Right now the words and melody of Donna Summer‘s Last Dance , is the gift that I’ve been trying to ignore but now have turned around to embrace. It’s not that the lyrics are especially rich. It’s just the sense of the song that’s appropriate: the sweet mood of moving to the music one last time before the festive event comes to an end.
Heidi and I offered the invitation to our past bloggers to connect with the by the way community one last time before our closing next week. Dustin Wright responded with his images of God acting though by the way to provide a shelter from the storm when he needed it most. Bill Petersen offered his take on living in the perfectness of God's love for us rather than the perfectionistic goals we tend to pursue.
This week we have two more btw bloggers joining in the dance. And then next week Heidi and I will together compile our last reflections, on how God has indeed been dancing with us these past 4 years… as we’ve tangoed with the texts of God’s Word and the contexts of God’s world, through God’s dancing partner known as by the way.
Kari Henkelmann Keyl
To Linger Along the Water Way by Elisabeth Aurand
The name “By the Way” and the blog’s attendant publicity cards had caught my attention, yet it was some months before I felt I had time… to explore this new “congregation via Skype.” I appreciated the empathetic and wisely reflective voices on Thursdays at 7pm, enough that I wanted to “meet them further on up the road,” (as Bruce Springsteen would sing it ).
I think my image… is “The Way”, a dusty way, tapering into the horizon where it now joins a way of waters. This water “way” still invites one for a journey –past the dusty road and on into the regular current. This is the river with us in our baptisms and it keeps rolling. I hope we who have gotten to know each other here can continue to linger along the water way together now and then.
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Where do you see God? by Anne Roser
How amazing it is when God’s loving and healing presence is recognized in the world! As I have read the bytheway blog through the years, I have seen others point to the holy in new and exciting ways.
Isaiah 43.19 offers these words to us: “I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Who could have imagined that when the internet took hold many years ago, that it would become a tool of faith? Or that social media via Facebook, originally geared for college students, would explode into use by many ages, groups, and organizations for their communication needs? Not to mention other social media inventions!
The science world is always on the fringe of new and exciting discoveries as well. A former college classmate of mine, Dr. Leonard Zon (read more about what he does here ) was recently featured on National Public Radio’s program Science Friday on his amazing work with stem cell research. Do check it out!
God uses what is common to reach us, and that includes the wonders of science and technology. The gifted people of this world point out to us the wonders of life around us. They use what is common to bring new life. And we as well can use what is common to point to the Christ, the light of the world, using our gifts as God intends.
God is ever deepening our desire for what is holy. In ways old and new, God is reaching out to restore, renew, and nourish the world. We are all invited to new life, new possibilities, new futures – and the darkness of alienation, illness, injustice, despair and suffering do not have the final word upon the nations, cultures, and peoples of the world.
Where do you see God? Through invention, science, technology…as well as mutual dialogue, relationship and community, the power of the holy is revealed. New things indeed springs forth, do you not perceive them? Thanks be to God!
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Thank you, Elisabeth and Anne! And thank you to the entire by the way community for joining in the dance. Please add your reflections by commenting here, so we can all sway to the music of your dance with God.
(And if anyone has a link to the song Dance With Me, the one that starts with, "This is holy time", please do share it. The lyrics fit with what we're talking about here, but I'd love to share the music as well.)
2 comments:
When my friend asked me if I belong to a church, I said I belong to by the way. It felt good to say that and I think I will keep saying it. Because by the way is not really ending. I'll keep looking back to read the old blogs I havn'et read yet. I hope I find another church like this.
I just wanted to tell you that I have really enjoyed reading the blogs from by the way. I regret that Thursdays being what they are, I was never able to participate in the on line conversation. I just finished reading the current blog and really like the image of dancing with God.
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