Blessing

Blessing

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

 So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27

This passage from Numbers is a frequent benediction in so many congregations. This morning, for some reason, I stop and listen to the words. We are giving God human characteristics. Using human terms and feelings for God, as you know, is a big word with rolling syllabuses called anthropomorphism.

Sometimes, this is our only way to express what we want to say about God. It has its traps, but it can occasionally give us the tiniest glimpses of the magnitude of the love and care we receive from God. How wonderful to pray that God will direct God’s face to us so that God’s face will shine on us and we will receive God’s Grace. We ask God to look directly at us, look us right in the eye, and give us peace.

We are asking for a connection, an ancient blessing God gave to the Hebrews and now to us many centuries later.

I love knowing that the ancient Hebrews were just people like us, asking for a blessing, a relationship, calling on God to look directly at us and bring us peace.

What is the face of God? Is it the horizon, the stars, the oceans, the forests, the moon as far as we can see? Is it the solar system, the planets Mars and Jupiter, or a multitude of solar systems and beyond? We are full circle back to the word solar, which pertains to the sun, a brightness that shines above all others for us. Yet, we know that the brightness of our sun pales in the face of the love of our God, which still shines on sunny and dark days and nights.

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Blessing

Blessing

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them,

The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

 So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:22-27

Great Trinity Team Henry

This passage from Numbers is a frequent benediction in so many congregations. This morning, for some reason, I stop and listen to the words. We are giving God human characteristics. Using human terms and feelings for God, as you know, is a big word with rolling syllabuses called anthropomorphism.

Sometimes, this is our only way to express what we want to say about God. It has its traps, but it can occasionally give us the tiniest glimpses of the magnitude of the love and care we receive from God. How wonderful to pray that God will direct God’s face to us so that God’s face will shine on us and we will receive God’s Grace. We ask God to look directly at us, look us right in the eye, and give us peace.

We are asking for a connection, an ancient blessing God gave to the Hebrews and now to us many centuries later.

I love knowing that the ancient Hebrews were just people like us, asking for a blessing, a relationship, calling on God to look directly at us and bring us peace.

What is the face of God? Is it the horizon, the stars, the oceans, the forests, the moon as far as we can see? Is it the solar system, the planets Mars and Jupiter, or a multitude of solar systems and beyond? We are full circle back to the word solar, which pertains to the sun, a brightness that shines above all others for us. Yet, we know that the brightness of our sun pales in the face of the love of our God, which still shines on sunny and dark days and nights.

But perhaps the face of God does take on human form like in the group above. Our journey is indeed to see the face of God in our neighbor, who will bless and teach us about the presence of God indwelling in us as well.

Joanna joannaseibert.com

Sport and Bonding

Sport and Bonding

Guest Writer: Ken Fellows

       In their day, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were celebrated hall-of-fame stars for different, highly competitive professional basketball teams, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. While giving no quarter during a multitude of games, they famously bonded off-court to form a legendary friendship full of mutual admiration. In all sports, there are similar close relationships between fierce competitors, but perhaps none more recognized than the Bird/Johnson comradeship.

    The byline for this recent picture in the Boston Globe was: ”Real Reward: Results Matter in Sports, but Relationships Matter More and Last Longer.” In the piece, sports writer Tara Sullivan described the “power of friendship in sports and how bearing witness to the respect, trust, and loyalty between professional athletes can be as captivating as watching them compete for wins and championships. The example they set in those moments resonates with more potency than anything achieved statistically.”

     In her article, Sullivan points out that “Jesse Owens, who forever changed our conversation on racial equality, said this: Friendships born on the field of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, and friends gather no dust.”

     This statement, the wording quite eloquent, is nonetheless insightful and has been illustrated many times in other athletic avenues. Sullivan’s article also cites Chris Evert and Martine Navratilova, former competing tennis champions turned best friends, who helped each other through their battles with cancer. And, at the end of Roger Federer’s retirement tennis match with Rafael Nadal, the pair celebrated their respect and loyalty while tearfully raising held hands.

     My youth and my adult years were enlivened and enriched by playing individual and team sports. Especially memorable in my senior years are the many teammates, competitors and games I accumulated over 25 retirement years playing adult basketball and pond hockey in Kittery Pt, Maine.

     Our basketball games occurred in a local school gym on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6-8 pm. As memorable as the games were, the comradery … the kidding, joking, stories, and laughs … during between-game rest periods produced particularly lasting friendships and durable memories.

The night I ‘retired,’ I told the assembled 8-10 players that it was my last game …with regrets that all I ever wanted to hear upon leaving this earth when the time comes was “nice shot.” One of my best friends immediately countered: “That would never happen. The last words you would ever hear are: “That’s another foul.” He, I, and several other longtime player-friends still meet several times annually to reminisce over ‘beers and burgers.’ And there’s always a ‘reunion picnic’ held each spring.

     I’ve also maintained friendships with many of my ice hockey compatriots.

Having retired from playing hockey several years ago, I now stop and wistfully wave at the guys when driving past the Fort McClary pond where we played. But not anymore. Climate change has terminated skating there and at most local ponds. Many of those hockey players, like my basketball buddies, are still chums and peers …. for which I’m grateful.

     It’s refreshing to be reminded that trophies and medals are valued mementos of achievement, but tarnish, fade and break. Like Larry and Magic, the best rewards in sports are the friendships established … they can last forever.

Ken Fellows

Joanna Seibert joannaseibert.com