We Believe . . . .
This page presents viewpoints from Pastor Dave and Cliff Cribbs, our moderator. These thoughts are also published in the current issue of our newsletter, The Pillar. We welcome your comments and questions. You can send these by e-mail to buccpastor@sbcglobal.net or bucccliff@sbcglobal.net , respectively.
Pastor's Ponderings
July 2008
THERE IS A SEASON . . .
Pastor Dave
The Church year always starts off with a bang. We move rather quickly through the seasons, events, and colors of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter. Then we hit the Day of Pentecost and things slow down. The liturgical color of these twenty-eight weeks is green, the color of natural growth. Our gospel texts throughout this season reflect no major changes or stages in Jesus’ life. Instead they tell of the day-to-day activities of his teaching, healing, helping, and caring for the people he meets on his journey.
Sometimes, the Season of Pentecost can feel a bit like the pastime that some of my rural relatives refer to as "watching the corn grow." It may not be the most exciting of times, but it is critically important. Growth isn’t something that we can usually perceive as it is happening, but it is an essential part of life. During this important time in the Church Year, it’s good that we take some time for personal reflection and growth. We can do this through our study of Scripture, our Sunday worship, and our personal prayers and reflection. And on Saturday, July 26, we can all take advantage of an amazing spiritual exercise known as a Labyrinth Walk.
A few years ago, during the season of Lent, a couple of women at Liberation United Church of Christ in Lakewood were all excited about something called a "Labyrinth Walk." In fact, they felt so touched and enriched by their own experience of having walked the Labyrinth, that they wanted to share that spiritual blessing with the entire congregation by arranging a Labyrinth event. As the Interim Senior Pastor of Liberation at that time, I said to them, "Great! Let’s do it!" However, as Doubting David, I said to myself, "This is going to be pretty weird – walking around in a maze – in a daze – trying to create some sort of spiritual connection. I don’t know about this. . . " But Doubting David was completely mistaken. I was amazed at how refreshing and moving and Holy this seemingly simple, physical exercise turned out to be. And to this day, I have no logical explanation or understanding of how or why this Labyrinth experience works – I just know that it helped me to move beyond my own intellectual, questioning mode, and to touch – truly touch – upon a spiritual connection with the Holy.
So, to all of you Doubting Davids or Doubting Deborahs out there, I say, "Please sign-up and give this Labyrinth experience a try!" I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the sense of spiritual depth, peace and well-being that it can bring.
With You All in this Season of Growth, Pastor Dave
