her that we had stay with them two years ago.  They had saved a beautiful old house from destruction.  It was sad to hear of two very hospital and caring people separating and loosing their dream.   Suffering is it part of life and part of the journey.  Of the 7 of us at three were had blisters and feet problems.   One young man was getting his family to send a different pair of shoes to general delivery a few days ahead.   He was also taking a day out to heal.

Meanwhile back home life goes on.

Arriving in Los Arcos, after our 24km walk, I was feeling a little warn out.  My shoulders hurt and my feet were ready for rest.   I checked my email to find a message from my sister.  My mother is in the hospital from a bad reaction to a new prescription drug.  My brother assures me by email that things are under control but still this was one of my concerns for the trip. Stuff happens Life continues just because I am on a pilgrimage doesn't mean the journey doesn't continue for everyone else at home.   

So I surrender my fears and my hopes to the Holy One and let go.  

The pilgrimage doesn't remove one from the trials of life but focuses the meaning, the priorities, the hopes, the fears, and the love.

Of course on a more trivial  note one of my priorities has to be food.  I discovered last time that eggs fried in tasty olive oil is very satisfying after a longs day walk.   It isn't entirely trivial note because food is a very basic need of every human being and there are so many who have to worry about their next meal every day.  Even in your own affluent communities.  Suffering is present all around is but we mostly remain sheltered and separated from it.   Being truly hungry after a long days journey sharpens ones view of the world, add in news from home and life does come in focus.   Imagine how sharp the view of the realities of the world are for the homeless in our community.

Last evening a conversation unfolded about church and attendance and the value of religion.m It often does when I let out that I am a minister.  I heard the views of three of the more talkative in the group but I avoided offering too much myself.  I know you are all surprised.  One comment was about how once the churches were all full because life was harder and people needed support and community.   In spain during the time of Franco the churches were full partly because the church was the of only place the fascist government had no influence or power.   The same theory applies to the 1950s in North American.  After ww2 the whole of society was seeking meaning and purpose, and the strengthening of communinty and mutral support, all things the church offers so th churches were full. 

Meanwhile even though in Spain, like at home, the churches are struggling to find their place in modern society the bells still ring in the Church towers and the doors still open to the sacred spaces inviting pilgrims to cool shelter and warm welcome. 

Bill

 

Why worry - live for today, us and the church and start with forgiveness.

 We have completed our first day of walking.  We decided to just walk 16 km today and at first I found myself calculating distances and coming up with stratergies for the walk.  Then I remembered my own advice and the promise to myself to just Be and just walk.  It is so easy to fall back into the everyday habit of making plans and tryIng to control the unfolding of one's life.  Jesus taught that today had enough worries without taking on tomorrow's as well.  So I will walk for today and not worry about tomorrow or about timing and destinations.

I think the church carries this burden as well.  We like to control the journey and seem to live in the past or be anxious about the future when all we have is this moment and this day.  What if the church was able to focus on today and today's work?  There is more than enough suffering in our communities that needs a compassionate response and more than enough individuals seeking spiritual wisdom in this moment to worry about tomorrow.  Will the church still be in 50 years? who cares!  we have a task for today, let the divine spirit take care of tomorrow and 50 years from now.

At the end of the gospel of John, Jesus askes Peter three times to care for the people, maybe he asked repeatedly because he knew the human habit of loosing focus.  Listen church let me make this clear take care of my people.  And of course Jesus' people are much more the just the folks in our church.  He told us his people include the "little ones" in need.  The thirsty, the hungry, the sick, the lonely, the prisoners.  Is there a shortage of such folks that the church can't find its mission for today?

On the pilgrim journey you meet forks walking who become your community.  Some you see once or twice some nearly everyday. They all become a living and moving community with a common purpose and common basic needs, food, accomadation, directions, protection from sun, heat and rain.  They all have common problems: hunger, thirst, blisters, weariness.   It is these commonalities that create natural community.

The same is true for a congregation or the whole church.  With common needs, common concerns community is formed.  However in our modern culture the people have  been convinced of two lies, one that their individual needs are unique and problems are unique and  that both are solved with purchases, that is money.   

On the pilgrimage such lies cannot be sustained.  Everyone experiences similar problems and the needs are basic and common.   The money lie seems less so since indeed money can buy food, accomadation and services but underlying this is that real value is found in the friendship of others and money just cannot purchase the emotional support one needs to continue the journey.  

Maybe the beginning of the journey of renewal for the church and for each of us personally is forgiveness.  Today we climbed the "Alto del Perdon". The mount of pardon, or forgiveness.   

----Forgiveness is a vital healing need:

----Forgiving ourselves for past stumbles on the journey, forgiving others for their stumbles. 

For the church to seek forgiveness and offer forgiveness.   

 The journey invites us to climb the mountain of forgiveness in order to continue.   And when we get to the top we will find a few things, there are those who went before us, there is always room, and the journey continues beyond the peak and the forgiveness.  I have decided to just be and walk on the journey.  Peace BB 

At the top of "Alto Del Pardon"

So it begins

On the eve of our first day of walking I feel a sense of excitement.  The travel from home to here went with a hardly a hitch.  Last time we got on the wrong end of the train while travelling in France. This was mostly from langauge issues and our anxiety, fuelled by jet lag.  Ironically while waiting for the Canada line train at Bridgeport  station we got on the wrong train ended up having to back track.  However 22 hours later we were comfortably settled in our room in Bilbao.  

The bus ride to Pamplona couldn't have been easier for 3 € it rooks through beautiful mountains reminding us the bc west coast.   

But back to excitement and anxiety.  Here is my thought. Anxiety is the adult in you telling the excited child in you  to settle down and be scared.  As adults we often don't permit ourselves to be excited, happy, and have joyful anticipation.    So tell your inner child to be excited.  If give you inner child premission to tell the anxious adult to butt out of the fun.  Maybe this is part of what Jesus meant when he said you must be like a child to enter the kingdom of God.   You must remember how to love life.

On that note my inner child thought it would good idea to have a German beer while in Germany for 5 hours.  It turned out to be good idea but a bit expensive.   Did you noticed the adult jumping in there? So much learn on this pilgrim journey. 

Today while walking about Pamplona we found ourselves wondering which people were pilgrims and which where tourists.   The locals were easy to spot.   That too is part of the excitement since we are looking forward to meeting some of our camino family.  

Tomorrow we begin. It has been  long journey to get this far.  Peace Bill 

A Message of Letting Go

A Message of Letting Go


One of the most powerful metaphors of the pilgrimage is "letting go" of the stresses and burdens of life.  This week I really need to remember this message.  As it turns out , as is often the case, last Sunday's sermon addresses this theme.  I have included it below.

You are welcome to hum "Let It Go" from the Frozen movie while reading.

Let Go of the Heavy Burdens on the Journey

Matthew 11:16-30

In 8 days I am once again heading to Spain to walk the Camino.  It is an 800 km long ancient pilgrimage across the top of Spain.  Many of you have heard me share stories about our last pilgrimage so I hope you won’t drift off.  There is always new wisdom from reflecting on our shared journey.  A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey that leaves behind the security of home to seek a new experience of the world and hopefully of God in the world.  I wonder could there be any better offering or challenge to the church?  Hey church, leave behind the security of what was and go experience God in the world.  That might even sum up the challenge for the church in this day and age.  For the church and for each of us there is many things that prevent us from responding to this call to the spiritual journey.  

The Gospel reading offers us a powerful affirmation in the words of Jesus: “All who are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, Come to me and I will give you rest.”   On the journey who of us have not been weary at some point. Or are not all any of our churches, many of our people at times, just plain ordinary weary.  It is so easy on a journey to take too much stuff.  One of the wisdoms I gained on our journey was to take as little luggage as possible because you were going to take all your baggage and if you are going to make it to the Holy sigh, the baggage will have to be left at the side of the path.  Is it possible that Jesus walks with us on our pilgrim way whispering: let it go, put it down, walk with me, here let us share the burden but just the burden of my humble heart.  Is this the words of the gentle humble saviour we need to hear. 

Last time on our journey we met a family from Edmonton.  A very fit 72 year old, his 16 year grandson and two big men, the son in law and his friend.  The two big guys had both worked hard all their adult lives.  Work and business had cost one his marriage the others was at a transition in his life.  He had just left a long time career and job because the work contravened his values.  Each was carrying about 60-70 pounds in their packs. They literally carried their burdens on their pilgrimage. One had his laptop and his ipad in his pack.  He owned a software company and his employees insisted he stay in contact and have his laptop with him so he could work on line if they needed him.  At day five he shipped his laptop home, along with another 10 pounds of other stuff.  The weight of the stuff was significant but the letting go of the work at home was the greater decision.  We watched both men struggle. They were lifelong friends and knew each other’s weakness and strengths.  I recognized the over helping and over functioning of one.  I recognized the stubbornness to accept help and limitations of both.  The grandson and grandfather often went ahead each day and found accommodation for the night, leaving the two strong men to struggle along in their own way.  The two men walked a solitary journey, each at his own pace, good friends suffering, and weighed down.

Do you see all the lessons for our spiritual journey in their story?  Two friends carrying too much of life’s stuff, and because of it they suffered.  How much of our church is like that?  We are on this journey together, we deeply care for one another, but we carry so much stuff, our own life stuff and the stuff from our shared journey as the church.  Once we were strong, we had so many tasks, responsibilities, missions in the world. We were The United Church of Canada:  A new vision for the church in the world, part of the vision for Canada.  We helped to form the culture of this country.  We were the largest protestant denomination in Canada.  Our National church still starts press releases that way, as if anyone cares and as if it matters.  Baggage and burdens, past glories and hopes.  Former missions and former ways and traditions.  We are weighed down on this journey as  a church.  We can’t lose Naramata.  Oh no VST sold the Castle, that beautiful building, the original Union College build in celebration of Church union.   On the pilgrim way the non-essentials are left behind.  It is not the buildings but the community and the sharing of wisdom that creates the sacred event and story.  Once we were mighty we had such hopes.  On the journey the steps became harder.  All that extra weight, our knees give out, our feet blister.  Each step becomes painful, a struggle, each moment we become wearier.  And then there is Jesus, walking beside us, saying, “let go, you don’t have to carry that, here I have a much easier burden to share with you.” 

Our Edmonton friends did make to the sacred site at the end or the path, despite the weight of their packs and their injuries.  They limped in a day after we did.  Changed, as we were, a little lost about what would be next.  Would the software guy go back to working 90 hours a week?  Would the other man go home and start a new company using a digital 3d printer?  New things and a change of ways.  The software guy had connected with a woman from Australia.  Would she come to Canada?   Would he be willing to change his life to accommodate room for someone else?  Our spiritual journey teaches us and changes us but still life calls

Jesus did say lay down your burdens but he followed that with take up my yoke.  The yoke of a humble and gentle heart and he will find us rest.  The burden we must take up and carry is light because it is shared.  The yoke Jesus speaks of is double yoke.  This is such comfort and wisdom.  On the pilgrim journey when you must carry all that you need to survive, it is easy to take on too much. In your life you may feel that you must carry so much stuff.   Pain from the past, grief and sorrow, the failures, and even the successes.  Sometimes because you did it before you place an expectation on yourself to do it again.  The church walks this path with you.  After all what is the church but the collection of our shared journey?  The church hangs onto past successes, past pain, past sorrow.  The burdens we insist on carrying weigh us down and we don’t even know it.  And there is Jesus with his pack, walking beside us, whispering “let go, you don’t have to carry that, here I have a much easier burden to share with you.” 

What might that be for you?  Maybe no longer trying to correct the past and instead living for today.  Maybe no longer taking on the burden of meeting unspoken expectations, yours and others of you and instead loving, just loving?  What might it mean for the church? Maybe letting go of past glory or letting go of missions that were once vital.  Maybe letting of the way things should be, could be, or once was and instead go out into the world and discover God and just love the world.   Trying to keep it all, protect it all, save it all, is a heavy burden.  “Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  

Will you let it go?  Put down the pack?  Take out the computer and send it away?  Or take out whatever represents the demands of others for your performance?  Are you willing to put aside the extras, the just in case stuff?   Are you willing to walk the pilgrim way with Jesus?