January 26, 2020 | Pastor Chris Riedel
Passage: Genesis 28:10-22
Scripture:
Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else[...] 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'
- Acts 17: 25-28
- Acts 17: 25-28
Devotional:
Above is an image of the beautiful stained glass window that now resides in the new Pearson Chapel. What do you see when you look at this image of Jesus? Before reading on, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect. How does this picture speak to you, and what do you feel?
When I view it, I am reminded that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, and that He extends to each of us an invitation.
My eyes are immediately drawn to Jesus' right hand and the symbolism of His gesture. At first glance, I thought He was flashing the all too familiar peace sign; however, upon closer inspection, it appears the gesture is what is known in yoga as "prana mudra," where the thumb presses against the ring finger and the pinky finger while the pointer and middle fingers remain extended.
Before you consider rolling your eyes at the "woo woo" (because I know you're tempted), please allow me to explain. Prana is the sanskrit word for "life force," and mudra is defined as a symbolic hand gesture. Mudras are said to "facilitate the flow of energy in the subtle body and enhance one's journey within" (Yoga Journal). As explicitly stated in the devotional's opening verse (as well as many others), God is our life force, our energy source, our breath of life. So, I find it quite curious that Jesus, who is God, would be depicted showing this "life force" hand gesture.
When I ponder the symbolism here, I realize that Jesus has also experienced our personal struggles for identity and purpose. At times, even He needed to stop, retreat and remove Himself from the chaos, not only to look up to His father but also to look within to understand who God made Him to be and the journey God laid before Him. (Mark 1:35)
Now, as I view His left hand, in which He holds a wine cup, I see an invitation to come to the table for communion with Him. Pastor Chris reminds us each time we share communion that this invitation is extended to all people, as there are no strangers to Jesus Christ, and ALL ARE WELCOME.
Combining the symbolism from both sides of the image, what message is there?
The message is that Jesus understands us. He understands our humanity, our pain, our vulnerabilities, our weakness and our struggles. He understands our innate need and desire to be loved, to belong and to commune with others ("Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"). He understands who we are and what our purpose is at the deepest, inner-most level, even if we have yet to realize it ourselves. He understands all of this, and with each breath we take, He invites us to belong and to be filled with His love, His strength and His Holy Spirit.
Indeed, Jesus knows who we are and what our purpose is. Not so sure of that? You don't have to journey too deep to see your identity in Christ. You are:
A child of God - See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)
Free - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Forgiven - "He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)
A temple of the Holy Spirit - Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? (1 Cor 6:19)
New - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Cor 5:17)
An ambassador - We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. (2 Cor 5:20)
God's masterpiece - For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Eph 2:10)
Whole - In Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Col 2:10)
Before we close, I'll borrow one more concept from our brothers and sisters in the East. In Japan, they practice something called "forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. [...] shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses[...] It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and nature." (Time.com)
I now invite you to re-read the above description, but this time, whenever you see nature or the forest, replace it with God. When is the last time that you intentionally bathed in God's presence?
All that said, I can think of few better places or bridges than a chapel to bathe in the presence of the Father to be reminded of who we are and what our purpose is, to breathe in the fruits and life force of the Holy Spirit, and to commune with the person of Jesus Christ to refill the cup of our souls with His light.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, may we all find peace, presence and prayer in that sacred space You have created. A place where we can retreat, pause, reflect, and most importantly, refill our hearts and souls. We ask that Your light fills us so generously that Your loving kindness overflows onto all those we encounter each and every day. Amen.
Written by Rachel Kearse. Rachel is the nursery childcare provider on Sundays, the leader of the Moms with Littles group and she also teaches Trinity Yoga here at Arcola. She is married to Matthew and they have two daughters, Stella and Olivia.