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.

Are you an Adopted Child of God?

Chely Wright came out as the “first openly gay country music artist” and said on Oprah Wed that she feels like she is “two weeks old”. What a scary, freeing, statement she has been facing. As I listened to the interview on Wed I realized here is a woman brought up in a Christian church who never felt she could live her own truth. She felt she had to hide who she really was. So she began her new authentic life just two weeks ago, a brand new child of God on a new journey but still linked to her old journey. She expressed her belief in God and his ever-presence throughout her life. When she held a gun to her mouth she prayed for forgiveness and her parent in heaven instead gave her the strength to live and come out. What an amazing parent, there when needed, loving unconditionally. Read her story.

As I reflect on Romans 8:14-17  in the beginning we are urged to receive life from God and to live as the Spirit calls us to live. This is a call to be honest with who we are and the gifts God has given us to share. Are you living the life God is calling you to live?

I am a child of God. Recently I read something suggesting that we are adopted children of God. What does it mean to be an adopted child of God? For me it means I have many brothers and sisters and a caring loving Parent, who will always be there for me; a parent who loves me unconditionally. What do I need to do in return? I just need to do my best. To journey through life, listening for God to lead me, to challenge me and to encourage me to share the many gifts I have to share.

How is being adopted into a family different from being born into a family? Do you think we are adopted into God’s family or born into it? What does it mean to be adopted? You are chosen by your adopted parents, and if you are older you have a say in that choice as well. You would move into a new home, be loved by new people, be given new responsibilities and in some ways a fresh new life. Is this always good? Is it always easy? Just like with our relationship with God, sometimes I like having God as a Parent and sometimes I don’t like it, especially when I believe that I am being challenged to share my gifts in difficult ways. I like having God as a parent to love me unconditionally, to show me grace, but it is when God challenges me to share my gifts and find my call and things do not seem clear I am ready to walk away and ignore God.

Back in 2000 I met a young man who talked about his story of not having a father in his life, he was angry until he realized that God was the father he needed and that God was always there and would always be there for him to help. This was at the beginning of his Hip Hop ministry and today he has received many accolades and has accomplished many things, check out this short clip from his song Be My Dad video.

Dave Scherer has a wonderful story about following God and sharing the gifts God gave him. Creating a Hip Hop ministry when he started was cutting edge and now people are trying to copy him and his ministry. I am sure there were ups and downs, doubts and assurances, but following is never easy.

How are you following your passion, your call? How are you sharing your gifts?

Join the conversation tonight at 7PM EST on an audio Skype conversation. You just need a microphone and speakers to join in. Go to Skype.com create an account and connect to bythewaycommunity, you can also leave your comments here.

unshackled ... by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

Are you free… or have you got some kind of shackles tying you down?  Or do you flow in and out of freedom/unfreedom as you meander through your days?


I’ve got a great story for you to jump into, a story that comes from the action-packed Bible book called “The Acts of the Apostles”. My suggestion for getting in deep is to try this: Each time you are introduced to a new character, pause to imagine who this person is and in what state of “shackledness” they are. How is this person bound in chains? What is her/his need for freedom? Then weave in some thoughts about which character(s) you relate to. What kind of chains are you dragging around?


Ok, now head on over to  Acts 16:16-34, maybe jotting down your insights as you go... and then come back here for a bit…


When I concentrated on each character’s shackledness, I was most intrigued by the exchange between Paul and the un-named slave girl who could "see" beyond the ordinary.

Here Paul has just had a life-changing encounter with the intriguing Lydia, giving to and receiving from someone so different from himself (see last week's blog and/or Acts 16:1-16).  So why is he so annoyed by this other "different" person, this enslaved truth-teller who tells him exactly who he is?


I suppose it would be like passing by someone who’s homeless who looks into your eyes and tells everyone around what your occupation is. It would be a bit creepy. And there’s this barrier between most of us and the street people we encounter. We have a hard time valuing that person. We are afraid. And annoyed. And chained to our prejudiced perceptions. How does God reach out to us to unshackle us from the stereotypes that separate us?


Paul goes on to have this intense interchange with the jailer who’s is most certainly enslaved by the Roman empire, even though he’s got a paid position with them. Paul and Silas save the life of this guy and then end up bringing his whole family into the joy of God’s new way of life in Jesus. Life might not be easy for this family, as they turn their backs on their previous way of making sure there’s bread on the table. But they’re connected to a new family of faith.


So was the same gift of life offered to little girl, who was probably ditched by her masters on the spot? I hope so. I guess I’m left feeling like I want to make this story complete by keeping my eyes open to find someone who is undervalued… and offering that someone some grace.


So those are a few of my reflections after reading this story. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to jot them down here in the “comments”, so others might learn from your journey, too.


This week is a bit different for by the way, since Heidi and I both have unusually eventful schedules. We won’t have a Skype conversation discussing this post, but we’ll be back in action next Thursday  (5/20) 7pm EST. If you’re new to by the way and would like to see a more “typical” view of the way we do things, please scroll down to the last blog post and you’ll get a good peek in!


I invite you into a time of prayer… God of little and big people, impoverished and wealthy, visionaries and stick-in-the-muds, those who are free and those who are shackled… In this moment, come into the world of my stresses and fears and set me free. Let me float for a while in your expansive grace. Free me from what enslaves me, so I can look at your world with new eyes, with YOUR eyes… eyes filled with delight and compassion and courage. In your name we pray… amen.

Peace to you,
Kari

drenched in words unspoken… by Kari Henkelmann Keyl

drench yourself in words unspoken
live your life with arms wide open
today is where your book begins
the rest is still unwritten
~ from "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield ~

So often I find myself drowning in thoughts of what I should have said or done… or what my life could have been if only I…  How different that is from the mood in Natasha Bedingfield’s song, Unwritten, where the listener is drawn into the unwritten-ness of today, the unwritten-ness of me.

staring at the blank page before you
open up the dirty window
let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

It’s an intriguing idea, the thought of living my life as if it’s a book that I’m writing, using words that no one else would write, not letting anyone else define me.  To be always stepping forward with aniticipation, seeing all I encounter with new, eager eyes… Yep.  I’d like to live that way. Sometimes I even manage to do it.

reaching for something in the distance
so close you can almost taste it…
live your life with arms wide open…
feel the rain on your skin


I’m thinking of this amazing person named Lydia who seems to have lived with her arms and her eyes open wide. She shows up in the Bible in The Acts of the Apostles, which is Luke’s post-Easter sequel to his book about Jesus. Take a moment, if you will, to put yourself into this story: Acts 16:9-15.

Lydia and company meet at the river to pray. Here come these strange sailor-dudes (obviously not from here), but the prayer group continues on, making room for the newcomers. The strangers soon become friends as they pray and as they listen. Lydia’s not stuck in any ruts of how worship should be and who should be present. She receives the presence-of-Jesus that the strangers have brought. She’s ready to jump into the newness and splash around. Her trusting joy is contagious, and soon everyone is in the river, trying out the baptized freshness, writing new pages in their own stories.


Lydia’s not the only one who’s got an open, unwritten book. Paul and his crew have been wandering out on the windy sea, struggling with which way to head. They’ve got an out-of-this-world-story-of-life bubbling inside, and they’re willing to scrap the old rule book if that’s the way the spirit leads. They join the riverbank prayer meeting, chatting away (with women! highly unusual!), swapping stories (with Greeks! yikes!), introducing the Risen Jesus with abandon. As Lydia received their gift, so do they receive hers. Her hospitality, that is. First they say no thanks. But she insists on teaching them a thing or two: You’re not the only one who’s got some spirit to give!


This spirit of freely-flowing receiving-and-giving continues on in many faith communities, who are opening up new windows to let the sunshine—and the world—in. Check out this one, which just happens to be named St. Lydia.


Please consider this by the way riverbank to be a place where you can be freely writing your own story. Leave a comment and come back to see the comments of others. If you have questions about baptism, about becoming baptized or renewing your baptism, please leave me a note, and I’ll give you a call.


Do take a splash around Natasha’s delightful video Unwritten. And the lyrics are worth some prayerful reflection as well. I would love to know what phrase or image catches your attention! We’ll be diving deeper into all this on Thursday, May 6, 7pm EST, on http://www.skype.com/. Look for "bythewaycommunity".  All are welcome.  No exceptions.


Flowing Spirit, open my eyes to see the unwritten possibilities of today. Drench me in your refreshing rain of new life. Challenge me to revisit my own closed-off notions that keep me from you. Move deeply in me and through me, so I’ll be offering hospitality Lydia-style to all in my reach. In your name I pray… amen.