Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest sing for joy. [Psalm 96:11-12 (NLT)]
In Letters to Malcom, C. S. Lewis wrote, “We, or at least I, shall not be able to adore God on the highest occasions if we have learned no habit of doing so on the lowest. … Any patch of sunlight in a wood will show you something about the sun which you could never get from reading books on astronomy. These pure and spontaneous pleasures are ‘patches of Godlight’ in the woods of our experience.”
What Lewis called “patches of Godlight,” I think of as God’s grace notes. In music, a grace note is played with a light quick motion that immediately leads to the principle and stressed note. Unnecessary for the melody and so brief they don’t alter the tempo, grace notes merely enrich the music by adding a small embellishment. Like the musical grace note and Lewis’s “patches of Godlight,” God’s grace notes aren’t necessary; nevertheless, they enhance our lives. They’re subtle reminders that God is present and loves us enough to embellish the day with a little something extra.
Unlike Kodak moments, Godlight and grace notes are not meant to be saved. They’re rarely repeated and we can’t predict when a “patch of Godlight” will shine into our lives or a grace note will play. While waiting at a red light, I glanced at the grassy median to my left where small yellow flowers appeared to be dancing in the air. Although hundreds of dainty Sulphur butterflies were flitting to and fro just a few inches above the yellow wireweed in the grass, it looked like the flowers’ petals had escaped from their stems and the field was bursting with joy! Did God arrange that revelry in yellow just for me? Probably not, but it felt like He did and my day changed for the better because of it.
After noticing that others at that light seemed oblivious to the butterfly frolic, I wondered how many of God’s grace notes I’ve missed because I wasn’t looking or listening. As the prophet Elijah learned, God doesn’t necessarily reveal Himself in spectacular displays of things like lightning, wind, thunder, and fire. Our infinitely creative God whispers through the ordinary as well—with things as mundane as yellow butterflies, a child’s laughter, the aroma of jasmine, a finch on the windowsill, a song on the radio, seeing a young couple caress or an old couple walk hand in hand, a shooting star, a stranger’s smile, or a patch of sunlight while walking through the woods. Although God personalizes His grace notes for each one of us, we need to slow down and be mindful enough to recognize and appreciate them.
There is an old Hindi poem, translated by Ravindra Kumar Karnani, in which a child asks God to reveal Himself. God responds with a meadowlark’s song, then the roar of thunder, followed by a star, and the birth of a baby. In her ignorance, however, the child doesn’t recognize any of God’s answers. Finally, in desperation, she cries, “Touch me God, and let me know you are here!” But, when God touches the child, she brushes off the butterfly and walks away disappointed. It occurs to me that we are not much different from her. May we never thoughtlessly brush away one of God’s gentle kisses, fail to notice His grace notes, or miss appreciating a small patch of Godlight!
Are we paying attention to the everyday moments of our lives and seeing God in them, or are we living in such a chaotic frenzy that we hope we’ll have time to look for the presence and mystery of God later, when we have more time – say, when the degree is finished, the kids have moved out, this project is completed, or we retire? [Dean Nelson]
Unlike Lazarus, we haven’t had a four-day encounter with death. Our family didn’t wash us with warm water, anoint us with myrrh and aloe, wrap us in a shroud with herbs and spices, lay us in a tomb, and mourn our passing. Most of us haven’t even endured a months-long coma, flatlined, or been brought back to life with an AED. How does such an experience affect someone? Without a doubt, the man who emerged from the tomb differed from the man who died four days earlier. Did Lazarus return to life with the 1st century equivalent of a “bucket list” of things to accomplish, places to go, things to do, and adventures to have?
All Saint’s Day for the Western Christian Church is November 1. While Roman Catholic and Orthodox church observances tend to focus on those who’ve been canonized saints, the Protestant church has a different approach to this holy day. Whether living or dead, it regards all Christian believers as “saints” and part of the Communion of Saints we speak of when reciting the Apostles’ Creed. For Protestants, All Saint’s Day is a time to commemorate Christian family members, church members, and friends who have died. At our liturgical church, there will be a solemn reading of the names of all church members who passed during the year. After each name is read, the bell will toll.
While walking in the Botanical Gardens, I left my husband on a bench by the lake while I went back to get a few more photos of the plumeria. After getting my last shot, I returned to find him gazing out at the water. When I disturbed his reverie with a touch on the shoulder, he looked up and said, “I was just enjoying Him!” I knew exactly who he meant.
Can worship be fun? In various translations, Hebrews 12:28 tells us to worship God with reverence and awe, honor and respect, or deep reverence. No where is there any mention of fun. In fact, except for the somewhat cynical and world-weary words directing us to eat, drink, and be merry in Ecclesiastes 8:15 Scripture uses the word “fun” in a negative way—that of “making fun” of someone. Hagar was sent away after she and Ishmael made fun of Isaac, Delilah accused Sampson of making fun of her with his lies, and the fertile Peninnah made fun of Hannah because of her barrenness. So, if, by “fun,” we mean mere amusement (especially at another’s expense), it doesn’t seem that fun and worship go hand in hand. On the other hand, if by “fun” we mean something deeper than light-hearted entertainment or diversion, perhaps it does.
As a way of emphasizing the penitential nature of Lent, hymns with alleluia or hallelujah were not sung at our church during Lent’s forty days. With the exception of Palm Sunday’s All Glory, Laud, and Honor, the hymns for the last six weeks were rather slow, somber, and introspective and I missed the more joyful upbeat hymns I enjoy. Easter service, however, opened with Christ the Lord is Risen Today and the twenty “Alleluias” we sang in five verses made up for their long absence.
