So I’ve done my last live broadcast of 2011 – if you were still sleeping off the night before and want to catch up, you can find it on iPlayer at 47:00 into Good Morning Ulster. Or, you can just read it while you’re here…:
So, it looks like 2012 is going to be the Year of the Boat.
First of all of course there’s the Titanic; this year we will mark the centenary of the bright April day it set sail from the Belfast docks, just two weeks before its world-shaking, history-making encounter with the iceberg in the cold Atlantic. (Not the end of the story for everyone who’s been posting on The Dock Facebook page this week – but that’s a whole other story…!) A hundred years ago it was a tragedy that shocked the world; today, it is a story that fascinates the world, and here in Northern Ireland we’re at the centre of that story; we’re the foundation-stone of the many ways in which Titanic’s tale will be re-told, celebrated and lamented over the coming year. What an opportunity…
And the Titanic isn’t the only boat we’re talking about: In the week before Christmas, I watched Harland and Wolff workmen fit a new funnel to the Nomadic, the Belfast-built little tender ship that ferried passengers out to the Titanic. It’s now painted and pristine, its top deck restored and that funnel standing proud in front of the spectacular new Titanic Belfast visitor centre. Like so many parts of our old shipyards, it offers that shiver of history – the realisation that you are walking in the exact footsteps of the builders, the crew, the passengers, the iconic figures of the Titanic story. What an opportunity…
For those of us who are part of The Dock project in the Titanic Quarter, we hope that this will be the Year of the Boat for us as well, as momentum gathers to bring a beautiful old lightship to Belfast to use as a shared space for churches of all denominations working together to build hope and community in this tremendously exciting new part of Belfast. What an opportunity…
So we’re poised on the brink of the Year of the Boat, and lots of us are looking at the horizon knowing that risk and uncertainty lie ahead.. But I get the feeling that all over the province we’re ready for change and adventure and bold new horizons – we’ve had enough of burying our heads in the sand. We’re ready to set sail for new shores.
So I’d like to finish with the wise old words of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, a man who knew his boats, who knew the taste of adventure – and who knew the courage that an unexplored horizon could stir in a man’s soul.
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
, where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
we shall find the stars.
We ask you to push back
the horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
in strength, courage, hope, and love.
If anyone can do it you can Chris. May God richly bless you and everything you are doing in the Titanic quarter. I want to be there when the Arctic Penguin arrives.
A Ship without a Dock—A Drift with a Message
I just finished putting the final edits on the Sermon that I’m delivering 1-1-2012. It features Nicole’s and my experience while we were in Belfast and fortunate enough to have met Chris and other Dock walkers. I’ve cut and pasted it below. Perhaps it will speak to you too. God Bless and keep you.
“Somos el barco, somos el mar,
Yo navego en ti, tu navegas en mi
We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you, sail in me.
The stream sings it to the river, the river sings it to the sea
The sea sings it to the boat that carries you and me
The boat we are sailing in was built by many hands
And the sea we are sailing on, it touches every land
So with our hopes we set the sails
And face the winds once more
And with our hearts we chart the waters never sailed before
The voyage has been long and hard, and yet we’re sailing still
With a song to help us pull together, if we only will
We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you, sail in me”
Words are a powerful medium in today’s world. Think of how many times you have read or seen something and felt a very strong emotion. Sometimes those emotions are occasioned by our others senses like smell, sounds, a picture or event, the taste of something familiar or new, or the feeling of a space. Sometimes the emotions we feel are shared, and sometimes they are private. Emotions can be relished and savored like a fine aged wine or cheese, or they can be squandered, sometimes out of selfishness and sometimes out of fear that we are different.
You may be wondering, why I am standing up here talking about emotions—I assure you, I do have a point. The written word as we know it is filled with imagery that can and often does evoke powerful emotions that enlighten our ability to sense God’s spirit and presence in our lives, but what is it that in the absence of biblical words sustains that ability to feel, taste, see, hear, and smell God’s presence?
Let’s take a minute and begin here in this sanctuary. Close your eyes; think about what it is that you feel? Do you feel united or separated in this space? Are you in union with the other people here or do you only feel a vague presence because your mind has drifted to the smell of the winter air combined with the Christmas tree that still stands in the corner? Are your emotions more affected by what you see—the burning candles, dwindling poinsettias, familiar faces? Can you feel God reaching out to you? Can you hear his voice whispering in your ear?
Now, lets think about what you feel and hear outside of these church walls. Sometimes it feels impossible to hear God speaking to us through the hustle and bustle of daily routines and life. Sometimes it takes a special occasion to make us aware of his presence.
I’d like to stand here and tell you that at every moment of my life, with every breath I take, I am always aware of God’s presence, and I never fear or doubt, but that would be a lie. It’s not that I doubt God’s existence, there have been plenty of things in my life to remind me of his existence, but existence and presence seem, at least to me, to be different. You can exist and not be recognized or acknowledged, but if you have a presence, you are recognized and acknowledged with a level of permanence.
How then, is it that we experience God’s permanence especially in a world that changes by virtue of technology, time and place? Nothing is conventional, nothing seems permanent, we are as people quite transient,yet, God is with us, always. To read or hear God’s word is one thing, but to truly experience him, is something to relish and savor for life.
I want to share one of the more profound experiences I have had that left me harkening back to the memory of recognizing God’s presence in a less conventional way, one that left me savoring my experience and thirsting for more.
Some of you know that Nicole and I were fortunate to have traveled to Ireland this past summer. While we were there, we drove to Northern Ireland. You see Nicole has a penchant for History. She was especially excited to see the area of Belfast where the Titanic was made. So, she and I went not once, but twice from Dublin Ireland, to Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Driving a stick shift, on the left side of the road from the right side of the car, guided by a somewhat annoying GPS, the first time we arrived in Belfast center, we parked the car, got out and looked about for the handy information stands that seem to be everywhere in Ireland. In Belfast, they are not quite so obvious because rather than being a kiosk set up on the side walk, the information stands are in buildings, tucked away in the recesses of walls that vary between modern architecture and historic buildings. After finding an information kiosk in a building, we were able to get a map of Belfast; then came the trick of figuring out where the Titanic Quarter was—it wasn’t very well marked on the map, and honestly looked like we had to hoof it across a four lane highway—not my idea of fun and safety in a foreign country where there is a history of restlessness and violence.
Oh, we had been told that things were pretty calm and you didn’t really have to worry about violence in this day and age, yet, there was a nagging “what if,” in the back of my mind. “What if, I went the wrong way? What if, I got lost? What if, we wandered into an unsafe neighborhood…What if, what if, what if???? Am I really a doubting Thomas or do I let my feelings and superstitions get the better of me?
Well, Nicole and I walked around, we tried to figure out how to get to the Titanic quarter and at one point, we saw a woman come around the corner holding a transit schedule for the busses and trains. We asked where she got it and she looked at us as if we had three heads as she responded with her thick Irish accent, “The bus station of course; where do you want to go?” Upon telling her we wanted to go to see where the Titanic was made, she responded, “Where? Are ya all right now? Are ya sure ya feel O.K.?” Now I knew my worst fears were confirmed, the Titanic section was not meant to be—it was Dangerous!! And so, feeling frustrated, and a bit disappointed about our outing, Nicole and I walked about Belfast proper, admired the architecture of the old buildings, found an office building for the Presbytery—it wasn’t open, and eventually, got back in the car and drove back to Dublin.
On our second outing, to Belfast, we were more successful in finding our way to the Titanic Quarter. We hailed a cab, and got there. This outing was on a Sunday. It was overcast, cold, and typical European weather, as I knew it. When we arrived at the Titanic Quarter; large old factory buildings and new construction greeted us. Signs were posted pointing the way to the Titanic buildings, but everything was locked. As we walked and read signs, a group of people was walking about and I overheard what I thought was a tour guide, informing them about the history of the Titanic, how it was built, launched etc. Trying not to look conspicuous, we walked a safe distance behind, eaves dropping and stopping to read the signs about the historic district and the making of the Titanic. At one point we went a slightly different way, only to be called back to the same area as the group (God’s calling to us to be a part of this unique experience).
The leader called out and said, “You’re welcome to join us if you like, we’re not an official tour.” That was the start of an eye opening adventure, one that taught a valuable lesson.
The group leader explained that they were a Church with out walls. The leader as it turned out was their Minister. The group consisted of a mix of Christian denominations, Catholic, Church of Ireland, Methodist, and Episcopal. Some of the other congregants were also ordained ministers.
This group gets together every Sunday and walks around the Titanic Quarter. They pause at various points, listened to scripture that is taped and played from the leader’s smart phone. After listening to the message, the Minister pointed out certain visuals or mentioned certain historic facts and then asked, “how does this passage speak to you? What message do you hear? What do you think God is saying to us?” The comments were insightful and lead to fruitful discussion amongst everyone. Nicole and I were welcomed and felt so at home with this group, we contributed to the comments and participated in the discussion. It was an amazing experience to look out across the docks, listen to the scripture and experience God’s message with a group–outside of four walls.
The history of the Titanic Quarter infused with the message and God’s greater call for Social Justice, working together, greeting new neighbors, and sharing both God’s word and presence was an indescribable experience. I have to admit that the visuals in the area were provocative. The Titanic Quarter is being rehabbed and trussed up for the 100th anniversary. There is a new museum being built that is reminiscent in design of the Baltimore Aquarium. There are four large peaks, representing the hull of the ship and they point in each direction of the compass. Think just for a moment, of standing outside in a rather run down section, that is under construction, facing this new museum that is not finished but that represents a ship that points North, South, East and West. Let your mind wander with the image that the ship is God, and he calls us from north, south, east and west to be with him, to share communion with him, not just in bread and wine, but, in word, and deed.
God’s message that day was so clear, I am here, I am present in all places, no matter where you travel, I am with you. I guided you here to the Titanic Quarter where you were able to engage in fellowship with other believers. I shared my word with you… Do you feel me now? Can you see me in the water that carries the ships, the water that I created that cleanses, baptizes, nourishes, and protects you? Do you hear me in the wind as I blow while the rain pours down and splashes hard against the pavement? Do you see me in the ripples formed in the puddles as you run to shelter that I provide? Do you smell me in the sent of the air and the coffee shared afterward in fellowship? Can you taste me? Do you thirst for me? Are you able to take my word and use it not just for your self, but also for the common good?
You may be thinking, O.K. Susan, but you didn’t have to travel all the way to Belfast to get that message, it is right here in Maryland, but the message to me was louder and clearer, it spoke not only to God’s presence but also to the need for his presence in our life if we are to have social justice. We live in a country where there are so many freedoms, we can choose to do what ever we want and we can be and dare I say, often are, ignorant of the struggles of others around us, both here in the United States and abroad.
I can choose to worship freely here in the US, but that privilege is not present in other places in the world. Although it is available in Belfast, there are still a number of factions that make open declaration and worship uncomfortable for others. There is still a struggle for Justice, not Just –Us.
As our second compilation of reading reminds us:
God is here, he is present in our modern day, it may be difficult to hear his message and apply it to our daily life, but one truth rings throughout– God tells us, “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for that matter there is no difference between many factions of people, we have all sinned and we all fall short of the Glory of God, we are all JUSTIFIED in our existence, freed by God’s grace through Jesus Christ our savior.
God calls us to give thanks in his name, to proclaim him to others, to sing and praise him for his wonderful acts. He directs us to rejoice in him and gain strength through him and he tells us to do right and seek Justice.
So let us be more than passengers drifting on a ship, let us be that ship that travels North, South, East and West to deliver God’s word, do his work and promote Justice, uniting with one another– woven in a common fabric and bound tightly by our mutual and reciprocal love for God and one another.
“Somos el barco, somos el mar,
Yo navego en ti, tu navegas en mi
We are the boat, we are the sea, I sail in you, you, sail in me.