• VIEWFINDER: Growing Strong in Rocky Soil

• SIGNPOSTS: Work with God in the Quantum Age

• YOUR HOLIDAY READ: “Journey to Friendship”

The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River present a magnificent sight. Water thunders 300 feet to the raging river below. Clouds of mist rise to make the many-hued minerals on the canyon wall glisten. Magnificent pines cover some of the canyon sides, separated by gashes of exposed rock where slides had stripped the vegetation. Certainly, “Artist’s Point” is the perfect designation for where Jan and I stood to take in the sound and views of the river plunging into the deep canyon of this national park.

I noticed an unusual tree just a few feet away from the scenic outlook. A medium-size lodgepole pine had rooted itself in the rocks. Somehow, with not a speck of real dirt, the tree had established a strong root system that anchored it to the crags of the sheer rock wall. Alone on the top of the rocky promontory, the thriving green tree stretched up in a testimony of mountainside resilience.

I learned later that this type of pine thrives in this type of inhospitable setting. In rocky hillsides or in burned out forests, the Pinus Contorta makes a home in the hard places. The secret of the lodgepole pine is its adaptability. Infertile soils or blackened meadows are no problem to the determined and extensive root system. Rather than fighting the rocky terrain, the roots work their way through the smallest cracks to anchor firmly against the wind. Varied weather patterns don’t hinder the growth of this sturdy tree that loves open spaces where others won’t or haven’t grown.

Hard places in our life are, well, hard. We often use the term traumatic. Broken bodies, broken promises, broken relationships, broken hopes, and many other pains assault us. We are left exposed on the sheer rocks of our circumstances, hoping we can hang on.

How can we find the resilience to hang on? Deep roots of intentional care for mind and body give the foundation. Strong connections with trusted partners enable us to adapt realistically to our situation. Engaging our energy in service to others enriches the fibers of our being. Reaching up toward the sunshine of hope with spiritual practices fuels our resolve.

The soil of our current life context may not be perfect. But our resilience can be beautiful to the Artist and the world!

The continuing work of God is real in today’s Quantum Age. God is ever-creating and the future is greater than past or present. Every moment brings the work of God generating possibilities for the next experience. Arthur Peacocke writes, “God is creating at every moment of the world’s existence through perpetually giving creativity to the very stuff of the world… God is the immanent creator creating through the processes of the natural order.”[1] Life is evolving. Faith is changing toward higher truths and actions. God is inspiring people with innovations that apply the deep truths of the Bible to the society. As Brian McLaren wrote, “I see [Christianity]as a religion still in its earliest infancy… we… actually have the opportunity to become the evolutionary descendants of Jesus who are called to carry on his radically progressive vision in our brief time on the earth.”[2]  Such a vision brings us to celebrate with the promise, “It is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”[3]

We join God in the work of transformative life. The Sermon on the Mount (or Plain, as narrated by Luke) provides more than a set of ideals or moral platitudes. Theologian and activist Mark Scandrette opens a deeper understanding, saying the Beatitudes, “represent nine shifts we are invited to make in order to live in greater coherence with reality… a higher state of kingdom consciousness… invite us to a new way of life.”[4] He calls us to express our collaboration with God through pragmatic living of the nine Beatitudes Jesus gave:

·        Trust in God’s presence

·        Lament in honesty with our pain

·        Humility with all others

·        Justice in active solidarity

·        Compassion extended in mercy and grace

·        Authenticity in honest encounters

·        Peacemaking to hold others as our family

·        Resiliency in nonviolence and acts of reconciliation

·        Love radically and courageously for good

(This material is an excerpt from my class “Faith And Life in the Quantum Age: God Ain’t Done with Us Yet.” The class explored the rich insights of Process Theology. You can read all of the material on my website.

[1] Arthur Peacocke, “Articulating God’s Presence.” In Whom We Live and Move and Have our Being, Philip Clayton and Arthur Peacocke, eds. Wm B Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, p 144

[2] Brian D. McLaren, Do I Stay Christian? St. Martin’s Essentials, 2022, p 109

[3] Philippians 2:13

[4] Mark Scandrette, The Ninefold Path of Jesus. Intervarsity Press, 2021, p. 9

I wrote this short memoir to share the adventures Jan and I had as we began our careers and family. The price is marked down for the holidays! Order your paperback or Kindle ebook today on Amazon.

A novice minister and his wife discover the challenges of church vocation, the intrigues of starting a family, and the joys of building faith in this light-hearted memoir. Set in 1976, America’s tumultuous Bicentennial year, the easy-to-read story follows the young couple growing up in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, embarking on newlywed adventures and launching careers in education and church leadership. The author unfolds a journey of both miles and meaning that spans the Midwestern towns of Joplin (MO), Shawnee (OK), Ft. Worth, (TX), Friendship (WI) and Beaver (OK). His story of self-discovery offers readers an enjoyable retrospective on a special era in America, as well as insight on the work of God through every age.