Lost in wonder . . . by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

There’s nothing like a good mystery to lift you out of whatever’s weighing you down.  And for the past few years, plenty of people have found their ultimate mystery in the TV show Lost, with its creative twists and mind-bending time travel.

The big news of this week is that the series finale brought all the plot fragments together, and there’s no more mystery to solve, right? Nnnnno, not really. All over the blogosphere you can still see the fans lost in the wonder, continuing the speculation, getting into the depth of the meaning of Lost-life. Here’s an example from  Common Grounds Online.

Being lost in a good mystery can be just a fun distraction. It can also be intensely fulfilling, even transforming, life-altering. Mystery can open up our minds to new possibilities, shake us out of the sense that we know it all, keep us on our toes for what might be revealed next. 

Maybe that’s why I get uncomfortable when I hear people talking as if they know exactly who God is and what God is all about. Certainty-talk can put me on edge. I’ve experienced the ugliness that can come from two people butting heads with their own “certainties”. But more importantly, I’ve experienced the exhilarating thrill of having two or more people discovering together what’s real and meaningful. By sharing what we know and listening to others, we may not arrive at certainty. But we can dance together in the mysteries, getting glimpses of truth as we go. 

One of those mysteries to dance in is who we humans are in relation to God and in relation to all of creation. The Bible’s book of lyric poetry, called The Psalms, explores this mind-bending theme in many different ways. Take a look at Psalm 8 to see one poet delving into the awesomeness of who the Creator is and how we creatures respond.  Can you place yourself in that picture: staring amazed at a starry sky, getting lost in the wonder?  And then feeling the weight (glorious but overwhelmingly heavy) of the responsibility humans have for tending this world God made (like caring for oil-covered pelicans)? 

And since we’re talking about seeing things from many perspectives, take a look at this version of the same psalm from The Message.  Both writers are looking at the same ancient texts, drawing out different meanings. We can get into the “who is really right” argument, or we can get lost in the creative tension between them.

Speaking of creative tension… if there is one ancient teaching of Christianity that plunges folks into mystery, it is the understanding of God as “trinity”. Three and one at the same time. Many Christians around the world will be diving headfirst into this mystery this coming weekend. My hope is that people won't get bogged down in getting "the right" understanding, but instead will get lost in the wonder of who God is and how God relates to us!

If you’d like to come and engage with others on the stuff I’ve brought up here, please come and join the audio skype conversation on Thursday, May 27, 7pm EST.  New to skype?  All you need is a microphone (most laptops have them built in). Just go to www.skype.com, download the program, set up your identity, and then look for “by the way community”. All are welcome!

A final note: One of my favorite songs for getting-into-the-wonder-of-God is “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”. Check out the lyrics if you like (especially the last line!) or view a choral performance of this engaging poetry about the way-beyond-all-understanding mystery of God’s love for us.

Everything's amazing, nobody's happy

by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

So you want it all, and on some level — conscious or un — you feel you deserve it. Life is one amazing thing after another, and you’re missing out on the wonder because amazing is the norm, and you just want more. If you’re one who’s afflicted with this inner illness, you are not alone. And I’m arguing that it’s hardly new to the 21st century.

I just started reading this astoundingly rich book of art, prose, and poetry called The Cosmic Dance: An Invitation to Experience Our Oneness by mystical author Joyce Rupp and artist Mary Southard. It’s opening me up in really cool ways to the inviting mysteries of creation and its Creator, and I’m wishing everyone could be experiencing this with me… and then I pause to check Facebook and there at the top of my home page is this video clip called, “Everything’s Amazing Nobody’s Happy” (Thanks, PastorLindafromMontana!). And in a much less mystical but equally jarring way, I’m hearing this comedian Louis CK spouting off his wisdom that went viral some months ago. Want to see it?

Take note: If you’re someone who was practically born with a cellular device in your hand and you’re easily offended, then you can either choose not to watch this clip or choose to find the wisdom behind the insults, ok? Remember he’s really harping on ALL of us spoiled idiots, not just the youngish ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk


It’s nothing new. Since the beginning of everything, it’s been amazing, and we humans have had glimpses of this amazingness we are part of… in between our moments of taking it all for granted as nothing more than we deserve. Getting those glimpses is a gift. Getting a wake-up call is refreshing, even if it’s from Louis CK. Or if it’s from another wiseguy named Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus hangs with these characters we now call The Disciples but gospel-writer Mark calls Not-yet-enlightened Idiots. One of the best/worst stories of all that Mark passes on to us is this episode of the Two Brothers who Want it All.

James and John and those ten other guys live in an almost constant climate of AMAZING. Jesus, by their side, is God-personified, Healer-extraordinaire, Awesome-truthteller, and he’s letting them in on the secrets of the universe every day. Or trying to, I should say.

But the J&J brothers aren’t HAPPY. They want to take-it-to-the-next-level. They don’t just want to experience this amazing life; they want to have some power over it, and they probably think they deserve it.

As you read through this episode in Jesus’ life, please resist the temptation to bash J&J further and examine your own self. How do you fit into this scenario, and how is Jesus wake-up-calling you to a change of heart?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010:35-45&version=MSG

I’m looking forward to digging deeper into this on Thursday night, and I hope you’ll be there (at the Crowne Plaza, exit 8 in Nashua, 7pm). Please add to the conversation if you’ve got some wisdom of your own, by clicking on “comments” below. And feel free to come back here on the weekend for more. 

Amazed and even happy,
Kari

(For a peek into Joyce Rupp's cool stuff:  http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/2009/10/we-are-one.html)

Ready to Play

Check out this take on how creation got started:

First off, nothing... but God. No light, no time, no substance, no matter. Second off, God says the word and WHAP! Stuff everywhere! The cosmos in chaos: no shape, no form, no function -- just darkness... total. And floating above it all, God's Holy Spirit, ready to play.

So the Creator has a playful spirit, according to Rob Lacey and his "Word on the Street" version of the Bible. And don't forget, "holy", too... a holy spirit of creative play.

I love that. I need to hear that, now and then... that play is a vital part of life. Vital as in full of energy. And absolutely essential! When we take ourselves too seriously as accomplishers, workers, succeeders, strivers... then these are the gracewords we need to hear: And floating above it all is God's Holy Spirit, ready to play.

Last week I had the privilege of going on a retreat with 20 or so other ministry-types, people who needed a break, a chance to hang with friends and be with God. And what did we do? We played! We played with all kinds of creative arts and craftsy thingies and we played with words and images, embellished with laughter and aha(!) insights. We let the Creator and the creation story guide us in letting loose, in switching from "doing" mode to "being" mode. Needless to say: it was great. Just what I was hungering for.

What kind of creative play do you crave? What are you doing or being when you feel so at one with the Creator that you could just burst with joy? Or has it been so long since you felt that way that you wonder if joy will ever come around again? Feel free to let loose your story of how creativity oozes from you or completely eludes you, how your spirit is fed when you play or how you wish you could find a way to be a creative play-er.

Jesus played plenty with words and images that have given us lasting views of how we can be floating with God's spirit. From Matthew's story (chapter 6) we hear Jesus asking us to stop everything, lay flat on our backs, watch the birds soar, smell the wildflowers... let all the striving go, long enough to loosen your worried souls and learn from creation, from all the creative play-ers around you. And when it's time to start striving again, strive not for piling up accomplishments but for lining up with God and God's creating ways.

It's a breath of fresh air, this creative play. Slurp in a deep one now and then, in between all those working hours. And be ready to play when the spirit floats you.

~ Kari Henkelmann Keyl