A Blessing of the Bees

Dear Saint Stephen's Community, 

We used to joke in seminary that the Sunday after Pentecost, which is known as Trinity Sunday, was also known as Seminarian Sunday, or Associate Rector Sunday, or find-someone-else-to-preach Sunday because the Trinity is scary stuff.  How do you preach about the Trinity and not commit some form of heresy, or even worse, cause everyone to fall asleep? Well, I couldn't find anyone else to preach on Sunday, June 16!  

I am grateful for the great theologian, Emily Dickinson who makes the Trinity alive for me. I recently was thinking of a beautiful image at the conclusion of one of her poems where she writes, "In the name of the Bee - And of the Butterfly - And of the Breeze - Amen!" I love this idea of the Trinity and for some reason it makes the whole idea of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit much less daunting.  The queen bee gives life.  Her sole purpose is to create.  The butterfly goes through a resurrected change in life.  And the breeze unites us all.  We can even feel it as it moves through our lives if we are paying attention.  This Sunday, we will say those words again.  Immediately following the 10:15am service (weather permitting), all that are able and interested will process out to our new beehives, and we will pray over them, giving thanks for creation and life and all that is taking place through the renewal of land and creation. It will be a Blessing of the Bees.  And we will give thanks to God the Bee, God the Butterfly, and God the Breeze. Amen. 

Faithfully,

John+

And here are some beautiful pictures taken by Scott Cochran last week.