Weekend in Port Angeles (Turning Point)

I have experienced a great weekend! I rode to Port Angeles from Seattle on Friday (7/28) because I was invited to stay with Doug and Gail Wheatley. The ride was beautiful across the Puget Sound on the ferry over to Bainbridge Island, up 305 and then 3 to 101. I can't get over the wonderful scenery along the way... The mountains, the water, ahhh...
Gail was my neighbor in seminary my Junior year (we shared a wall!). She graduated in 2005, so it was wonderful to catch up with Gail after 12 years. Like other schools I have attended, the filial relationships that form in the setting at Sewanee, it was like picking up a familiar conversation. Doug and I went on an excursion on Saturday (7/29) up to Blue Mountain and to the Elwah River. He scared me to death on the road up to Blue Mountain - definitely pushed my boundary for "fear of the edge" - pay attention to that portion of the video.
We had Dungeness crab and steak dinner and an awesome Sunset on Saturday evening. This east coast boy has never had Dungeness Crab! ðŸ¦€ It was AWESOME! Gail's sister, Ellen, lives right across the street, so we were invited to watch the sunset following dinner. I actually got to witness the harbor pilots guide a cruise ship back out to sea! Turned out to be a very cool evening.
Sunday (today) I attended worship at St. Andrew's. It was the 5th Sunday of the month, and their custom was to "combine" their two worship services (8am and 10am) into one 9am service. The service was a wonderful Rite II liturgy with Eucharistic Prayer B and great hymns. Awesome service, great preaching by my good friend! After services we went to lunch and then to the winery for some local entertainment, then out to Forks, WA for more church. (Yes, I said Forks). The service in Forks was Gail, 3 others, and myself with a similar liturgy from the morning service in Port Angeles with music led by guitar. This small congregation has supper following the service, so we stayed and ate with them.
My thoughts today are about truth, as brought out in Gail's wonderful sermon. She mentioned a poem by Emily Dickinson #1263 - "Tell all the truth, but tell it slant -" I was intrigued by this poem that I hadn't heard in years. In this lovely poem, I feel that Dickinson has a grasp of divine truth, that humanity can't digest it all at once. It must come gradually. Otherwise people will be overwhelmed by its brightness. 

Tell all the truth but tell it slant — (1263)

By Emily Dickinson

Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind — 

I feel that this is why Jesus spoke in parables the way he did trying to describe the divine truths in ways that we could wrap our heads around them a little bit at the time. Often, I try to tease out the spiritual from the mundane. I feel that it's important for us to recognize the truth and beauty of God in everyday stuff, lest God be inaccessible and irrelevant, imprisoned by institutions and ideaologies. 

I saw God this weekend in many places. The Diocesan seal of Western North Carolina has the words "Domus Domini in Vertice Montium" roughly translated, "God's lives in the high mountains" or "God's dwelling place is in the high mountains." When I stood atop Blue Mountain, looking down at Port Angeles, and the other peaks, and at the water of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, I could not help but feel God's presence. I said a prayer there for my family, for Trinity, and for the wonderful experiences and encounters that I have made on this journey so far that helped reveal God's divine truth to me in small digestable ways.

This is my turning point. Everything from here I plan to be East and South.



Challenge to Self: Continue the Journey to see where God will be revealed next.

Challenge to Trinity: Celebrate where God shows up in your life. If you sense God's presence, stop and say a prayer of thanksgiving for the revelation. Let the divine truths be revealed to you one piece at a time.








Comments

  1. UnknownAugust 3, 2017 at 1:34 AM

    Beautiful. Thank you for putting it together for us as well! What a privilege it was to have you here. And fun! Now you know the truth: St. Swithin's in NOT mythical. :-) The patron saint of rain was chosen for good reason: 120" in Forks, and 144" in the Hoh Rain Forest. Splish splash! God's blessings go with you, Ken.

    Gail

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