Pentecost Workshop: Of Joinery, Spirit and Fire
The past month has been garden planting time. Most all the seeds and plants up and growing, so I can turn more toward the workshop, and some ‘workshop theology.’ I hope to share more writing and that of others this year.
Currently finishing two wooden boxes built from beautiful scraps recovered from local dumpsters. It is a tragic fizzle to see old growth cedar, good dimensional lumber or clear veneer plywood just thrown out when someone decides to ‘update’ their house. I can’t leave it laying by the side of the road, and so bring it home to make something more lasting from these gifts of trees and creation.
These offer good practice in joinery. The dovetails yield quite sturdy cases, despite my flaws in cutting them out. The small box is made of assorted scraps of douglas fir, red oak, yellow poplar and red alder. The lid will be fit with a single panel of colored art glass (from Wissmach Glass in Paden City, WV.)
The toy or tool chest will be sturdy and stable. While it doesn’t have the trapezoidal style of a sea-chest, I’m sure it could serve a good one. This one is destined for some friends, to be decorated and finished according to their liking.
I enjoy the work of joinery, progress in learning it, and seeing the refuse scraps come together into something of use and beauty.
That brings me to Pentecost, celebrated this Sunday, 5-28-2023.
As Jesus prepared to leave his life on earth, he prayed to God of his disciples,
“Father I pray that they may be one as you and I are one.” John 17:22
Jesus desired to join things together. His work was reconciliation, bringing near, clinging to God, binding our hearts as one. He is our peace-our wholeness, completeness, our reconciliation with God, with one another, with our being. He is our com-m-union. The adoptive son of a carpenter, he knew some joinery.
On Pentecost Jesus joins the church more fully to God’s peace and communion. They were to be joined, to cling to God, and helping others be so attached to God, and live from that deep love and attachment.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4
In this moment, their being is touched by a rational and healing fire. Fire can consume and destroy. How do you live with it? Wisely applied fire renews, as in among cultures of land care who utilize fire well.
And fire is used for joinery, for attaching and bringing into one. Welding is a process that uses fire or electricity to heat and join one piece of metal to another. The fire creates a powerful and strong attachment, joining two into one.
The hebrew word “devek” means to attach or join or cling. It occurs more than once in the bible. A related word means to ‘weld’ or ‘solder.’ In Jewish experience and tradition, ‘devekut’ refers to the mystical experience of a progressive clinging to God, or being joined more and more to God. We may experience this differently and in different degrees in this life. But our hearts grow more and more attached to God alone, and our lives more and more desirous to live according to God’s way. Our lives joined more and more to God show forth in such things as loving-kindness, righteousness, wisdom, moderation, gentleness, patience, peace, joy, simplicity and reverence.
Pentecost was a moment of joinery, a weld applied to the world with great fire and energy. Then the fire of God had touched and been grounded into daily life. It sent the disciples into the world, into the marketplace, and homes and roads, to live joined more and more in love to God. This Spirit let them discover new ways of life together, of meeting their community needs, of resolving their conflicts and generating options to build unity out of division. It led them to join their hearts to one another and to God. (Acts 4:32)
May this consuming fire form your heart and mine into that strong and lovely attachment.
