Wild Family Reunions
I am preparing for some wild family time! Family is arriving from North Carolina, Iowa and Germany over the next few weeks culminating in a weekend reunion of my siblings and families the final weekend of July. I anticipate a wild time as 30 of us spend time reconnecting and updating each other on our lives since we gathered over 6 six years ago. There will be picnics, BBQs, and campfires on the Oregon Coast. There will be laughter and a few tears as we tell stories of family members who have passed on. It will be a wild time.
What wild things are you doing this summer?
I have been reading Messy Church goes Wild that was released in May. I am learning how Messy Churches all over the world are making a difference by caring for the world we live in. There is so much to share but there is one quote by Rachel Summers that deeply resonated with me.
Often when I speak of prayer to people who don’t have an experience of prayer themselves, I talk of it as ‘noticing.’ Noticing my body breathing, the ground my feet are touching, the way the leaves are moving…all this feels like prayer to me…Noticing the world around me helps me to feel deep within my very bones my connection with everything else in creation, and in turn with the creator who made and loves us all. [1]
[1]“And a little Child shall lead them.” In Messy Church Goes Wild: Caring for the World we live in, edited by Lucy More, 72-79. Abington, OX: Bible Reading Fellowship, 2022
In our hurry up world, I sometimes forget to make time to notice the beaty of creation in my everyday ordinary life. I love to head to the Oregon Coast or the mountains to bask in the beauty of God’s creation but many times I forget to notice the connection with God daily. For some reason, I think I need to head outside of my ordinary life to experience our wild and wonderful creation.
Take time to notice
During the summer, I begin my day sitting outside by our backyard fountain, sipping a cup of coffee. When I do, I hear the birds singing above the noise of the traffic. I notice that our dog Jack, hears the squirrels up in the tree and reacts to their chittering. I notice the beauty of the summer flowers that my husband tends so patiently. Rachel Summers reminds me that in my noticing, I am praying.
I will be on vacation, spending time with family over the next few weeks. I will notice the wonder and sometimes challenge of messy family relationships. I will spend time in the mountains, by the lake and at the Oregon coast basking in the wonder of our Creator. I wonder what wild unexpected experiences will come our way.
May you also find time to do something a little wild this month. Take a few moments to pray by noticing your connection with creation, with one another and with our loving God.
Grace and peace, Roberta