Native American Thanksgiving Liturgy

Over at Harvest Boston is a beautiful Native American Thanksgiving Liturgy. I hope you will visit and read it.

Shout Out Your Thanks

I am thankful for shooting stars. I saw one last night and shouted, "Thanks, God, that was awesome." Then I laughed with delight.

What would you like to shout in thanks to God? Do it, then laugh in delight for having done it.

Seeing a Bird's Nest

While taking my morning walk, I saw a bird’s nest in a small tree. Enough of the leaves had fallen to reveal a small nest tucked in the very center of the branches. It had been the home of a small bird. It had been a temporary home in which to raise young. It was well built and intact, but it was abandoned. Its purpose fulfilled.

When I was young, there was the question that friends liked to ask. If you could be an animal, what would you be? My answer, “ A bird.” Birds were free. Birds could soar and see from high places. That answer hasn’t changed. I notice and admire birds.

I envy the bird that built that nest. That bird invested time and work to construct that dwelling. But the bird was able to leave that place. It was not attached to what it had done. It could leave it after the nest’s purpose was completed. It was free.

That is what I desire: freedom. To let go of those temporal things. To leave behind what has served its purpose but is no longer necessary. To release the time and work investments and fly into other areas that now call me.

I saw a nest today, and that nest spoke to me of freedom.


Day thirty of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing My Nephew

I saw my nephew today. He is three years old almost four. I haven’t seen him in over a year, so he is quite grown compared to the last time that I saw him. I am amazed at the changes that have taken place. He tells stories now and sings. He is observant. He dresses himself. His hair is darker. His face is narrower. And his curiosity is lively. He is changed from toddler to boy. I like the boy he is becoming, and I enjoyed seeing him in all his little boy glory.

His presence gave me pause to reflect on what God might see in me. Over the years, I have changed—been transformed. I would like to imagine that God likes the woman I am becoming. That God enjoys seeing me in all my feminine glory. That God overlooks my imperfections and is amazed. That is what I would like to imagine of God. And so, that is what I do and believe it to be true.


Day twenty-nine of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing the Man with the Harmonica

My daughter and I were shopping in Walmart when we heard someone playing a harmonica. We turned and saw an old man pushing a walker with one hand and playing the harmonica with the other. We looked at each other, giggled, and continued shopping. Later, we arrived at the checkout, and again we saw the same man playing the same harmonica. I mentioned this to my daughter, and the cashier overheard me. According to her, this old guy does this frequently throughout the week. He comes into Walmart and scuffles behind his walker while playing his harmonica. Delightful.

To hear her description of his habits filled me with happiness. It was the kind of happiness that wonders at the heart of a person who does a thing for the sheer fun of doing it and because it spreads cheerfulness to others. I was glad for that man. I was glad that he was unafraid to be a wandering music maker in the midst of strangers. I was glad that he wasn’t at home wasting away in loneliness. I was glad that he was sharing his love of the harmonica and of people.

I’ll be looking and listening for him on my next visit. I hope I see him because I intend to thank him for making me glad.

Day twenty-eight of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing Boulders Twice

Yesterday and today, I have noticed two boulders in the same landscaped yard. One is partially hidden by bushes, but the other is out in the open. It is mossy and bold and indented somewhat. This dent resembles a seat. As I have passed by these two days, I have been struck by how solid a seat it would make. How strong. There would be no wobbly legs or unstable seats and backs. No scooting or sliding. It would be immoveable.

I thought about David’s description of God as a rock. I don’t imagine that David meant river rocks. I’m thinking he meant boulder and bigger. I could sit with a God who is bold and solid and stable. A God who offers an immoveable place to sit. That kind of strength feels safe and powerful. Yes, I am thinking that my God is God of the boulders.

Days twenty-six and twenty-seven of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing a Mattress

As I was sitting at my dining room table, I glanced out the window and saw a young man walking on the sidewalk in front of our house. He was carrying a twin-sized mattress over his head. Curious.

This has me thinking about carrying things. Unusual things. And where those things are carried. As a spiritual director, I sometimes ask my directees to become aware of their bodies as they converse around certain subjects. Often directees notice tightness or achiness or twinges or pains in particular areas or parts of their bodies. This is where they are carrying that subject. Curious.

Our bodies are not disconnected from our mental and emotional states. Instead, the entirety of who we are is carried around, and we have to carry it somewhere. Our bodies hold what we carry. If we pay attention, we can discover those weighted places and intentionally redistribute the weight or discard it completely if necessary.

I imagine that the man with the mattress had a destination and would be relieved of his cargo. I cannot imagine that he would haul that mattress indefinitely. And yet for some of us, this is what we do. We carry our load indefinitely. What toll does this take on those places that hold the weight?

Day twenty-five of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing the Audiologist

In my left ear, I have otosclerosis. So today, I saw the audiologist to decide upon a hearing aid. We discussed what I hoped a hearing aid would do for me, the different kinds of aids available, and their respective advantages or disadvantages. I even get to choose the color of my aid. I thought that there would be one choice of hearing aids and that would be it. I wasn’t expecting to have a choice in color, too. Anyway, I’ll have my new colorful hearing aid on December 15th.

Hearing loss is a bit of a nuisance. Sometimes, I have to ask some people to repeat themselves. Other times, I have to fill in the unheard words with what I think I heard. Not always a good thing. The thing about not hearing what someone says is that I have no understanding or comprehension either. I cannot respond properly when I don’t hear properly. Jesus knew this.

Many of Jesus words have to do with hearing. He says that some people have ears, but they don’t hear. He is talking about spiritual ears. And certainly, if inner ears are not hearing properly, inner responses will be improper. There will be no spiritual understanding or comprehension. I wonder how a person could apply for a spiritual hearing aid. What would that look like?

I imagine the first step would be to recognize that one has spiritual hearing loss, and the second step would be to see the Great Audiologist. In my imagination, the Great Audiologist would have the perfect spiritual hearing aid.

Day twenty-four of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing Grape Juice

Yesterday, I juiced grapes. There is not much to doing it. Cut the clusters. My husband did that. Rinse the clusters. Put them in the top section of the juicer. Pour water into the lower section of the juicer. Stack the sections. Turn on the heat. Wait. Eventually, grape perfume scents the house, and purple juice accumulates in the middle section of the juicer and overflows into the rubber spout. Then, I fill quart-sized canning jars, place the seals and rings, and let them cool. Seeing the deep purple juice standing on the counter is satisfying.

I thought about Jesus when I saw the juice. First, I thought about making wine. I don’t know much about making wine, but it seems complex and intensive. It requires more gadgetry, timing, and precision. I wondered, “How did they make wine in Jesus’s day?” Did they add sugar? And then, there is that business at the wedding. Water into wine? How did Jesus do that? Why did he need water? Apparently, he converted that water into some pretty good stuff. And why wouldn’t he? Maker of the universe making a bit of wine—it would be good. What else?

Second, I thought about the Eucharist, the blood, Communion. Jesus took juice from grapes and likened it to his blood. Drink it to remember. Remember what? The crucifixion? Sure. But what else? That he made wine at a wedding and that it was good? Sure. And all the other stories? Sure.

All of these stories tell about a God who does and makes things “good.” What is done is done well. I can make a simple form of juice and it is satisfactory. But I have a God who takes water and changes it into outstanding wine. So with my warm grape juice in hand . . . a toast . . . to the Maker-of-Grape-Juice.

Day twenty-three of the Thirty Days of Seeing

Seeing the Movies

I enjoy watching movies. But I like a movie that lingers, that gives me pause to reflect. Some movies do this more than others. Some movies that I have seen leave no impression, and I don’t even remember watching them. Other movies beg me to watch them more than once. This usually happens because the movie is strange or surprising. Sometimes characters are what capture my attention. Their disturbing or unusual behaviors ask me to peer into the nature of humankind. Sometime themes challenge my way of thinking or being. And sometimes the tenor of the film resonates with my deepest desires.

I like to think of this as movie meditation. When I reflect on characters or themes or moods, I have to ask myself some tough questions. What was it about that character that disturbed me? What in me is like that character? What is it about the theme that draws me in? Why do I agree or disagree with the outcome of the film? How does the mood affect my emotions? And why? A good movie presents these and other questions to me.

In essence, movie meditating reveals what I value. Right about now, I am thinking that a quality journal would be a worthwhile investment for some movie meditating because this line of questioning leads to asking other questions. How is this movie an invitation from God for some self-discovery? Where is the invitation for transformation in my life? What does God want me to know about myself through the characters, the theme, the mood?

And then, of course, there are those movies that seem to be just for fun, . . . but . . . then again . . . I think there is a line of questioning that goes with them too.


Day twenty-two of the Thirty Days of Seeing