Celebrate!

Here are some random thoughts on the 4th of July; now and then the teacher in me awakens, and I feel an urge to give out homework! So here is something for you to do over the holiday weekend.

1. Celebrate! Regardless of how brief, it’s summer; regardless of how short, this is a holiday weekend. Take time to celebrate something; the sound of the birds at the end of the day; the smell of roses, of freshly mown hay; our ability to gather in safety; the company of family and friends. Celebrate something; take delight in some small thing; laugh at a silly joke; enjoy a good story. Get rid of the baggage that weighs you down; seek forgiveness, and forgive; restore, renew, move forward; run the race that is set before you. Recognize that every day is a gift.
God is good; blessings abound.

2. Pay Attention! it is far too easy to become so involved in the minutiae of our own lives that we ignore the rest of the world. The famous line from Death of a Salesman reminds us, “attention must be paid.” It may be a cliche, but it is also our reality: we are a global village. What happens in the Swat Valley, Helmand Province, in the refugee camps in Darfur, in the DRC effects us as much as the events in Burlington or Manhattan or Fletcher do.
There are 1800 Vermonters being deployed to Afghanistan; many from our community. We would dishonor their work, their risk, their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families, if we don’t pay attention to what is going on in our world, and don’t do our best to promote peace in whatever ways possible. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”

We can’t pay attention if we aren’t curious!

3.Be Curious! Ever read Chapter 38 in Job? It is one of the most beautiful poems there is; it reminds us of the mysterious beauty of the created world, and God’s hand in it. It also challenges us to be curious about this gift of created beauty. What is that bird singing over the meadow: that flower blossoming by the road’s edge. How far does that hummingbird travel to arrive here each spring? What is happening to the famed snows of Kilamanjaro? Do the whales perceive beauty in the songs they sing through the ocean depths? Isn’t it amazing how a minute seed grows into a splendid and beautiful flower? Be curious; our world is a vast and wonderful place; learn about it.

5. Watch out for oxen and donkeys. This is one favorite bible passages: When you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall bring it back. When you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.- Exodus 23:4-5. Think about it!
Remember what Jesus said: But I say to you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...

6. Follow that ark! With all the rain we have had lately, someone might be inclined to build an ark; you never know. But this is a different ark.
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried..follow it so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.’’ Josh 3:3
This particular ark didn’t carry animals two by two, but the carried the 10 commandments, a bit of manna, and the long pole that Moses used to bring water from the rock. Follow that ark; it reminds us that indeed, whatever we do, wherever we go, God leads us forward; it reminds us, that the word and the unanticipated and unearned blessings go with us as well, and perhaps, an unexpected miracle or two.

7 Finally, I leave you with a poem by an unknown author.that came off the refrigerator in the home of Donald and Alice Woodward. After she died, Don said I could have it. It is yellowed and crinkled, but its message is timeless. Take time to think, it is the source of power. Take time to play; it is the secret of perpetual y outh. Take time to read; it is the fountain of wisdom. Take time to pray; it is the gr eatest power on earth. Take time to love and be loved; it is a God-given privilege. Take time to be friendly; it is the road to happiness. Take time to laugh; it is the music of the soul. Take time to give; it is too short a day to be selfish. Take time to work; it is the price of success. Take time to do charity; it is the key to heaven.