Advent:Rough Places Made Smooth
Advent and Christmas Greetings,
Been working on these toys called ‘Bullshit Grinders’ (I tell the nephews they are ‘smoke grinders’). I hadn’t made any in a while, and I found I had a slow start.
But soon I got to this point, where the work involved became fine tuning, smoothing and finishing, to get the toy to turn nicely. (Go to the store to find finished examples.)
The felt process of doing so, one piece at at time, got me wondering about what must be involved in machining metal tool parts, or something like an engine or motor. Precision and care required for the parts to move repeatedly, at unimaginable speeds and power.
…Maybe I could rebuild an old engine?... My mind wants to always learn something new, and its taken me to life’s midpoint to better understand that, and moderate these impulses to learn new skills...but even so, I found the vector off toward metalwork and machining an enticing one.
But the spark for that direction was the effort of refining, something felt very right about taking care to make the rough places smooth…
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" Luke 3:1-6
The prophets direct our lives and the capacity of our whole hearts to this work of God.
How will divine power guide your efforts in the coming days and months?
Well, maybe I’ll take some modest and measured steps toward learning metalwork and machining this year…
…Anyone have an old machinist’s lathe for sale? How about an old motorcycle or marine engine that could be my learning project rebuild? Know anyone looking for a middle-aged tool shop apprentice?...
And I will consider the rough places in and around me that need smoothing
What about you?
What are the rough places in your whole heart and the life around you that might be made smooth by God?
What soul-and-body efforts might follow in that path of God?
Maybe it’s a path made straight by courage for right action in the days and months ahead…
Courage whose working power creates a way to live, to move, exercise your life and power and capacity to experience joy, gratitude and hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Courage to faithfully and wisely act with others for the common good.
Maybe it’s a tool path of compassion and forgiveness, precise and kind, that smooths a little rough bur of resentment or fear in the engine block of your soul that causes things to run out of tune. You may find after a few turns on God’s lathe, you have greater capacity to listen and respond clearly with truth and love, even with those who trouble you.
Maybe its something deeper than any rough place, problem, grievance, or positively-thought goal for better living that can be worked readily.
Maybe it is a potent and persistent longing,
whose fire force can reform your soul to truer shape,
working in this world ever more in union
with the living God born among us,
the child given unto us
in whose image we have been cast
in the fiery soul foundry of God’s
desire to dwell with us.
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Winter will be a good time to rest, and tinker about projects. Wool spinning, print making, and some preparation for planting come spring. Maybe that engine project, or laying out out the construction a small plywood sailing skiff. We will see.
As for some new ministry impulses, you can read more about the work of the Wild Indigo Guild here.
We have developed a great program gathers, guides and encourages individuals and congregations to discover ways that they desire to participate in the renewal of creation. This can help them experience faith renewal, and contribute to revitalizing congregational life.
We offer small group formation and learning, accompany individuals and congregations practically, technically and pastorally, and build christian community around prayer, eating together and working with our hands to tend the earth.
We would like to walk with you and your community in faithfulness to your desires to tend the creation near you.
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For Your Listening
6 Versions of Huron Carol, Broadview
Every Valley Shall Be Exalted, GF Handel, Messiah
All About Valves, Motorcycles and Misfits podcast
Metalwork…Prophet Isaiah, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons