This is the Way, Walk in It - April 6
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 103; PM Psalm 111, 114 ; Isa. 30:18-21; Acts 2:26-41(42-47); John 14:15-31
Today’s Reflection
“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. … Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” –Isaiah 30: 18a, 20-21
Yesterday, my older daughter and I were in downtown Birmingham, and after our appointment we decided to eat lunch nearby. We could drive and be there in about two minutes, or we could walk and be there in about 10 minutes, according to the all-knowing Google Maps app on my phone. Since it was an incredibly beautiful day, we ended up walking, but since we don’t know our way around the neighborhood where we were, we had to be guided by the voice of the GPS and the Google map. At one point, the GPS voice was telling us to turn to the left, but it looked like it wanted us to walk through a parking lot. So, we did, but then there was a wrought iron fence all around the perimeter, with no gate for pedestrians to pass through on the other side—which meant we had to retrace our steps through the parking lot and keep going up the street a bit further before we really needed to turn left. The detour added about five minutes to our walk, which annoyed me because I was getting pretty hungry at that point. But, once we got back onto the sidewalk and made the next turn at the appropriate point, all was well and we were on our way to Dreamland.
We find in the lectionary readings for today scriptures that are focused on being aware of and listening for God’s guiding voice in our lives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells his followers that when he is gone, he will not leave them without a guide, rather, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you” (John 14:16-17). And in Isaiah 30, we are given reassurance that “your Teacher will not hide himself any more. … And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.”
Since yesterday was Easter Monday, a clergy holiday after Holy Week, I ended up going for another walk in the afternoon—this one by myself. It had been a long while since I had hiked out at Red Mountain Park, so I drove out there ready to take a long walk, maybe listen to a podcast as I went. But when I parked and was preparing to walk over to the trailhead, I made a decision: I’m going to leave my phone in the car. I’m not going to keep track of my distance. I’m not going to stop to take photos along the way. I’m not going to listen to a podcast. I’m not going to be tempted to check all the things I am apt to check when I have access to my phone.
What I experienced was two hours of beautiful disconnection from the voices and responsibilities of this world—which meant two hours of beautiful connection with the God who made Red Mountain and who made me, too. Once I turned off the main, entry trail onto my favorite narrow, winding trail through the woods, I did not encounter a single person. It was just me amidst the gorgeous sunlight shining down through the new spring leaves, the only sounds coming from the birds calling, the squirrels rustling, and my shoes on the red clay trail.
I feel most clear and hopeful about what God has in store for us when I make the time for moments like these. It doesn’t always have to be a two-hour hike. Back at home, making time for a moment on the deck to watch the birds and other wildlife who inhabit our backyard, or walking out to be still and listen to the creek that runs behind our yard are other ways I carve away time to step outside of all the other things that claim my time and energy and reconnect with God. Speaking for myself, I need these times of simply being present with God in creation in order to refocus on what is most true and most real.
—Becky+
Questions for Self-Reflection
What places in your life are holy, set apart places where you can be centered and more attuned to what God is saying to you? How can you make more time to set aside the other things that claim your time and energy and just be with God—whether by being still in God’s creation or by moving amidst the rhythms of God’s creation?
Daily Challenge
In my Easter Vigil sermon, I preached about how “God made us human beings with brains that not only create and comprehend words, but God also made us with bodies who learn through moving, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.” You can listen to the sermon here (sermon begins at 45:50).