Shake up your faith, bring the eyes of your hearts to bear, not your human eyes. You have other ones inside, after all, which God made for you. He opened the eyes of your hearts, when He gave you faith. (St Augustine, sermon 286)

One of St. Augustine’s challenges was to address his congregation on the subject of the third sack of Rome. Many of his people were refugees from the fall of the great city considered the very heart of Christianity. Their grief and distress over this epic event was a challenge to their faith. Rome had been the center of the ministries of both Peter and Paul, and home to many of those who fled to Hippo in Northern Africa, where Augustine was the bishop. In this sermon he urges them to look beyond the material world that was crumbling, to the Christ who had died for them.

The “eyes of the heart” are visible in the Old Testament story of the three young men who responded to Nebuchadnezzar’s demand that they worship his statue: “ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us. . . but even if He does not . . . we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18)

The “eyes of the heart” are found in many places of the Old and New Testaments. The author of the Book of Hebrews wrote of those very eyes in his letter: By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was made out of what was invisible. (Hebrews 11:3) By faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered Him faithful who had made the promise. (Hebrews 11:11)

“There are many examples in the Bible of those who functioned with the eyes of the heart, the eyes of faithful love. The eyes of the heart surprised Jesus when he saw them in a Roman centurion. Jesus said,: “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent to Jesus returned to the house and found the servant well. (Luke 7:9-10)

In the year about 425 AD, The people of Rome and the rest of the whole world desperately needed Augustine’s message. So do we today.

Love in Him,

Prue

My grandmother could remember that as a very young child she had gone with her mother to the post office where she saw some old men setting on benches talking together. They were amputees from the Civil War, and they were talking about having seen Abraham Lincoln in their youth. My grandmother knew people who at one time had owned slaves. Nana, my grandmother, called Jesus her “Master.” Her only Bible was the King James, and she read there, “Jesus said unto Mary Magdalene, ‘Mary.’ She turned herself and saith unto him, ‘Rabboni’, which is to say, ‘Master’. (John 20:16)

In 1868 John Bode, a clergyman in the Church of England, wrote a hymn to celebrate the confirmations of his three children. It’s title and first lines are ,O Jesus I have Promised to serve thee to the end. Be Though forever near me, my master and my friend. The song is still in the hymnbooks of many churches. It was popular when first published and is still sung today.

The combination of both master and friend had universal appeal, and Nana was raised in a church that found nothing offensive in a friend who is also our “master.” In some ways the hymn combines opposites:I shall not fear the battle if thou art by my side, nor wander from the pathway if thou wilt be my guide.” That Jesus should be both comforting friend, guide, and master is an old fashioned concept today, but it is an intimate and benevolent relationship that St. Paul recognized: Thanks to God that though you used to be slaves of sin, you have come to obey from your heart the teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God; the benefit you receive leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:22)

I think that St. Paul would readily agree with John Bode that the master who is a friend would in truth be Jesus. In Nana’s relationship, having “freedom” had a lower priority than having the son of God as her master and her friend . In having him, she knew that she had everything.

Love in Him,

Prue

Picking Pears

Before fire blight killed the pear tree in our front yard, the tree bore abundant, juicy pears for many years. Across the street from us was a family with three children: Lindy, the oldest, was about seven years old when they moved in, with Geoffrey five, and Michelle only three.

One day when their family was visiting with us I asked their father if he had anyone in his family who was a “pear picker.” He looked puzzled and didn’t answer until Geoffrey’s voice said quietly, “I can pick pears. I’m a pear picker! Then Lindy announced that she, too, was a “pear picker”, and Michelle shouted, “I’m a pear picker! I’m a pear picker!” We made arrangements with their mother for the children to pick and keep the pears. As it was getting dark the family headed home, the children dancing around their parents. A few days later we set up the step ladder. Geoffrey climbed the tree and Lindy and Michelle took turns on the ladder. Some of the branches could be reached from the ground. The children had a very sufficient harvest. Jack and I were invited for pear pie. It was delicious.

On another occasion an Hispanic woman came to my door and pointed at the tree. She smiled and gestured to ask if she could pick some pears. I nodded and said “yes,” and gave her a bag to hold the pears. She was delighted and easily filled the bag just from the lower branches. The pear tree was a blessing for all the years it flourished. It enriched our lives and yielded more than physical nourishment .

God spoke to the Israelites about the blessings they would receive if they remained faithful in the Promised Land: “Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in, and blessed when you go out.”(Deuteronomy28:3&4) When I read the inventory of the blessings, I’m struck by the things that God chooses to promise. They are the very things we identify as the substance of good and joyful living. When some of these fall into my life I cannot doubt their origin. God knows us through and through, and He takes delight in blessing us with His own delight. Jesus told his disciples, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

The pear tree had been a gift from the grounds keeper at our church. He advised me about its care when it was a sapling. He assured me that it would one day bear profusely. He was right.

Love in Him,

Prue

Invisible as it is, nevertheless, love is still the engine of the Christian life. Love is often glazed over, or sugar coated by more currant and interesting concepts, and pushed to the back of our minds and experience, but high and low, deep and shallow, love remains the engine of human existence.

“This world was made by God, and the world did not know Him. Which world did not know Him? The lover of the world, the lover of the work, the scorner of the workman…Your love must migrate; cast off your moorings from creatures, moor yourself to the Creator. Change your love, change your fear; the only things that make good or bad lives are good or bad loves.” ( St. Augustine, sermon 313A)

If the people didn’t know or recognize God, then they did not know love, for, as the apostle John wrote, “God is love. . .We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:16 &19) Love has been the subject of literature, poetry, and songs since writing was invented, but the great declaration of love is still John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believed in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.” Eternal life itself is powered by the love of God for His created people, an entirely sacrificial love that transforms the meaning of humanlife and empowers us as humans to share God’s divine life. On his resurrection Jesus called his disciples “brothers,” sharing his own unique relationship to God with human beings who loved him, but had not understood his loving purpose on earth.

Jesus’ mother Mary’s willing acceptance of the angel Gabriel’s message to her of God’s presence in her life and her role in His plan, the role that she “ treasured up and pondered in her heart,” (Luke2:19) was the key that turned the engine of love that she poured out to her infant son, in raising him to manhood.

St. Paul, who had once been a cold hearted witness to the murder of St. Steven, wrote some of the most exquisite passages about a love he himself experienced from the Spirit of the living Christ: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal…And these remain: faith, hope and Love, but the greatest of these is love. (1Corinthians 13:3713) Love sometimes seems very hidden; but it is always the engine that keeps us in touch with the true love of God, the engine so strong that it delivers eternal life.

Love in Him

Prue

In sewing a button onto a garment I find that if I use too long a thread, I will inevitably end up with knots in it, which spoils the whole project, and forces me to start over.

I believe that we all have knots in our souls that frustrate our hope of drawing close to God. The knots that we harbor are feelings of anxiety, fear, despair, and desire for “stuff”. Some of the knots are large and noticeable, but others are tiny and we barely know they are there.

St. John of the Cross once wrote, “God commanded that the ark (of the covenant) be empty and hollow (Exodus 27:8) to remind the soul how void of all things God wishes it to be if it is to serve as a worthy dwelling for His Majesty. (The Ascent of MountCarmel Book 1, chapter 5) Knots are those “things” that take hold of us and push our relationship with God aside, overshadowing that relationship. They are interior inhabitants of our spirits. The list is almost endless of the things that might end up tying us in knots.

Once you have sewn on a button, it isn’t safe to assume that it will never need a renewal to re-attach it to the garment; and though it is a rather simple thing to do, we often neglect it. The same is true for our relationship with our invisible God. He never protests when we spend less time in prayer or Bible reading, and soon enough the “ark” of our lives is full of other things: “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:24) When the disciples heard this they . . . asked, “Who, then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Clearly the answer to all the knots in the world lies with opening our own hearts and minds to the One who can remove them. All can be opened to Him by surrendering the knots that lodge in our minds and hearts. Things we think we can never surrender, Jesus knows that we can. Even a feeble effort is recognized by Him and receives its reward. I’m still careless with the thread that I use, and still make knots. But Jesus’ answer to the disciples is clear, and I depend on it: With God all things are possible.

Love in Him,

Prue

About five weeks ago I walked across the street to our neighbor’s house and asked her if she would be willing to teach me to play the violin, enough so that I could play Christmas carols by next December. I had once taken lessons and been able to play, but in the many years since, I had forgotten even the fingering of the instrument.

My neighbor is a viola and voice musician and very accomplished. She was surprised by my visit, and probably even more surprised by my request, but she agreed to take me as a pupil. I began with “Lesson one, Book one.” The practicing started as short spurts, as I’m not used to it; but it became longer and longer as I saw some tiny, but to me enormously important improvement. I had wondered if I could possibly fit these lessons and this practicing into my already somewhat full life, but found that the discipline was inspiring me to do more, rather than less.

St. Paul wrote about the life in Christ as a learning and growing experience: Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship, or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger, or sword?. . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. ( Romans 8:34-37).

When I told a friend that I am taking violin lessons, she asked, “Really? How’s that working out for you?” I just smiled and said, “I think I’m making progress.” “Well, good luck!” she responded. I thought that I probably shouldn’t share the news with too many people; but if I’m asked the same thing again, I’ll say, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13) My “trials” cannot be compared with Paul’s, but his call for us to place our confidence in the intercession of Christ to become conquerors through the love that he has for us; convinces me that I’m not alone in any of my endeavors. The Apostle John wrote, We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:6) That love is all embracing, as is the character of God Himself. Both Paul and John express the height and depth of the love of Christ as being inexhaustible as well as supportive and even instructive. The more we lean upon Him, the more he supplies.

During Holy week may we reflect on His wonderful, enabling love.

Love in Him,

Prue

“The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for the want of wonder.”

GK Chesterton, 1920

Palm Sunday was a wonder that is celebrated more than two thousand years after it took place. Little did the people at the first Palm Sunday imagine that their efforts to honor the man on the donkey would resound throughout history; much less did they know that Palm Sunday would some day usher in Holy Week for millions of Christians who would not cease to wonder a week later at the resurrection of Jesus.

As long as Palm Sunday is observed, wonder will still exist in the world, for it was a moment of the fulfillment of prophesy, and the recognition of the identity of Jesus as the long expected “son of David:” “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey, .. . His rule will extend. . . to the ends of the earth.” (Jechariah 9:-10)

King David rode a mule, and when he wanted to assure the succession of his son Solomon, he ordered Solomon to ride David’s own mule to Gihon, to be anointed King of Israel. (1Kings 1:33) The convincing evidence that Solomon was to be king was the fact of his riding David’s mule. He didn’t ride a great war horse, but simply his father’s mule.

On Palm Sunday the people of Jerusalem recognized the man on a humble donkey as the Son of David, the king: Children were shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:14) Jesus, when his disciples cried out, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord,” responded to the criticism of the Pharisees, “If they keep quiet the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

“Wonder” abounded on Palm Sunday, as scripture and experience came together and people celebrated the Spirit of their God in Jesus. For centuries the Church has embraced the memory of this extraordinary moment in Jesus’ time with us on earth. The wonder of this celebration is a small preview of the wonder that occurs a week later at the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. For children and disciples, the evidence of Jesus’ identity was clear and conveyed great joy. Wherever the Gospel is told, God has provided that there will never be starvation for wonder. Today we begin Holy Week, a gift of wonder from Him.

Love in Him,

Prue

Whenever I read the story of the child Samuel in the first book of his name, I experience the phenomenon of tears running down my cheeks at the scene at night of the young boy running to Eli to say, “Here I am. You called me.” (1Samuel 3: 1-10) It took three trips to Eli before he recognized the Spirit of God in the boy Samuel and said, “Go and lie down, and if He calls you, say ‘ Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ” (1Samuel 3:9) Earlier we are told that “Samuel did not yet know the Lord. The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” ( 1Samuel 3:7) We also learn that The word of the Lord was rare; there had not been many visions. ( 1Samuel 3:1)

The pipeline to God that had accompanied the Israelites through Moses and Joshua, and subsequently through a number of “judges”, had seemed to dry up. The promises had been fulfilled, but there was now a silence in the nation. The calling of Samuel comes as a breath of renewing air into Israel.

Whenever I read of this young boy, I hear the voice of Jesus say, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:10), and even stronger: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ( Matthew 18:3)In no other age group does Jesus place so much emphasis, and such unequivocal assertion of God’s care and attention as to children.

On Sunday we will celebrate “Palm Sunday”: The children were shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!,” “ Do you hear what the children are saying?” the priests and teachers asked him.

“Yes,” replied Jesus, “Have you never read, ‘from the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise?” (Matthew 21:15)

The history of salvation becomes focused with the improbable birth of Isaac, and includes the birth of Moses, whose sister ensured his survival by offering the Egyptian princess a wet nurse who was in fact his mother.

The birth of Samuel eventually gave Israel two kings. When Samuel answered the call of God, the history of salvation was carried in the hands of a child. On Sunday, we will hear songs of praise from the lips of children as they wave their palms.

Love in Him,

Prue

One winter day my sister Nancy, a kindergarten teacher in central New York State, needed to walk to a storage building behind the school. When she entered, she was surprised to find some 20 or more snow sleds stacked in the shed. That afternoon she asked her principal why they were there. She was told that the parents of a student had once given them to the school, and that they had been used while that student was still attending, but since then they had never been used. The school was at the foot of a gently sloping hill.

Nancy was excited and made plans for her class to have a “snow day”, with permission from the principal. Some of the children had not ever sledded down a hill; years later, when Nancy met one of her early students, he told her that he would never forget the day they went sledding at school. Some of the parents had told her that many times.

Nancy told me of her surprise at finding the sleds, and at having permission to use them. She delights in the memory of discovering the hidden gift.

The greatest secret ever kept was the secret of Jesus’ identity, a gift so priceless that it is still being given and received with joy: “What about you?” Jesus asked,”Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered “You are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.( Mark 8:29-30, Matthew16:16) From the time of his birth Jesus’ identity was hidden from everyone except his parents and a very few others. During his ministry people disputed who he was. It was important to Jesus not to tell the world, so that after his resurrection, the previously hidden gift of the Holy Spirit could reveal him to those who would believe.

As Lent draws close to Holy Week, after which the world could know the true identity of the one they had crucified, we can ponder Jesus’ ministry, and his hidden identity while on earth, culminating in the freedom and joy in the appearance of the resurrected Christ: When the set time had fully come, God sent His son, born of a woman. . . to redeem those under the law; that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are His sons, God sent the Spirit of His son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out .”Abba, Father” ( Galations 4:&6)

Nancy was joyfully surprised to discover a resource for the pleasure of her students. We are all surprised to find God even in Scripture. Jesus was the hidden gift to us from “Abba”, our Father.

Love in Him,

Prue