 |
| Image by Rakesh Syal |
†
A GREETING
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O God, I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 86:4)
A READING
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
(Matthew 11:28-30)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
(Isaiah 58:6)
A POEM
Lord, not you,
it is I who am absent…
I have long since uttered your name
but now
I elude your presence.
I stop
to think about you, and my mind
at once
like a minnow darts away,
darts
into the shadows, into gleams that fret
unceasing over
the river’s purling and passing….
You are the stream, the fish, the light,
the pulsing shadow,
you the unchanging presence, in whom all
moves and changes,
How can I focus my flickering, perceive
at the fountain’s heart
the sapphire I know is there?
- by Denise Levertov
found in The Flowering of the Soul: A Book of Prayers by Women
ed. by Lucinda Vardey
VERSE OF THE DAY
For you, O God, have made us glad by your work;
at the works of your hands we sing for joy.
(Psalm 92:4)
†
 |
| Uncredited image of two Anishinaabe water-walker grandmothers, including Josephine Mandamin (right), found on the website of Mother Earth Water Walk. Over the course of five years, Mandamin and others walked around all five great lakes, carrying a bucket of water from that lake. Read their story. |
In today’s reading we hear the well-known verses in which Jesus invites us to bring to him our heavy burdens. The Greek word ‘pra-us’ conveys a meaning of ‘mild’ or gentle’ but it also has the cadence of ‘strength under control’ and even ‘showing power without harshness’. This same word is used by Jesus (translated here as ‘gentle’) to describe himself as he offers to share the burdens of others, and even lend his strength to them. Jesus’ words are therefore holding both that sense of authority and suffering, burdened suffering and gentle authority.
What does this mean for us today? In our own time, we wonder what kind of planet will survive the ever-threatening realities of climate and ecological crisis. It is a test of imagination and a deep challenge to hard work, to try to come alongside the people who live in climate-ravaged areas of Africa, Asia and even continental Europe. When Jesus calls all those who are heavy-laden to come to him so he can bear the yoke of their trials, surely he is speaking of communities like these.
In today’s music, we hear Leioa Kantika Korala, a Spanish conservatory choir made up of youth aged 11 to 20 who want to foster their own love of singing. In the video, these young singers are standing in the pool of the Guggenheim Bilboa, a modern art museum renowned not only for its extraordinary architecture but as a setting in which many artists have come to dance, perform music and more. The song Bring Me Little Water Silvy was written by Huddie Ledbetter (aka Lead Belly) and arranged by Moira Smiley with body percussion by Evie Ladin. Ledbetter has said that he was inspired for the song by his uncle who was a farmer. When he was exhausted, his uncle would call out to his wife Silvy from the fields to bring him some water. Whether the melody began with him or was adapted from an earlier traditional song, each of these artists who brings it to life adds another layer of story and meaning, from the composer, to the arranger, to the body percussionist to the singers. In this way the song has gathered many people of all kinds, just as the swift current of a flowing river gathers up whatever is in its flow.
Who would guess that a farmer calling out from a field in the 1930s could lead to decades of music? What if we could imagine our own capacity for change in the world this way? There are people all over the globe who are calling out from the work and toil and struggle of their own lives, exhausted and weary and looking for a way to move out of what they are enduring. Artists can help us wake up to work that needs to be done, but they can also help us become creative ourselves. What are the songs we can sing that speak out about injustice? What are the ‘bucket’ and the ‘water’ we are willing to help others find?
When there is a fire in a small community, people pass buckets of water to try to put it out. People use buckets to harvest rain water, to water animals, to bring laundry to a clothesline. In some practices of farming, a yoke is still used across the shoulders to carry two buckets in tandem to and from a well. While Jesus holds our burdens when we come to him, Jesus also needs us to carry the buckets of need for others. Each of us has likely experienced a time when we have had to rely on the kindness of others, and were overwhelmed to see how much we are cared for. A single bucket of water adds up to a tidal river of impact.
How can you ‘bring a little water’ to a person or a situation today?
* * * * * * * *
A STORY OF ENDURANCE
Indigenous water protectors play a profound role in helping to keep traditional lands and waters sacred, and free from the corruption of polluting industries. In her 2018 speech to the United Nations, Anishinaabe water advocate Autumn Peltier uses Indigenous images of the womb and of birthing, of personhood and spirit to help convey the power of the water that runs even in our bodies. She was 13 at the time of this speech but is still offering wisdom and activism in almost everything she does. Peltier's aunt whom she mentions in her speech, was the late water-walker Josephine Mandamin. (See above.)
†
LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!