Wandering Heart: "Rescue me from danger"

Rescue Me

I’d rather not need rescue.

I’d prefer a five-step plan

and a quick-fix solution.

I’d prefer stubborn insistence

over honest vulnerability,

because rescue requires

asking for help.

Rescue names

the rising water.

Rescue sees

the tired, treading feet.

Rescue feels

the swell of the wind

and the rain at a slant.

But when the floor falls out

and the world is on fire

and my small hands

cannot fix the hurt welling in me,

the prayer that slips out

is rescue

rescue

rescue me.

Poem by Rev. Sarah Speed

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: "Rescue me from danger": From the Artist

Read Matthew 14:22-33

From the Artist | Rev. Nicolette Peñaranda

There are no street lights in the ocean. I think about that often. Rarely do we think about how dark and mysterious the night is, even for a veteran fisherman. Nor do we take into consideration the movement of the wind and its roar rumbling off of the waves.

Throughout this painting, we see West African symbols: Adinkrahene, Mako, Asase Ye Duru, Nyame Dua, and Mmusuyidee.* Jesus, the divine, is greater than the limitations of the flesh, the fears we carry like the uncertainty of the water. The ever-present God protected Peter from drowning. We are invited to maintain a hopeful outlook and persevere.

I titled this piece Lift Off as a nod to the 2011 Jay Z and Kanye West (ft. Beyonce) song by the same title. There is something about the opening lines, “We gon' take it to the moon, take it to the stars, how many people you know can take it this far?” that lingers in my head. I think it pertains to how Peter must have felt walking on water toward Jesus. Who else was flying this high right then? Who else had dropped everything to live vagrantly with Christ? Before stumbling in his ways, there was something otherworldly happening, which brings me back to the stars.

Living in a metropolitan area, I don’t get the luxury of stars but I like to imagine a world where the skies told their own stories. In Lift Off, the elements are like main characters, inspiring whimsical fantasy. Cut-out layered clouds build into the horizon of the sea. The forceful wind tunnel blows over the sinking foot of a probably panicking Peter. This is a moving piece that is meant to tell a story in any direction it is turned. Like the theme of this series, the viewer should feel like they are on a journey with Peter. Lift Off is intentionally dark with beautiful highlights of color and sparkle. It is because of the darkness that the colors shine bright. These two things are complimentary, not contrasting. The fear that entered Peter with the wind was most likely heightened because it was dark out. Without knowing exactly what was around him, Peter became vulnerable, thus causing him to reach out. The wonder of darkness exposes us and invites us to seek connection. We see that in the reaching hand gently entering the dark sky.

 *Adinkra symbols originated from the Gyaman people of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Learn more about their meanings and significance here: adinkrasymbols.org

Reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: "Rescue me from danger": Sing - Read - Write

 

Wandering Heart: "Rescue me from danger": Commentary

Read Matthew 14:22-33 | Psalm 22:23-31

Commentary | Dr. Terence Lester

In January 2017, a neighbor informed us that someone was digging through our dumpster at Love Beyond Walls. We came to know this person as Mark. I told the neighbor that we advocate for those experiencing homelessness, providing for people in need. She replied that she was contemplating calling the police. Our volunteers exchanged uneasy glances, sensing the stigma in the air.

Nevertheless, I ventured outside. I found Mark by the dumpster. I inquired if I could help. He replied, “I’m cold, and I haven’t eaten in days. I was hoping to find something to eat.” Mark held a business degree and had owned his own home. He was utterly hopeless, contemplating suicide. He added that he was crying out to God. We offered him shelter and support. God used Mark’s courage to lift him. Mark became one of our most dedicated volunteers at Love Beyond Walls, and over time, emerged from homelessness. We even facilitated a reconnection with his children.

Mark’s story reminds us that danger is not always physical. Sometimes, it manifests as despair. Just as Mark reached out to us in his darkest hour, we are called to reach out to Jesus in storms. The story of Peter walking on water and sinking isn’t just a tale of doubt; it’s a narrative of faith. When Peter steps out of the boat, he demonstrates remarkable courage and trust in Jesus. Only when he shifts his focus to the raging storm does he sink. Like Peter, we may sink amid life’s challenges. However, as we are sinking, Jesus rescues us.

Sometimes, the danger is of our own making. Sometimes we sink simply because we had the courage to show up. Other times, we sink because we lose sight of what’s crashing around us. Often we grapple with what has made us sink without realizing that Jesus focuses on how much he loves us. Jesus extends a rescuing hand—and his love is greater than whatever causes us to sink.

Jesus is the Rescuer. Ultimately, Mark’s story demonstrates that God is near, not simply because we have doubted, but because we have had the faith to get out of the boat and start walking at the command of Jesus. I believe that God honors us and meets us in our lowest places.

We can find hope and salvation, cry out to the Lord, as Peter did, and discover that Jesus has more faith in us than we have in ourselves. Peter’s cry, “Lord, save me!” is an acknowledgment of need. What happens next is a beautiful revelation of our Savior’s heart—rescue, not shame and guilt.

As we reflect on Psalm 22:23-31, which Jesus quoted from the cross and which speaks of all the earth praising God, let’s remember that distress can lead to praise. When we are rescued, we can praise and give thanks to the Lord! The Lord reaches out when we cry out, guiding us safely through storms and tangibly being with us. May we have the courage to step out in faith, trusting in God's power and ability to rescue—not focusing on our doubts and fears, but on our courage to walk toward God. And sometimes God's power meets us—as it met Mark—when we take steps toward Jesus' command to "Come."

Reflect: When have you stepped out in faith? When have you had the courage to walk toward God in the midst of a storm?

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

The Celtic Triple Knot

 

Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate. Mark 10:9 New Oxford Bible.

In the bible study that I attend on Tuesday mornings, we are learning about the formats used to tell the stories found in the Bible. Our second week of study found us learning about the format called “Doublets”. A Doublet is a story told twice whose facts change somewhat depending on who tells the story. An example of that can be found in Mark 6 where the story of the “feeding of the 5,000” is told by two different people with the facts varying a bit.

Each class member was asked to tell a story that they knew that changed depending on who told it. Many classmates thought of family stories that changed depending on who told it and when it was told. As for me, I love the stories that are not in the bible, but are related to our faith, and are handed down orally from generation to generation. One of my favorite stories is the symbolism of the Celtic Triple Knot.

I knew the story of the triple knot as having two different names each with its own symbolism. The stories have been told by both the people of Ireland and the people of Scotland. Currently, we think of the symbolism of the “knot “as being the Holy Trinity, but its earlier meaning was to honor the Triple Goddess (the 3 cycles of a woman’s life), i.e., maiden, mother and crone.

In hindsight, perhaps I should have chosen a different story because as I did some research to make sure I had my facts straight, I learned that there were at least 2 more names and 2 additional symbolisms. One was “The Family Knot” the 3 loops representing father, mother, child/children. And finally, a 4th name is “The Infinity Knot” symbolizing eternal love.

Have you ever heard the slang expression for getting married as “Tying the Knot?” This expression comes from using the “infinity knot, as a part of the Irish wedding ceremony. It turns out, the infinity knot is the triple loop knot in one country while it is an entirely different knot in another country.

So now my story turned into a quadruplet or two “Doublets.”

There is a retired Lutheran minister in our class and he said that he used the stole around his neck to bind the hands of the bride and groom together in the name of the trinity. This is done to indicate that they have pledged their commitment to one another in a holy act and that they are “forever tied to one another, until death parts them.”

Hearing that, I wondered how the knot was used in the Irish Catholic wedding ceremony. In this ceremony, they use either a braided rope or ribbons using a different knot to tie the bride and groom’s hands together. This is done while they are saying their vows. 

Both ceremonies seem beautiful to me and both represent the “no beginning and no end kind of love. Whether the Celtic Triple Knot or the Celtic Love Knot is used, both symbolize eternal love.

I think that’s a pretty good message no matter which knot is used, who tells the story, or when it is told. 

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we praise You for showing Your love for us in so many ways. We are so grateful that Your love for us, like that symbolized in the Celtic “trinity knot,” and the Celtic “Infinity knot” is eternal. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. 

Judy Welch

Asking for Help

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  Galatians 6:2

Have you tried assembling a piece of furniture that arrives on your porch in a box? It seems the instructions were designed for a non-reader who has extensive technical knowledge and the ability to recognize the difference between a screw and a nail drawn in 7-point font. The only tool provided is an angular piece of metal with eight ridges on one end.  

After carefully unpacking the numerous pieces and staring at a drawing with no written directions, you take a break and try to think of a friend whose arm can be twisted to come over and help you. Finally your text messages elicit a response from one candidate; you negotiate the “barter,” i.e. pizza, beverages, babysitting, and your helper is on the way. They arrive with a very large tool bag, looks over the arrangement of pieces and hardware you created on the floor, and says, “No problem!” 

Within minutes, your handy friend has rearranged the pieces, and you begin to feel hopeful that the random shapes really will create your new furniture. Under your friend’s direction, you hold pieces together while the electric screwdriver buzzes for only a few seconds to create tight connections. You picture yourself spending 10 minutes inserting the same screws using the provided metal tool and congratulate yourself for calling your friend. Before long, the handyman steps back from the project, holds out their arms, and says, “Pretty good-looking, if I do say so myself.”  

Everyone is happy! The friend lugs their tool bag home knowing they helped you and have pizza or free babysitting to look forward to. You and your family are pleased to have your décor improved with the addition of the new piece of furniture. And the project has been completed—the cardboard box can be taken to the recycle bin. 

The Scripture encourages us to ask for help; without asking God for help, we won’t succeed in the world. When God puts you in difficult situation, He wants you to ask for help. We must depend on God’s guidance to accomplish the plan God has for us; we’re not intended to do it by ourselves. We all want to feel useful and helping others is a way to do that. When we accept help from others, we give them permission to ask for favors. It’s an amazing chain reaction: God has a plan for us; His plan is revealed to us; because we feel inadequate, we reach out for help from someone else. That person not only provides the support that we need to succeed, but it also furthers God’s purpose for them.

Prayer: Lord God, we know you have a plan and a purpose for each of us. It’s more complex than assembling a piece of furniture, and we can’t accomplish your plan without your aid and direction. Help us to realize when we need to ask for assistance; to not be too proud or stubborn to recognize who can help us. Your instructions have been handed down through the generations, but we still struggle to decipher their meaning for our own lives. We ask that you guide and support us in this endeavor. Amen  

Carol McClain

Wandering Heart: "Jesus sought me": From the Artist

 

Read Luke 5:1-11

From the Artist | Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity

“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8)

As we begin Lent, this desperate confession introduces us to Peter, the disciple whose story—and wandering heart—we will follow for the next 7 weeks. Peter was a commercial fisherman based in Galilee. He was most likely bilingual, speaking Aramaic and Greek, culturally influenced by both Judaism and Hellenism. His business would have been under oppressive control of the Roman government, which arbitrarily imposed harsh rental and harbor fees, fishing licenses, and taxes on domestic fishermen. He was likely a blue-collar worker daily constrained by tides and taxes.

With this backstory in mind, we may hear Peter’s response to the abundant catch of fish with fresh ears. There are so many messages within his protest: “I’m not prepared. I’m not capable. I’m not deserving. I’m not faithful enough. I’m not smart enough. I’m not the type you’re looking for.” Have you ever found yourself saying these things in response to a new calling, or to an abundant gift of grace?

In this image, the bursting nets transform into a river of grace meandering through the composition of Peter’s life. The river pours into Peter’s hands, but he can’t quite grasp the fullness of this gift and calling quite yet, and so most of it rushes right by. As you will see in my other pieces for this series, this river of grace will wander alongside Peter throughout his life. The river represents how his journey with Christ begins and ends: with an abundant catch of fish. It’s a visible reminder of the ways God’s grace bends and turns and rushes to find each of our wandering hearts.

Despite Peter’s resistance, grace seeks him out. His right thumb gets caught in the net. He can’t escape the fact that God’s goodness and mercy will pursue him all the days of his life (Psalm 23:6). The river rushes in. The question for Peter—and for each of us—is will he follow where it leads?

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