Native American and Indigenous wisdom

 

From The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston:

"Peace on Earth. Peace for every living thing. Peace among nations. Peace for our children. Peace in our future. Peace of heart and peace of mind. Peace to those I love and peace to those I find hard to love. Peace where there is conflict. Peace where there is hope. Peace as our vocation. Peace in all of our prayers. Peace on Earth."---Dec. 20

"Most of us have a miracle story we could share. It may not be as dramatic as parting the oceans, but it is a story we can tell because we were witnesses to the truth of it. One of my stories is actually not that unusual: a person diagnosed by medical science who suddenly and inexplicably made a recovery. I saw that happen more than once. Is it a miracle? Yes, I would say so, another small proof that there is more going on in life than we can understand much less control."---Dec. 19

"Like a silhouette against the sun I see you standing on the horizon, looking out into the shadowy expanse of time, arms outstretched as if in prayer or greeting. How long you have stood there I do not know, but I imagine it has been for a very long time, so deep is the desire of your heart, the longing for an answer to your appeal. Who are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? Only the Spirit knows. All I understand is that you will still be there when the moon reclaims the night, for I will be standing beside you."---Dec. 18

"Who knows the real you? Who knows your whole story?"

"Who knows the real you? Who knows your whole story? Most of us have people who are close to us, people we love and trust, who know a great deal about us. The majority of people, of course, know very little about us, even though they may think they do. But there is one person who knows the real story of our lives, who knows even our secret hopes and private fears. The Spirit knows each one of us. Personally. Deeply. And with a profound compassion."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

It's Trinity Sunday

Most western Christians celebrate today as Trinity Sunday.

The Episcopal Church describes Trinity Sunday in this way:

Feast that celebrates “the one and equal glory” of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, “in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Being” (Book of Common Prayer--BCP, p. 380). It is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Trinity Sunday is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year (BCP, p. 15). The proper readings and collect for Trinity Sunday are used only on the feast, not on the weekdays following. The numbered proper which corresponds most closely to the date of Trinity Sunday is used (BCP, p. 228). The BCP also provides the proper “Of the Holy Trinity” for optional use at other times, subject to the rules of the calendar of the church year (see BCP, pp. 251, 927). The Hymnal 1982 presents ten hymns in a section on The Holy Trinity (Hymns 362-371), including “Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!” (Hymn 362), “Come, thou almighty King” (Hymn 365), and “Holy Father, great Creator” (Hymn 368).

Celebration of Trinity Sunday was approved for the western church by Pope John XXII in 1334. This feast is associated with Thomas Becket (c. 1118-1170), who was consecrated bishop on Trinity Sunday, 1162. His martyrdom may have influenced the popularity of the feast in England and the custom of naming the remaining Sundays of the church year “Sundays after Trinity.” The Sarum Missal and editions of the Prayer Book through the 1928 BCP named these Sundays the Sundays after Trinity. The 1979 BCP identifies this portion of the church year as the season after Pentecost, and names these Sundays the Sundays after Pentecost (see BCP, p. 32).

I'm sorry that I don't know where this icon came from, but it expresses Trinity Sunday in the Indigenous/Native American context quite well. We will do well to contemplate what it is saying to all of us.

Two great and short (but very meaningful) books come to my mind today. One is Leonardo Boff's Holy Trinity, Perfect Community and the other is Geevaeghese Mar Osthathios' Theology of a classless Society, both published by Orbis Books. These come from the experiences two theologians from the Global South and speak in different ways to us about the radical consequences of truly believing in and embracing a divine Trinity. The relationship of the three distinct but united forces within the Trinity gives us a model for linking our liberation to creativity and realizing both together in practical ways.      

"Let’s keep climbing because I am sure the Spirit has saved the best for last."

 

One of the good things about being on a steep hike is that you get some spectacular views when you have a chance to rest. You can see your progress, how far you have come. And you can see the beauty of the world in which you are climbing. Those scenic moments help to make the rest of the climb easier. They help to make it all worthwhile. Right now we are admittedly in rocky territory with more hills to come, but we are also in the breathtaking creation of a great and loving partner. Let’s keep climbing because I am sure the Spirit has saved the best for last.
~ Steven Charleston is a Native American elder, author, and retired Episcopal bishop of Alaska. Professor of Native American Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology OCU and Citizen of the Choctaw Nation. https://stevencharleston.com/

"We are surrounded by signs and wonders...

"We are surrounded by signs and wonders. Each day they appear right before us and in places we least expect. A string of little coincidences. A sudden connection between two points. A blast of inspiration. The Spirit sends us signals, signs along the trail, to keep us pointed in the right direction. The Spirit provides what we need. The Spirit offers us a chance to use our imagination. We see wondrous acts of love and courageous acts of mercy. We realize we are part of something much bigger than any one vision can convey."
--The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

Some affirming reminders...

 

"I come from a long line of spiritual pragmatists..."

"I come from a long line of spiritual pragmatists. My elders were not pessimistic, but practical. They believed in the future, but recognized that you had to work to get there. Nothing comes easy. My great grandmother’s message was simple: you get about as much out of something as you are willing to put into it. So if you want a balanced and centered life you needed to spend each day making it that way. It was a plain spiritual work ethic. I’ve added a few more hearts and flowers since then, but I will always be grateful for their common sense faith: meet the Spirit halfway in all that you do."---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

"A place of peace in the midst of chaos. A stillpoint. A quiet center within the heart of the storms..."

"A place of peace in the midst of chaos. A stillpoint. A quiet center within the heart of the storms. Prayer is not always a recitation. We do not have to verbalize, either by speech or thought, a list of our needs or hopes to qualify as a time of prayer. Prayer means to spend time with, to abide with, the presence of the holy in your life. Take that time, with no agenda, to sit in stillness with the Spirit. Let the sound of your heartbeat convey all you need to say. Open your mind to the infinite. Feel the presence of profound love. Breathe in a scent you remember from childhood and know that you are safe at home once more."

~ Steven Charleston is a Native American elder, author, and retired Episcopal bishop of Alaska. Adjunct Professor of Native American Ministries at Saint Paul School of Theology OCU, Citizen of Choctaw Nation. https://stevencharleston.com/

 

Powerful Preaching & Hymns From Greenleaf Christian Church On Sunday, May 8

Inspired preaching starts around 20:22, but everything in this clip needs to be heard and felt. Listen in to Rev. Kazimir Brown here as well as to Bishop Barber.

"Just when things seem to be stuck in a downward spiral, a sudden updraft lifts us to a whole new direction. Just when it looks like hope has walked out the front door, in walks a fresh supply through the back door. "

 

"The Spirit is the master of the unexpected. Just when things seem to be stuck in a downward spiral, a sudden updraft lifts us to a whole new direction. Just when it looks like hope has walked out the front door, in walks a fresh supply through the back door. Change is the infinite number of small changes that takes us to different places, places we may not have found on our own. They give us renewed energy and fresh perspective. Love’s interventions are the timely blessings we have prayed for, but not expected until they surprise us with grace."---The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston of the Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

Pentecost and the Promise! Acts 2:1-4 (Pastor Julius Hawkins) 4.24.2022

I find lots of encouragement in this sermon. There is some real boldness also. If you can't put in the 43 minutes to listen to the entire talk, try to catch the last 15 minutes.

 

What we want and what God gives us...

 

Pray For Light And Offer The Light...

Our Prayer To The Holy Spirit

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth and Light, Who are everywhere present and fill all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come to us and dwell within us, and cleanse us from every stain and every blemish, and save our souls, O Most Gracious Holy Spirit!

Five Prayers

The following are taken from a prayer group that I am a part of or some other source. They are not edited. 

Dear God, my heart will always rejoice when I think of your love and the Grace you have gifted me with. It is because of your Son, Jesus Christ, I am free from the power of sin and death. I no longer have to fear death and destruction or the threats of the enemy because I am resting and hidden in Christ. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Dear God thank you for your standfast love for us and where ever we are may you keep us on this journey and so we may find Christ love in us and show us how to serve one other and guild us though and keep our hearts pure before you o god for you called us to shine your light everyday so we may come fill circle and let the Christ light shine in all the world and may we find a deep peace in our lives and let god guild us and find his path and keep us faithful to his words and let the words of God seek us as we are in our hearts and minds and keep us strong though our journey and may we find God's light in us and around us so we may walk in God's ways and let our hearts and minds find peace and joy and love in God's blessing and may the blessing come to us and around us so we may find our lives in a better place and let our words and teach us to be faithful as we walk this journey together and Christ will follow us in so many ways and let us be open to you o god and find our ways in this journey. Amen.

"I hope these words of mine will be a blessing for everyone who reads them, or hears them, just as they have been a blessing for me as I write them. The hand of the Spirit is on you. It may be a gentle touch. It may be a reassuring hand. It may be a firm grip holding on for life. The important thing is: the Spirit is as close as a touch. Nothing can snatch you away. Nothing can separate you. Nothing can prevent you. You are under the protection of the single most powerful force in the universe. Whatever that universe brings you, the hand of the Spirit is on you."--The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston

Father, Help me to travel the path set before me. I know it may not be easy, but I know You will help me on my way. Amen.