Awaken the Dawn

A downtown Sunday morning, just before sunrise.

Running will come later but it is hard to beat a before-sunrise walk around town to awaken the senses to each morning’s little miracles…like no rain clouds in sight!

And for each step, wise words from Solomon for a new day: 

“Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you toward the path of integrity.

Consider well and watch carefully the path of your feet, and all your ways will be steadfast and sure.” (Proverbs 4:25-27)

 Keep looking Up. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Church with Feet On

On mission at the high school, on a Sunday morning.

Just about everyone knows that Church is not a building, even though that is what most people (even believers) think of when someone says the “C” word. Of course, it’s not really something you go to. Instead, it’s meant to be a gathering of fellow believers who meet with God and encourage one another to keep going on this wonderful, narrow road while sharing Hope with others in word and deed. But sometimes, when the right circumstances come together, a different kind of Church can happen in some unlikely places—where the “called out ones” actually get called out. Even on a Sunday.

Last weekend was such a time. Plans had been made in advance for spending several days on the Maine coast, partly to fulfill an obligation and partly to get a change of scenery. In the back of mind were plans to gather with fellow believers at some local Down East “C” building come Sunday. Instead, I cut all of those plans short and hustled back home in time to participate in a 5K run/walk to benefit teen mental health and suicide awareness. 

On a Sunday. A Sunday morning, even, when my body and soul were used to gathering with the saints and were pulling hard in that direction....

...It felt weird. It felt wonderful. It felt a bit like being that salt seasoning and light carrying that Jesus taught His followers to be in Matthew 5:13-16.

I do not know exactly when or how this particular mission grabbed my heart, but when it did, it hit hard. The more I heard and read about it, it crushed my heart to think that many young people felt so alone, so hurt, so isolated by COVID, so unaccepted (by others and themselves), so fearful of world conditions and things in their own little world, that they would think no one really cared. That there seemed to be no hope, no way out. To then keep it all stuffed down inside themselves in silent pain.

A guy’s DNA is to want to fix things, and fix all what was wrong for these young people. But in this case, there are very few fixing options for anyone. Until I remembered that Someone came for all of that, and cared for all of that, and that all that going to the “C” gathering-with-believers experience had stirred up a passion for things I knew I could and wanted to do—to pray, and to listen/“be there” in some way. And that 5K was one small but practical way to “be there” in person and for those providing resources, and to listen to stories, and to try to put names with faces of students who were rallying to do the same for their friends so I could pray. Even make it a habit to pray for the middle and high schools as a whole whenever I drive by.

“Why this mission, and why now?” It’s something many believers ask themselves. Only God knows. Seasons come and go, and so do the eternal things that God will suddenly pour into our heart out of nowhere with a sort of burning. And the only explanation I can come up with is that the more time you take to get to know, and listen to, and seek to follow the greatest Light of the world of all time, the more He becomes the motor that drives your thinking, your passions, your interests, and your everyday interactions—especially with those who find going to the “C” word on Sundays a very foreign idea.

Kind of like, that’s the whole point of the gospel.

Because nearly 900 years before Jesus, there was a prophet named Isaiah who described what His mission would be all about. And in Luke 4, the Light of the world Himself not only confirmed it, but passed the baton of salt and light on to all believers down through the ages to carry for as long as we have life and breath…

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me;

He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed

And to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim freedom for the captives,

And release from darkness for the prisoners”

—Isaiah 61:1: Luke 4:16-21, ISV

To go to church on Sundays, yes, but much more than that— to be church with feet on.

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For vitamins beyond Sunday, see the Day Starter morning devotionals on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/renewchurchhancock

Roots

Along Rachel Carson National Wildlife Reserve, Moody, Maine

Through years of hurricanes, blizzards, floods, blistering heat, bone-chilling cold, and many joyfully beautiful days stands this familiar, solitary little pine tree on Bourne Avenue on the way to Moody beach. As many times as I pass it, like one morning this week, I marvel that it’s still there.

I think it is still there in the middle of the marsh only because ...

It has grown deep roots under stress Bends but refuses to break And still bears fruit of pine cones as it grows older It never gives in It stands strong even when standing alone …

I think I’ll frame this one.

God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn:

    When you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes,

When you avoid sin’s highway,

    When judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse.

For you, the Word is your happiness.

    It is your focus—from dusk to dawn.

You are like a tree,

    Planted by flowing, cool streams of water that never run dry.

Your fruit ripens in its time;

    Your leaves never fade or curl in the summer sun.

No matter what you do, you prosper.—Psalm 1:1-3, The Voice

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For vitamins beyond Sunday, see the Day Starter morning devotionals on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/renewchurchhancock

Moon Gaze

Night hands off to day at Cunningham Pond.

“His kingdom will last before Me like the sun. It will continue forever, like the moon, like a dependable, reliable, faithful witness in the sky.”—Psalm 89:36-37

A favorite local author from childhood, the late Elizabeth Yates, once said of the early morning: “The silence is so intense that the striking of a distant clock comes into it like sounds from another world. How bright the stars are! How still the trees! Neither branches nor leaves are in motion. Everything seems to be waiting for something to happen. It is a time when the veil between the worlds is thin…”

If you’ve ever gotten up that early, you feel those words as your own. Because no matter what the season, one of the best things about waking up early is to be in that moment of intense stillness when night hands off the baton to day. Dark becomes light again. Another relay race is on! And there to cheer on the moment every time is the moon. Sometimes, it’s right in your face. Sometimes, it's a fingernail way up high. And sometimes, it’s to the left or to the right of where it was a few days ago, but it’s always, always there, making its comforting presence known.

The psalmist, who spent a lot of time outdoors, tells us something more—that God Himself is faithful, just like that moon. And it doesn’t have to be night becoming morning to see and receive that truth. Because on this new day, whether cloudy or sunny, it’s good to know that the Creator of heaven and earth is a type-and-shadow of that “dependable, reliable, faithful witness in the sky” whose kingdom still reigns beyond the blue or gray or storminess of all that we can see or feel. He’s got this.

Because just like the moon shines in winter, spring, summer and fall, faithful means God never goes away on vacation or leaves us to figure things out for ourselves. Better still, seeing the moon up there is a constant reminder that though we stumble often, doubt frequently, and rebel without even realizing it, God remains faithful to His Almightyness, His promises, and His name, without a hint of wavering...

His love toward us never quits, whether we feel it or not. It’s always reaching out, like a beam across the pond.

...And like the moon—sometimes appearing to be full in our heart, sometimes feeling distant and thin, but always present regardless of circumstance—God is tirelessly, joyfully, faithfully reflecting the goodness of all that He is in a world gone mad. His love. His mercy. His compassion. His grace… to any and all who will simply look Up and believe that the beautiful moon in the sky is much more than just a faithful moon. To be still and know that…

“He is perfectly faithful, because God is never partly anything.”—A. W. Tozer

Still Life

Under the bridge at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Moody, ME

As with most weeks, this one was filled with lots of noise…. The sounds of athletes and crowds at games, and the waves crashing at the seashore, were fun. The sounds of miles of crazy traffic on highways and the non-stop noise of scattered thoughts looking for resolution were not. Which is why this may have been my favorite photo of the week. It was a picture of what Elijah experienced when he longed to hear from God:

“Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks—but the Lord was not in the wind. The wind stopped blowing, and then there was an earthquake—but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire—but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire… there was the soft whisper of a voice.”—1 Kings 19:11-12

Likewise, it’s easy to forget (and important to remember) that when the psalmist penned the much-loved words, “Be still and know that I Am God” (Psalm 46:10), it was in an atmosphere of a lot of noise.

Stillness is beautiful. Stillness is vital to the soul. But like Elijah and the psalmist, we often have to fight through all the noise to get there.

Even when you (me) want to capture all the noise, excitement, atmosphere and action of a game, the real beauty is looking at the stillness of the photos afterwards. In the screaming silence, you see details and facial expressions of hurt, frustration, determination and joy that simply zipped by in the moment. You see people. You notice what’s important.

It's not unlike this photo, too, when the roaring Atlantic tide comes to a screeching, mirror-like halt in the marshland. Because when you stop and look carefully, you notice not just a reflection but one of heaven on earth. Just as God desires it.

And so three captions of wisdom for the “favorite photo of the week,” from fellow travelers who’ve gone before…

Videos, reels and movies are fun, but… "Photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still.”—Dorothea Lange

“Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives; room too, for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it.”—Saint Augustine

“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is.”

—Amy Carmichael

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For vitamins beyond Sunday, see the Day Starter morning devotionals on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/renewchurchhancock

Beauty In the Routine

Just before sunrise this morning at Cunningham Pond.

On a morning like this, I will look at my praying hands clasped around a coffee mug.
Praying…among other things, to see the beauty in the routine of things.
Celebrating fullness of life and activity, yes,

But remembering to celebrate chill-out simplicity, too.

Because it is often here where God speaks loudest, and where it is easier to listen.

Like today, before sunrise at a nearby lake when the world was still asleep.

But all of Creation—loons, songbirds, a gentle breeze making new leaves dance—was full-throated in being thankful for a new day.

And so should I.

And so I did.

And to also remember those praying hands clasped around a coffee mug—

That God had planned to put things in our hands since before the beginning of time that would bring pleasure to both of us, and others.

Even (and maybe especially) in the routine...

A camera…to see new angles of Creation and reflections of the "Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1) in everyday faces and places.

Two different kinds of keyboards with the same purpose…to find words and notes that encourage and point Up.

A kayak paddle…to “be still and know” (Psalm 46:10) when all around is 24/7 noise.

A basketball and a baseball bat…to run free, to jump, to remember joy, and to know that celebration and life mission are always better with teammates.

Freshly tilled soil after a long winter…maybe as a subconscious assurance that no matter how things look, "the whole earth is still full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3)

Like today, like before sunrise at a nearby lake when the world was still asleep.

But to also remember to then loosen the grip of those praying hands around my coffee mug,

And ask them a daily question:

“Are there different ways to do what you’ve always done to help someone—even yourself—see or feel the goodness of God, even on a routine kind of day?”

And to know that there is only one good answer.

“Morning is had hand. Light will soon come flowing over the edge of the world, bringing with it the day. What a gift! Whether wrapped in streams of color or folded in tissues of mist, it will be mine to use in ways that I can foresee and in those that are unexpected. The day will make its own revelation, bring its own challenge; my part will be to respond with joy and readiness.”—Elizabeth Yates, “A Book of Hours”

Wisely and Well

Yesterday's pre-sunrise at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Moody Marsh, Maine.

“What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears."—James 4:14

Some days, you really notice. You notice that it seemed only five minutes ago that you woke up and sipped your first coffee and here it is 5 p.m. already. Where did the day go? And by the way, weren’t we just shoveling out from 37 inches of snow, so how did we get to yard work and black flies already?

Yesterday, “really notice” happened again. While walking down to the beach to catch the sun rising over the Atlantic, I passed a blanket of cool mist that was hung beautifully over the relatively mild marsh (pictured). Some of it was still there when I came by again about a half-hour later, but much of it had quickly become just a beautiful memory. Life had moved on.

It’s all a reminder, as the psalmist realized, to regularly ask God not in a scary way, “let me know how fleeting is my life” (Psalm 39:4), and perhaps in a more intentional way, “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Or, as one translation emphatically puts it, “Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”

And maybe the best way to do that is to remember what it’s like being a kid and a parent…

Both of my children are now quite adult and in their mid-30s, but I still get people asking “how are your kids?” I catch myself calling them the same thing, too, and it’s probably because God has engrained that timeless concept deep into our DNA. After all, regardless of our age, God still lovingly calls us who believe His kids, too: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

Maybe because a child often looks to the parent first for every single need and then later in life for wisdom and counsel and guidance. The child may grow up and have a family of his or her own, but the parent is always just a call away. And a parent is always a parent, no matter how old the child is. Hardly a day goes by when the parent doesn’t pray for or think fondly about a child. A parent always wants to hear from the kids and longs to see them, and always wants the best for them. The door is always open and the light is always on.

And to think that we have the world’s most perfectly amazing Parent!

But while always never more than a breath away, God is no helicopter Dad—He has created us kids to learn from Him and then launch out and make our own mark in our corner of the world with our mist-like lives. To live "wisely and well." It could be one of a million beautiful, meaningful, even life-changing things. And it doesn't matter how young or old we are. But if it is only this, it will be enough …

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with Hm and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.” (Ephesians 5:1-2, Message)

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For vitamins beyond Sunday, see the Day Starter morning devotionals on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/renewchurchhancock