The Oasis - January 23, 2019
Author: Rev. Dan Hollis
January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019
Pastor Dan Hollis
The snowy season is home to some of my favorite and least-favorite things. As much as I dislike being cold all the time, and how hard it is to drive even as the plow operators work tirelessly to clear roads and make life livable again, there’s also beauty and promise around every corner. Blizzards fill the air with white, wiping the slate of the world clean. On still days, ice freezes stunning designs around every branch and twig. And the unique beauty of unbroken snow on a field, lawn, or even a driveway never ceases to stop me in my tracks. You look out on a pristine landscape like that, full of potential and opportunity. Your path could take you anywhere, each step a new brushstroke on an untouched canvas. The world is yours to create, and you are free to make your mark with whatever twists and turns you choose. The crunch of that first step breaking the surface, the otherworldly softness of the snow beneath your boots… it’s all unexplored territory. Undiscovered country. You are the first to set foot on this new land, and the possibilities are endless. And perhaps most importantly, any missteps you make will be wiped away by the next snow, erasing anything that marred your passage, and preparing the canvas anew for your next journey.
This snowy season, never forget to take a few moments before you grumblingly retrieve your shovel, chip out your car, muscle out the snow-blower, or hunt down that last heating pad for your lower back. Look out on the world, swelling with purpose, waiting for you to take the first steps of your new journey. Breathe the empty, frigid air. Listen to snow cascading from a nearby tree branch. Think about the latest snowfall as a reset button. A turned page. A second chance, a new promising future waiting out there for you. Take joy in those first few steps, and may each one be your next brushstroke on the canvas of your life.
This past Sunday, fifteen of us kept the Sanctuary warm with spirit and song. Brave souls seeking community, despite how much safer it probably would have been to stay home. But it was a beautiful experience, reminding me of all the value of sacred community we build in so many different ways and in so many different places in this community. For those of you who were wise enough to avoid the slippery roads and low visibility on Sunday, I bet your spirits could use a top-up. A little sacred community, a little spiritual food to warm your hearts this week. I encourage you to join us this Thursday (1/24) for the first Thursday worship of the season. Come to the fellowship hall at 5:30pm for a free dinner, inspiring music, friends new and old, and to seek God through word and action. You’ll find more details below. Let’s see what we find together.
Song I’m listening to these days: “Peace of Mind,” by Boston.
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