Engaging the Hands, Heart and Brain

Dear ones,

This week through the end of July I am prayerfully journeying through a discernment vacation.  I appreciate your thoughts and prayers as I engage my senses, my heart and my mind in conversation with the Spirit of God.  Today's post will be brief, and may be the only one for the next week, but I shall return with focus and intensity following my time away.

"Crashing Waves" - Photo by Trista Wynne

Over the past weekend, my soul-sister and I traveled to the Washington coast where we spent several days and evenings reconnecting with the realm of the eternal.  Sometimes we all need to simply stop, and to allow the Spirit to whisper.  Sometimes She sings a gorgeous melody.  At other times, we hear nothing at all, but we know the Presence of God is near.

Re-telling the Wheat & Weeds Suburban Zombie Style

Photo by Trista Wynne

On Sunday we looked at the overarching theme of good and evil in a variety of terms.  In the zombie world, we decided that life and death (or more specifically, living-dead) are the terms we're most likely to use.  Speaking of the living-dead is a poignant way of looking at our in-between (and neither) existence. 

In Jesus' day, agricultural existence, and therefore, language, was the norm.  Sunday's gospel lesson came from Matthew 13 where Jesus tells a parable about the Kingdom of God using imagery of wheat and weeds.   I suspect that if He was speaking for today's suburban areas, He might have told a parable based in science or art.  Today, I'd like to relay the parable of the wheat and the weeds in suburban-zombie-friendly language.  Since Jesus was fairly flexible in telling Kingdom parables with either male or female characters (see the parable of the lost coin and that of the lost son in Luke 15, for examples) I'll have a female character represent God here.

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What Am I? -- Wheat & Weeds Zombie Style

"Jell-o Brains"
Photo by Trista Wynne

It's a question that every zombie asks themselves as they become self-aware.  What am I?  Am I living or am I dead?  The answer is neither and both.  It's a strange identity to have, that of living-dead.

This, however, is exactly what Martin Luther means when he says we are both saint and sinner.  Long before him, the apostle Paul talked about the two parts of himself that battle one another.  Flesh and spirit are the terms Paul used.

No matter whether we use terms of flesh and spirit, saint and sinner, wheat and weeds, or living and dead, we are all referring to the same phenomenon.  At the church we attended this morning, we looked at the parable of the wheat and the weeds.  In this parable, Jesus talks about the harvest fruit growing up right alongside of the weeds in His garden.  The wheat was sown by the Lord and the weeds were sown by the adversary, and both are growing together until the day of the Great Harvest.

If we think that we are only wheat, we're likely reading the parable wrongly.  If we think we are only a weed, the same is also true.  At the present time, we are both, and we are neither, just like a zombie.  The day will come when all of the parts of us that resemble weeds will be blown away like chaff in the wind.  All that remains will shine like the sun and we will be a glorious sight for our Lord and God.

We look forward to that day because we know that all things will be made new and there will be no more suffering, death, tears or war.  We will not have the desires to trample or maul one another in order to reach the top of the mountain.  We won't bite and claw one another to feed an insatiable appetite.  Peace, justice and mercy will abound.  Until that day comes, dear ones, we simply wrestle with the fact that both life and death abide within us.  We do not wrestle alone.  Our Lord is working with us, and those who have fought this fight before us are encouraging us along the way.

Be strong, dear ones, and know that the Spirit is breathing new life into you even as you read this.  The day of the Lord will be very good, and that day is coming quickly.  May God bless you and hold us all close as do what we can to become signs of life in a living-dead world.

Amen.

Who are Your Heroes?

This is Balla the dog.  On several occasions, she has been known to sprout pretend wings and soar around the house helping those in need.  "To the rescue!" the child I nanny shouts, and then off they go to rescue some other toy or pet who appears to be in grave peril.

Yesterday, the preschooler I nanny was talking about their heroes.  The child's mother was listed in the number one spot, "because she helps people, and that's what heroes do".  This woman is a wise, gifted, naturopathic doctor, and she does help a lot of people.  I agree.  She is a hero!

A short while later, the child also said that I was a hero, too, because I help the child.  I am very blessed to have such affirmation given in my job without request!  What a gift this child's simple observation was for me.

Wide-Eyed Wonder -- A Child's Playtime Teaches the Church

"Wide-Eyed Wonder"
My cat watches as I open
a birthday gift.
Photo by Matt Wynne

In the world of a child's playtime, there is no end to the joyful mysteries one can find inside an ordinary box, whether real or imagined.  The preschooler that I nanny often "picks" pretend flowers for me to smell and gives me plenty of imaginary tea and cookies every day.  This child loves to hold ordinary objects as an adult might do with a dazzling jewel or a precious piece of art.  Today a tiny beanbag was delicately handled with wide-eyed wonder.

"Look, Nanny," the child whispered with excited intensity, "it's a special present for you! Guess what's inside!" 

I held out my hands for the child to place the beanbag in, and immediately I was caught up in the fascinating imaginary play.  What could be inside, I wondered.  The package was so small and plain looking.  What could the child be imagining it was?

Under Construction

Matt & I at the Summer '09
Zombie Walk in Seattle
Photo by http://nightzero.com/

This site is under construction.  I've been experimenting with a new look for this blog.  It has taken a while to re-adjust the content and gadgets so it all flows together nicely.  I may still be working out some kinks for a bit, so please be patient.Navigating a construction zone can be incredibly frustrating.  Working on the construction can be just as difficult.

Today I'm thinking about the 520 bridge connecting Bellevue to Seattle over Lake Washington.  The bridge, and a large section of road on either side of it, is closed this weekend.  Long lines of traffic are backed up crossing the I-90 bridge and the sun is beating down on all of the cars.  Despite the electronic signs indicating for weeks that construction was imminent, drivers still get upset while they're waiting for the renewed roadway to open up.

Remebering How to Ride

Zombie Bike Ride Seattle
Photo by Matt Wynne

I haven't ridden my bicycle in over a year.  Getting on after that amount of time caused my heart rate to skyrocket, especially when my husband led me out toward the main road.  Still wobbly and unsure of which way to turn the nobs on the handlebars in order to shift up or down, I followed after him cursing under my breath the whole way.  Eventually we made our way into a more secluded area where we didn't have to pedal so quickly and I could experiment with shifting gears without worry of falling into traffic.

When I was a child, I'd ride my bike with great freedom.  I had no gears, and pedaling backwards made the bike stop when I needed it to.  This adult bicycle with lots of gears causes me trepidation, but I am determined to re-learn how to ride a bike since this is my husband's desired form of exercise and I want to be with him.

What's in the Mirror?

ZomBcon Prep - Oct 2010

Looking at myself in the mirror before a recent zombie walk in Seattle, I laid the foundation for the bloodied zombie that was later reflected therein.  Sometimes I wonder what we as a church might see if we looked together in a mirror.  I wonder if we really know how we are perceived.

What might we see if we did some self-reflection?  Would we like what we see?  Do we want others to see us this way?  Do we have bloodstains and sunken eye sockets or are we full of life and vitality?What would we change if we could? 

Mortal Combat

No, I'm not talking about the video game; (otherwise I'd have spelled combat with a K) instead, I'm talking about combat in the mortal, or physical, realm.  My husband and I just finished watching The Fighter.  In this movie, a boxer overcomes some intense personal and professional struggles in order to attain the world welterweight title in the 1980s.

Photo by Trista Wynne

I have to say that I have an incredible respect for hand-to-hand combat.  One of the sad trends in zombie movies and books is an intense focus on combat from a distance.  You want to keep the enemy away from you and kill them before you can even recognize their (former) humanity.  As my husband and I slowly work our way through The Walking Dead, (I was attending class when it was on, so we recorded it to watch during summer break) I am delighted to see that zombies are treated humanely. 

A Grateful Zombie

Tonight's post comes from my evening prayer journal.

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Hello, Beloved!

Photo by Trista Wynne

Thank You for this beautiful day!  What a blessing it is to inhale the coconut scent of the sunscreen slathered on my skin!  What a delight to dance in the sunshine and read in the courtyard!  How wonderful to receive the sunshine vitamin without the hassle of supplements.

I loved the way my body felt after the long hill-filled walk this afternoon through the city!  Thank You for the gift of mobility.  I certainly appreciate the valuable resources of a healthy body!