Welcome to Still Waters

Its been a quiet week for Still Waters...Just three things to share as we near the end of the week - people who have walked the path of faith, a funny (and relatable) story of basement flooding and community, and some (nearly) still waters to receive...

This week, the Center for Action and Contemplation has been focusing on people who have walked a path of both action and contemplation as they have lived out their faith. It has been an inspiring series to remember those who have shown the way:

Sunday - Action and Contemplation

Monday - Saint Teresa of Calcutta: A Mother to Many

Tuesday - Thomas Merton: A Monk in Action

Wednesday - Howard Thurman: A Worldview of Oneness

Thursday - Etty Hillesum: A Commitment to Life

Fr. Rohr writes of these saints..."Beginning with necessary, dualistic action and moving toward contemplation seems to be the more common—and for some, perhaps the more trustworthy—path these days. We see this pattern in Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta, and many others. Such people enter into the pain of society and have to go to God to find rest for their soul, because their souls are so torn by the broken, split nature of almost everything, including themselves."

Photo credit - John Mccann, untitled (detail), 2017, photo, Unsplash

On a week when many reading this email have likely faced some water backup issues, this reflection from Christie Berghoef showed up right as the waters were rising. As I read it, I was not only laughing but also feeling a measure of "I've been there." But where it goes is really surprising.

Here's where it starts..."If you’ve never had raw sewage back up into your house, let me save you the experience. It’s every bit as delightful as it sounds."

Warning - there is some PG-13 language in the post.

Finally, a video from Thursday morning at Winton Lake. The waters aren't totally still but they're pretty close. But the things that really drew me in was not the water as much as it was the steam/fog coming up off the water and drifting across the surface. There isn't really a fancy scientific name for it other than "Steam Fog" or "Evaporation Fog." Basically it is simply the natural reaction of warm waters meeting cooler air which is exactly what was happening at 6:45am this morning. The waters of the lake have been warmed up by the recent stretch of hot days and the cool, dry morning we had today (around 58 degrees) brought about the "steam fog." I decided to coin a new phrase - the lake was sighing. Just take in these moments. (and I'll likely be writing about them on Imago Scriptura tonight or tomorrow)