Walks with Barry - Profoundly Simple: A Walk Reframed

  When I was a boy, I remember the heart-pounding fear of getting separated from my father in a crowd. I could always spot him, with his height and with his white head of hair. But with the crowd close, and with me being so small, I could not find a view that allowed me to look up for that sign that all would be well. I was lost in the crush of the crowd. I’m sure I was only lost for a moment or two, but it seemed like an eternity. Fortunately, my daddy was looking for me. He had a different point of view; he just had to look down to find me. As I grew older, and taller, I realized I was not lost at all. My daddy always had his eye on me. So it is with God. This verse on the bench in the baptismal garden says it all, “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” We can feel separated, but God always sees us. God is always looking. God is always finding, even in the crush of the crowd. Peace.

As I walked through the lovely baptismal garden/columbarium are at the church, I was deep in thought about many things. There is so much sorrow in the world. Among my congregation there are struggles and surgeries and the death of loved ones. After two years of avoiding it, after vaccinations and boosters to elude it, I had been sick with Covid. As I walked with all this and more on my mind, I saw these lovely lilies in the cool shade of a summer afternoon. And it hit me - it was still Easter. These lilies had once graced the chancel in our beautiful sanctuary during our Easter worship. They were carefully planted in this sacred space and are blooming again in all their glory. What a wonderful reminder to me and my heavy heart that it is still Easter. We read in 1 Peter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” Pope John Paul ll wrote...

  Every time I pass this plant and the leaves are ablaze in the sun, I think of the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses, on the run from the Egyptians, has found safety on the backside of the desert where he will never be found. Well, he will never be found by anyone but God. He is herding his animals when he sees a bush aflame, but it does not burn up. This captures his attention and he draws near. He hears a voice calling his name and he encounters God in a life-changing way. And his encounter with God changed the world. We can encounter God in all kinds of places because God is everywhere we may go. God can speak to us in whatever way gets our attention, from a still, small voice to a burning bush. God has much for us, and God has much for us to do. The question is whether, like Moses, we stop and listen and say ‘yes’ to God. “When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” Let us keep ...

  After the rain, these little day lilies raise their heads again toward the light. They seem to me to be the picture of hope. The storms may beat them down, but they always rise again, bringing beauty and joy. I needed this sign today, after the heavy storms of grief and pain that have settled over our land once again. The apostle Paul writes that “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” We seem to be in a time of groaning in this world, waiting for something new to be born, waiting for a new day and a new way of living together. We are beaten down by the storm and need some hope. The resurrection of Jesus holds the hope we seek. God is at work bringing life out of death, hope out of despair and joy out of sorrow. In the face of the world’s rejection of God’s love, God loves anyway. In spite of all we do to thwart God’s way in the world, God continues to move us toward a world of peace and love and compassion ...

  At the end of a summer shower, I saw this fern, delicately dappled with drops of rain. The light shining through the clouds was perfect, softly highlighting the shades of green and the glistening droplets. In that moment, it was impossible to think of the high temperatures we have experienced already this year. In that moment, it was impossible to think of the extreme cold of the past winter. After a Spring that set records for the number of days with winds over 35 miles per hour, the calm of this moment seemed magical. And then the news of yet another school shooting left me speechless. Now the tender green plants seem as innocent children, gathered in a place where they should be safe. The droplets of rain seem as the tears of God, broken hearted at both the loss of life and our lack of resolve to address this inconceivable violence. The Psalmist writes, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. God is with the family and community. God...

Is there anything as dazzling as sunlight on water? Whether a massive ocean, a small mountain lake, a swimming pool or a puddle after a sudden shower, when the rays of the sun hit the surface, magic happens. Imagination has no limit. Do we see stars? Do we see the universe ? Do we see shifting dunes of colored crystals? Do we see the waters of creation from which all life came forth? Light and water have been powerful symbols across ages and cultures and religions. The light of knowledge. The water of life. Joy and new birth. Cleanliness and purity. In my tradition, water and light are represented by baptismal font and candle. In the stories of creation in Genesis we read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the...

  The news of yet another school shooting has left me angry, broken-hearted and despairing. Join in praying for the families of the victim’s, the survivors and the entire community of Uvalde, Texas. But also pray for an end to this madness. Pray for elected officials who have the power to address this ever-increasing violence, that they will put duty first and act responsibly. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.