in the midst . . . of drought and of lent

 i was departing the office after our music team finished rehearsing, when i came upon the sky; what a great vision this was, and so, thanks to my trusty iphone, i was able to capture this delight!

the sky on the coast changes so rapidly that you hardly can blink before the images before you make a dramatic shift.  i still can hardly believe i am back on the coast, where i haven't been since 1980!

but here i am, drought and all!  and so it goes....

 when we were planning the season of lent with the worship design team, we were very mindful of our lack of water.  and since we planned the image of water, we have still had very little, and water rationing  is (voluntarily) in effect.

and so we are 'in the midst ... of drought and of lent'.

while attending my class on law enforcement for leadership santa cruz county, we began our day at the police department where they had recently dedicated a memorial garden for the two officers who were shot while on duty just over a year ago.

this fountain flows with renewing waters to remind us of the cycle of life.  while we are ever aware of this cycle, we are more mindful of death as it occurs in that cycle -- from illness and age.  we don't usually include the pangs of life to be experienced so abruptly, especially during a call of duty ....

 and so water becomes a form of healing for those moments, both anticipated and unanticipated, in our lives.

the beauty of the coast is ever changing, like the sky. and so it is with the water.  renewing, powerful, soothing.  a beauty to behold.

i keep trying to capture the 'perfect' splash on the rocks.  as they say, timing is everything, as is patience.  both of those adjectives continue to evade me as i work at getting the perfect picture.

 either my iphone clicks too slowly and misses the moment, or i don't hold out long enough in one spot to get the picture that 'i have seen before and after i click'.

water continues to be that vital source of life that comes in the moment and is lost.

but i did get the creative ingenuity of someone who was able to put rocks together to form an image...and the splash of water seemed 'just perfect' in this instance!

one of the things about lent is that as i walk, my pedometer just doesn't understand when i need to stop for five minutes at a time to get that 'perfect' picture.  and so it goes ... but i have managed to become part of the 10 million step club since i began my walking regiment two years ago ... who knew?!

one final 'in the midst experience during this drought and lenten season ... my yard.  without rain, and without watering, flowers don't really grow.  so, along with many others in the area, i keep empty milk jugs and buckets in the areas where i can collect water, be it a sink, a shower, or the garage.  and so, i was rewarded with my efforts by one -- count it ONE iris!  now, that was worth the wait!

back to blogging . . . let the healing waters flow . . . .

ah, to blog again!  it has been a couple of months, or nearly, and ash wednesday has just come and gone; i actually started this post yesterday but got interrupted....a longer story to tell!

so what's been happening?  diana butler bass came to visit santa cruz, sponsored by the progressive christian forum for which i am a member.  a group from the congregation did a book study on her book, 'christianity after religion; the end of church and the birth of a new spiritual awakening'.  we're setting up a 'post diana' group at the church.

the wall posts (pictured) reflects the thoughts of some 225 people who gathered for the diana's workshop.  being able to see the changing tides of religious beliefs and spiritual unfolding is a helpful process ... and colorful too, don't you think?!

and we have had such an odd winter in santa cruz ... and in california in general.  dry.  we're putting water restrictions into place.  our congregation even began to plan the whole season of lent around the subject of water; to cherish this life-giving substance; to care for our earth; to remember water as part of our baptism and to be thankful.

then just as february nearly ended, the heavens began to open up with this life-sustaining wetness we call rain.  so far, we are not out of the drought danger, but we are seeing some good results.

on one of the breaks from the few storms we did have, i took a walk on west cliff, heading to natural bridges where we will have our easter vigil and sunrise service.  and this is one of the views from that walk.  renewing; refreshing; life-sustaining.  no surfers in this part of the ocean, but enjoyable none-the-less! 

the ebb and flow of the waters of life renew us and remind us of the blessings of life.  i invite you to take some time during this season to ponder your place in your spiritual journey, and to find renewing times each and every day.  as you are renewed, so you will face the situations of life in a better space.  you'll make better decisions when your life is calm.

one of the benefits (ok, the challenges too!) of being a pastor is that we get to be a part of everything!!!  the congregation here in santa cruz is very accommodating, and while i don't feel i have to be at everything, i also hate to miss out -- it's just who i am. 

on tuesday mornings to have an upper room study at the abby -- a local church building opened up a coffee house, and we are several groups that show up to check-in, chat, and fellowship together; this is a great environment for spiritual growth.  and they don't mind that we pray!  we've been averaging about 9 on a tuesday morning at 8; and you don't have to come prepared ... just open for the possibilities!  this is a rich opportunity; so come join us!  we can always add another chair!

and so we come to the beginning of lent.  ash wednesday is the beginning of this 40 day (more or less) journey with jesus.  this is the opportunity we have to explore deeply our relationship with god and one another.  lent is an intentional time to find our grounding as a christian.  and as we ready ourselves for new life that will come on easter, we take on a deeper commitment to be what god calls us to be -- if we are willing!

the image we will use this season will be water, and we will hear this image each time we worship.  we will be surrounded by empowering words to wash us and empower us from the battery of words that are thrown at us in our daily lives; nurturing words such as silence, hunger, open, repent, reconcile, mercy and love.

a cross of candles will light our way; the light of Jesus, the two thieves crucified on either side of Jesus, peter james and john, and even a candle representing judas -- all these personalities flow through us during this lenten season; we can come to understanding of what it means to be wrongly accused, crucified for what we believe, learning to grow deeper in faith but still not comprehending fully, and even to betray and wish we could take that moment back.  lent invites us to understand more fully.

so take take to be washed and nourished by renewing waters.  be open to the possibilities.  let the healing waters flow . . . .