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Hello St. John’s Family,
My ears perked up immediately. A distinctive sound – one I hadn’t heard in some time – resonated in the air. Though it dissipated as quickly as I heard it, I clearly heard a brief yet unmistakable metallic hum somewhat reminiscent of the woosh of a lightsaber in the Star Wars films… and I knew that a hummingbird was nearby. I looked up, and there it was, apparently attracted by a few grape tomatoes hanging on the plant I was watering. It zipped away as quickly as I saw it, yet I remained fixated, hoping for another passing glimpse of this tiny, beautiful, and amazing creature. I soon realized that I was smiling, as a pleasant sound I heard often while living in Jim Thorpe brought back good memories of that beautiful area.
As I paused and glanced across the yard in the hope that hummingbird would return, it struck me how powerful our senses are in invoking memories. Hearing a favorite song can take us back to a specific time in our life. August evenings, accompanied by the “song” of the Dog Day Cicadas, remind me of summer nights running around the neighborhood while mom was yelling for me to come home. Smelling charcoal and lighter fluid will transport me back to family picnics, and the smell of salty ocean air (or sunscreen) inevitably takes my mind to past days at the beach. Even the taste of a specific food will remain with us and conjure memories. One of my grandmothers had a special recipe for pickles; they tasted similar to bread and butter pickles, only much better! Grandma passed away in 1983, yet I still remember the taste of her awesome homemade pickles!
The more I thought about all the ways our senses enrich our lives and connect us to shared experiences with others, I realized how often I intentionally neglect the wonder and beauty that surrounds me every day. Tasks and technology and responsibilities demand my focus and attention; too often that attention causes me to disregard the amazing things – small and big – that are around me. In a very real way, I rob myself of joy when I suppress my senses and tune out the multisensory wonders of our world.
It's funny; I thought I missed out on hummingbirds this year. I was late getting our feeders out, and when I did, I didn’t see any hummingbirds visit, so I stopped putting out nectar. Surely, they must have moved on. Yet that visit this week reminded me how the hummingbirds are here – I just wasn’t patient and attuned to see them. With that realization, two things happened: first, I rushed inside and mixed up a fresh batch of nectar for our feeders. Second, I recognized how that hummingbird revealed a profound truth about our God… God is always near. In the moments when God seems distant or detached from our lives, I sense we are the ones who have neglected the subtle, beautiful cues that reveal God’s presence. Perhaps those are the times we need to pause, breathe deeply, and attune all our senses to that moment in order to see what God will reveal. I hope you are able to spend some time enjoying the beautiful weather we’ve been blessed with, and that you’ll be reminded in a special way of the beauty and wonder of God’s presence in our midst.
This Sunday, we’ll gather to worship, praise, and commune with our Lord. Our scripture will explore a time when Christ Jesus was very attuned to God’s presence in a situation that, at first glance, presented itself at an inconvenient moment. I hope you’ll read Matthew 14:13-21, then join me in worship on Sunday as we see how focusing on the opportunity at hand, and trusting in God’s power, is always more than enough.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Brad
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