Seek and Find - Beyond Sunday

 Are you worrying? Maybe you are worrying about the latest drama in the news on Twitter, Facebook, TicToc, Instagram (insert your favorite social media mind sink here)... The year 2020 has been cray cray (also known as beyond crazy). Personally, my mind, body and spirit have been on high alert since January 2016 and the culmination of all of the cray cray over the last 4 years has fully manifested in 2020. From the reality of lies, lies and more lies to Covid19 and the sick and dying to the endless greed and divisiveness and hateful rhetoric... (insert sigh here) I just have to say, and I am a pacifist, somebody just slap that "boy" and grab the reins... I mean wth-eck.  On the day-to-day I consider myself to be a fairly sane individual, but the state of this nation over the last four years has driven me to the brink of joining what someone recently called, "Worrywart's Weekly." A place where we can just show up and spew, out loud, all of the STUFF that is makin...

As I was preparing for the Board meeting tonight the sky grew dark and the wind began to blow... Thunder and lightning raged like a battle and the rain, branches and leaves flew paste my window horizontally. This is when I thought for a brief moment that we are living in a scene from the Wizard of Oz. Cedar, my faithful companion, and I headed promptly to the basement. We got comfortable for a few moments listening to the raging storm and as fast as it arrived the storm left, for now. In its wake it took a tree down and some electric wires that ultimately took out the power to many of us... because of modern technology, backup batteries, an iPhone hotspot and an iPad I will be able to make the Board meeting tonight, but for this one moment let us all breathe and be thankful for this moment of peace that the passing storm has left in its wake... My neighbors are safe they came out to investigate when I did... the candles offer the best kind of glow and there is this one moment that remi...

Cross Over Island, Saint Lawrence River  Cross Over Island resides dead center of the Saint Lawrence River close to where I grew up as a child. The River, as I call it, spans a width of about 1.25 miles on average but gets wider in different places. It has several locks that help transcend rapids along the way. The River begins at Lake Ontario and flows 1900 miles into the world's largest estuary, the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  The River has always been "my place" it holds a place in my heart that began pre speech for me. It is believed that if one was dunked in the River as an infant you were considered a "River Rat." One would think that "river rat" is a derogatory term, but it isn't we, those of us who claim to be a river rat, wear the title as a badge of honor. There are even local purveyors who sell river rat cheese and river rat wine... one  wouldn't know this unless they grew up on the river. The thing about growing up on a river is that one...

Merlin Said - by Patrick Murfin Love is the only magic. It enriches the giver as it nourishes the object. It serves the instant, and washes over the ages. It is as particular as the moon and as universal as the heavens. If it is returned it is multiplied, yet spurned it is not diminished. It is as lusty as the rutting stag but chaste as the unicorn's pillow. It comes alike to the king on his throne and the cutpurse in the market. If you would have magic, place faith in love or nothing. ======================================== If we look at all our woes in this world and we try our mightiest to find the one solution, love might just be it. Is it realistic to set down the violence, injustice, anger, hate and pick up love instead? The words have rang out across the world for millennium and speak to me: Martin Luther King called us out: "Loving Your Enemies." It’s so basic to me because it is a part of my basic phil...

Moments that change our lives... I am including a photograph of when I was on the western coast in the south of England. I have told many about the cave experience a mere moment in my life that changed absolutely everything. During this sojourn in the cave, much was revealed especially the path that I would take that led to ministry. You will notice the red rain suit and the bare feet. It was mid-January and before entering the cave it had been raining and hailing. Upon entering the cave the wind was so strong that it ruffled my rain suit with loud flapping. After descending to the deeper depths of the cave I realized that I would have to cross a pond in order to get to this radiant spot. I took off my shoes to be able to get better footing, but now I realize that it was because I was standing on hallowed ground... Known by the locals as Merlin's cave of transformation. I pondered many questions in the cave: what would it take for me to get to the other side, what might I be ...

What can we uncover in the dark? A dear friend of mine, Misty is a painter, a very creative soul. She has added this new way of painting to her artist's repertoire and she shared this piece with me and in turn, I am sharing it with you. Recently, she/we lost a dear friend to Covid 19. Misty and I and many members of an online community that we are connected to are expressing our grief in various ways. I have turned to picking up my guitar once again and spending some time playing my ukelele whenever I get a free moment. What are the ways that we each create and share the light during dark times? If you feel so called share your creative moments with one another as a way for our individual lights to combine as one to push back the fear and grief that may be creeping around the edges of our lives during this tragic time. Stay safe and know that you are loved. Rev. Marjorie

I read this today to get into the spirit of Passover, which is today, and I absolutely love it. Thank you to Cantor Lisa Levine. Source of Blessing: Our lives are in turmoil our hearts heavy help us to cope with this modern plague we are worried for our families, we are concerned for our communities, our world is on the brink.            Bless us with strength. Source of Mercy:  We pray for courage to stay strong for those in our care, and for ourselves. We pray for insight to act in loving ways to keep our communities safe.             Bless us with strength. Source of Hope: We pray for those who are at greatest risk vulnerable and scared isolated and lonely, and for those heroes leading on the front lines who keep us alive and fed.             Bless us with strength. Source of Life: Throughout history our people have faced plagues, forced exp...