Piloting Faith: A new cultural awakening...

A Word for the Day...

I want to tell you a story. It’s a story that never happened, but that doesn’t make it less true. It starts...

One night four rabbis were visited by an angel who awakened them and carried them to the Seventh Vault of the Seventh Heaven. There they beheld the sacred Wheel of Ezekiel.

Somewhere in the descent from Paradise to Earth, one Rabbi, having seen such splendor, lost his mind and wandered frothing and foaming until the end of his days. The second Rabbi was extremely cynical: “Oh I just dreamed Ezekiel's Wheel, that was all. Nothing really happened.” The third Rabbi carried on and on about what he had seen, for he was totally obsessed. He lectured and went on nonstop with how it was all constructed and what it all meant....and in his way he went astray and betrayed his faith. The fourth Rabbi, who was a poet, took a paper in hand and a reed and sat near the window writing song after song praising the evening dove, his daughter in her cradle, and all the stars in the sky. And he lived his life better than before.

I believe we are living in a time of great cultural awakening. We are living in a time of institutional breakdowns and breakthroughs. We are wrestling with cosmic questions - what does it mean to be human? What is the meaning of life?

We are seeing the rising of a mythic imagination and you, dear one, are now a mything link, a link between a past story of a fearful humanity that is consuming and killing our planet, to a new story that embraces balance, generosity and deep respect for all of creation.

We also see the rising of our shadow gods. The old tribal gods in their dictatorial posturing. We see the rising of populism and fundamentalism that offers a false sense of security in the face of radical global awakening. We are, I believe, watching what will be close to their last stands, as we battle for a new mythic story for our world that includes all of us, in our beautiful diversity, living in harmony with our Mother Earth.

Wake up to the story of your life as the beautiful expression of God’s creativity, and like the fourth Rabbi, having seen the Wheel of Life fully revealed, celebrate being alive at this moment. The Rabbi teaches us that we have one task to do in this time: Live our life better than before.

- Rev. Cameron Trimble, author of Piloting Church: Helping Your Congregation Take Flight

Prayer for the Week

As streets fill with shoppers
Bright lights and tempting offers
Christmas songs and children’s laughter
You lead us along a different path
To a desert river and a Prophetic voice
A call to repentance
A call to service
A call to immerse ourselves
In living water that will never run dry
A call to prepare a way in our own lives
For the Savior of the world to enter in
To know the touch of tender mercy
And rest in your forgiving love.

Amen.