November is the time when our bible readings are all about the return of Jesus Christ in power and glory. It is a time of uncertainty and waiting. The themes are both dire and hopeful. They never lose their currency though, because isn’t life itself both terrifying and wonderful? I rediscovered in my files a poem appropriate to the occasion. It was written by Linda Brainerd, a steadfast and beloved member of the Lopez Branch who succumbed to ALS several years ago. She was a gifted writer who generously shared her talent and her passion for God with us.
Enjoy… Pr. Beth Burning Trash I am burning trash this morning without a permit. The fire lights my worship, do I need to ask the law? Not on my watch, I say. Standing sentinel I see the flames arise, dance eagerly into the blue November morning. You’ve been likened to a refiner’s fire. If such a metaphor is pleasing, let me be consumed in Your core. I know even if the pain seems more than I can bear, I shall not die but be transformed. I watch ashes fly into the blue–bright sky. Not much danger from escaping remnants on such a dew-damp morning. Still, I keep an eye on it. I wonder if, like the ashes, I’ve already been reconstituted, sent away from Your hot core. I am afraid! I want to hide forever in the heat of you. This world is cold. The fire’s low at last; I hang up the hose. Perhaps, now, I will get to work hoping You are still within me, refining my fear and the misdirection we call sin, refining me, that I may withstand the terrible power of Your love. Linda Brainerd
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The Rev. Beth Purdum Eden is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. She has served in more than 6 parishes in the Western United States for 30 years. Archives
June 2022
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