Jul 7, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Sheila Weidendorf…
For today’s spiritual/musical exploration I want to go back to my beloved India. In a way, there is no such thing as India. The word “India” is derived from the Greek Indus, the name given to a great river that runs across south Asia, flowing northwest from Tibet to Kashmir, then west, forming the boundary now between Pakistan and India. It was known to the native population as the Sindhu, and runs in part through the Sindh area (which includes western India and Pakistan; a unified cultural zone that was torn apart during partition in 1947). Anglicization of “Indus” thus became “India” AND “Hindu,” neither of which are true concepts native to the region.
In the ancient text, the Mahabharat, what we know as India was named as Bharat, or Bharatvarsa, after the great King Chakrvarti Samrat Bharat who ruled over an area that included modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Tibet, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Iran, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and more.
In another very real way, though, there is no one India. Bharat is a mélange of peoples, traditions, religious expressions, inner and outer landscapes. Go to a large city and within two square meters you’ll find Jains, Buddhist, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Farsis, Sufis and countless others. This beautiful plurality is one of the hallmarks of the land known to us as India.
Today I want to briefly explore a philosophical-spiritual sect from the Bengal region (India’s West Bengal and Bangladesh—also a cultural unity divided in partition. Actually, Bangladesh was “West Pakistan” but won independence from Pakistan in the 1970s and became Bangladesh, referring to the Bangla language/culture of the region. Such divisions are part and parcel of a post-colonial world… but I’ll leave that conversation for another time!!!). I am here referring to the Baul movement of the Bengali region.
The Bauls are a mystic, quasi-nomadic, mendicant sect known for their music and art—mediums by which spiritual experience and meaning can be readily communicated to everyone, regardless of education/literacy and social status. It might be said that the purpose of Baul mysticism is to fully know the Self as a means to know God—adhering to the supposition that God is revealed through us! These “mendicant minstrels” believe that God— “The Man of the Heart”— hides within every human frame, and in whom all individuals have a part. They “are free-spirited, heterodox, anarchic and… limitlessly tolerant.” (From “A Portrait of Baul: Keeping Ancient Traditions Alive” published in Cultures from geographical.co.uk)
One very well-known Bengali writer/composer who was greatly influenced by the Bauls was Rabindranath Tagore. One of his songs says:
The man of my heart dwells inside me
Everywhere I behold, it’s Him!
In my every sight, in the sparkle of light
Oh I can never lose Him—
Here, there and everywhere,
Wherever I turn, right in front is He!
Like many a mystic movement, the Bauls find God everywhere, in everything. In this vein, every aspect of our life can be a meditation, can be a prayer or an act of devotion. There is a completeness in their devotion—a total surrender—evidenced in their music, usually sung while playing a hand drum and/or strumming a simple one or two-stringed instrument. I am very moved by this surrender to and through the music as a devotional practice. There is a purity in this expression—a kind of raw wilderness of the heart given over to God that I find extraordinarily compelling!
There is way too much that could be said and explored here, and I am not sufficiently informed to do the Baul movement justice. I just wanted to share a little glimpse of something I love—offer just a little taste of another aspect of the human reaching toward the holy through music.
And the Bauls have compelled more than Tagore and myself! In 2005, UNESCO recognized the Baul tradition as a “Masterpiece of Intangible Oral Heritage of Humanity!”
To further share this little morsel of mysticism with you, I have chosen the music of Parvathy Baul—currently the most well-known female Baul musician/mystic. She was born in 1976 Mousumi Parial in East Bengal to traditional Bengali Brahman parents. She was classically trained in music and dance, and was also a gifted visual artist. In fact, it was on her way to Shantiniketan—a town founded by Rabindranath Tagore!— to enroll in art school that she first encountered a blind Baul street musician. It was then she knew her path would include this music. (I am including several links below with lots more information about the Bauls and about Parvathy Baul.)
The song I am sharing is “Sri Charon Paabo”—YouTube link below. DO read the description on the YouTube posting! The lyrics, from a poem by Pabju Shah, are as follows:
Just to attain your holy feet
This wretch calls out your name
From the depths of time
Just to grasp your precious feet
This wretch calls out your name
Trapped in the circle of time
From my own past created
For what fault was I plunged
Into the cycle of becoming?
From my own fiber created
For what fault have I been thrown
Into the ocean of time?
Why brought to this world?
Guru, o guru
Why brought to this world
In such an abject state that I forgot
Your compassionate name?
Just to attain your holy feet
This wretch calls out your name
From the depths of time
You bear the name of wish-fulfilling tree
So the clan of ascetics told me
Why be renowned as compassionate
If you can’t help me be free?
Just to grab your precious feet
This wretch calls out your name
From the depths of time
First, I love the cry of the devoted, saying, “I am only here on this Earth to touch your feet.” Understand that to touch someone’s feet is a gesture of deep respect within Indian culture. Also, the “Gu Ru” is one who dispels darkness and helps the devoted find the light within. A Guru is NOT a troupe leader, or a cult leader, or a ring leader. Rather, the Guru is one who has discovered the light within and can help others do the same through their very Being-ness.
Could we not call Jesus an ultimate Guru? And was he not displaying a radical Light when he washed the disciples’ feet in a great turnabout between master and student? And was his directive, “Follow me” not a great casting of light upon our pathway to God within and between us? And what grace, then, to touch the hem of the garment of the Master, or his very feet—the kind of amazing grace that can save even the most wretched of spirit!!! (So many paths to God in this world of over 7 billion people, and so many ways in which we are truly One!!!)
But enough of my spiritual spelunking! Here is the link to Parvathy Baul singing Sri Charon Paabo:
https://youtu.be/pvKLPLl9zVw
For more information about the Baul movement:
https://geographical.co.uk/people/cultures/item/3548-baul
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baul
For more information about Parvathy Baul:
www.parvathybaul.com
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6232350/bio
Enjoy!
~Sheila
Jul 6, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Pave paradise, put up a parking lot.”
Week by week since April we have been easing back into worship. For thirteen long months the church had been empty and the airwaves full. Across the country, worshipers known and unknown had dried their tears and given thanks after Karl had moved them with his voice and music. In living rooms, on decks, and in backyards, people put themselves in the path of the Gospel. They were comforted and sustained by words of grace and the nourishing meal of bread and juice. It was good, but through it all, something was missing; the human touch, the buzz of activity, the people of God singing, the cry of a baby, the labored walking of senior citizens, the laughter and smiles of beautifully flawed people.
Week by week we eased back into worship. It began with mandatory masks and social distancing, open windows, shorter services and hygiene theatre. Faces were hidden, the deviled eggs and cookies had not yet come out, and worship, as joyful as it was, was found to be lacking. Each Sunday the service became more familiar and the worshippers more comfortable back home at TLC. The puppets and stuffed animals disappeared from the pews, the masks were no longer necessary, the passing of the peace was energized, and laughter returned to our community.
The sheer joy of returning to worship finally reached its zenith on June 27th when the family was welcomed back to the Lord’s Table. The parade of formerly lonely pandemic pilgrims walked down the center aisle, they opened their hands to receive, and opened their hearts to be touched by grace. This rather simple but profound ritual, sometimes taken for granted, was indeed a Eucharistic gathering of thanksgiving. I have presided and served at Holy Communion for more than 35 years, but no Sunday compared to this past Sunday! We were all prodigals, we had all been lost, our journey to a pandemic wasteland had finally ended, and when we came home, Jesus invited us all to the meal.
If the time away has given us to a new appreciation for our shared life and the priceless value of community, then maybe our time in exile was not all bad. Maybe we needed to go without in order to clearly see what had always been there. I for one will never take for granted the honor of serving this meal again; with new eyes I will see your outstretched arms, your precious smiles, the parade of exceptional sinners and shaky saints who humbly hobble to the table, opening their hands like beggars to receive.
All that time, something was missing, and week by week it is all coming back. God is with us and always has been, but now we have the opportunity to journey side by side. Thanks be to God!
Blessed to be a Blessing
Pastor Jim
Jul 3, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
Happy Fourth of July Weekend! The Fourth of July falls on a Sunday this year and I hope that you will be joining us for worship. We would invite you to wear red, white and blue to church. It will be a festive Sunday with songs of faith and hope. We will sing and pray for the United States of America on this our 245th birthday.
I love our country and I love the people of our country. We proudly fly the flag outside our home. I find no particular tension between my faith and my patriotism. They both have a place in my life; the key is to put them in their proper place. The shared history of the United States is inspirational and flawed, visionary and marked by sin. It is a human story of triumph and tragedy. Every nation has its own story to tell and there is something to learn with each retelling. Jesus said that, “the truth would make us free.” It is important to tell the truth, that we might be set free and learn the lessons of history.
The Bible is clear, there is nothing wrong with love of country. By birth or choice, we are connected to this land, this place, and our duty as citizens. We should work together for the common good of all people; that is God’s intention for us. The government has a critical role to play in the betterment and ordering of society. We need good leaders and good government.
The Bible is clear, there is nothing wrong with love of country as long as we understand our order of allegiance. We are to love God above country, family, community, or workplace. We are to love God first and foremost. The God who desires good for all people. The God who created the people of every land and race. The God who created planet earth with no predetermined borders or favored nation status.
God first, all our other allegiances follow in line after that, taking direction from our primary allegiance. We all have a responsibility to pay taxes, to support our citizens, to care for the immigrant, and to keep the laws of the land. But if there is tension between God and country, then we are to always follow the teachings and leadings of God. If our government, or our parents, ever ask us to do something that is inconsistent with our calling to follow Jesus, then we are to refuse or resist. No area of our lives or ethics should be outside of our pledge of allegiance to God.
Have a happy and safe Fourth of July! Give thanks for patriots who sacrificed that we might enjoy freedom. Grill those burgers, enjoy the fireworks, ask what you can do to make our country a better place, and keep your eyes on Jesus. Love God and love your neighbor before you pledge allegiance to country.
Pastor Jim
Jul 2, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
His hair was long and white. He wore slim Western ties and cowboy boots. In years past he sat near the front at Trinity Lutheran Church with his wife, Clodagh. They had lived lives of public service working for the states of Alaska and then Washington. Their home was filled with Native American art and three-ring binders that chronicled the many cruises that they had enjoyed together.
When Clodagh died in 2016, Jerry moved to the back row by the sound booth. He lived in a small house in Langley, his dog Blue always by his side. As the years passed, he hiked less and rested more. He contemplated the journey in my office over coffee; he knew that he had been blessed, blessed to be a blessing. He expressed a desire to touch the future, to make his last statement in life consistent with the values of his humble upbringing.
On November 2, 2020, Jerry died peacefully at his home. Blue was welcomed into a TLC family that loves animals, and I set about to manage his estate, following the directives of his will. Jerry wanted to touch the future; he would do so through our endowment. Last week I sat down to write a check; the check was for a million dollars. Jerry and Clodagh’s legacy will be managed by the endowment. Every year their gift will provide a harvest of good. A draw of $40,000 to $50,000 will be directed toward scholarships, local, or off-island benevolences. With prudent investing their gift will never run down or run out.
Jerry and Clodagh touched the future, leaving a gift that will benefit those who are yet unborn. None of the money given to the Endowment directly benefits TLC. The money is not used for utilities, salaries, or campus improvements. It is all given away, it is put to work for the common good of our community and the world.
Last week I wrote a check for a million dollars! David Campbell, of our TLC Schrecengost Endowment Fund, was present to receive the check. Most gifts to the Endowment are smaller; a few hundred dollars here, a few thousand dollars there. On their own the gifts would make little difference in the world. But together we are a powerful force of good; together we can TOUCH THE FUTURE!
Thanks Jerry and Clodagh, and thank you for supporting the work of TLC.
Much love,
Pastor Jim
Jul 1, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Pastor Tom Kidd…
Ask people to tell you two things they couldn’t live without and the list can get pretty funky. “Air conditioning” makes sense, it’s hot right now. “Cruise control” would be on my list. Beyond the trivial we would find the heart of people; “love,” or “people I can trust.” Sometimes we would find “God” or “Jesus.” What would you find it difficult to live without?
Forty-five years of parish ministry has shown me there are two qualities a person cannot live with… hopelessness and helplessness. These two, especially in tandem, will crush a person’s spirit and rob them of the will to live. Trying to live with these characteristics is a hill too high and a river too wide. Years ago, there was the story of the senior couple who decided it was better to die together than to try to live with one suffering with Alzheimer’s. Lying in bed he took the life of his wife of almost 60 years and then took his own. His note said there was no hope and he felt helpless. Tragic.
I get it, sadly. The battle can feel too much… can’t live with hopelessness and helplessness. They kill. While each of us can have moments where the challenges of life can seem too much, where we struggle for answers, most of us have not had such moments where the two killers feel they are having their way with our lives. Most of us. We may have financial messes, or relationships that are dying, or serious health issues, or… but for the most part, we have enough of a support network that keeps us off the suicide watch list. This is nothing trivial.
As a former state registered counselor, as well as a pastor, many an hour was spent sitting with people on the ledge of life. Literally and figuratively. I never pretended to have answers, rather what I could provide was a presence. I could sit with people, I could love them, and periodically I could provide a touch that was meant to convey that “You are not alone.”
You don’t have to be a pastor, and you certainly do not have to be a therapist, to provide what your “neighbor” might need. A kind word, and empathetic ear, a desire to authentically be present, is the stuff of miracles. We all get caught up in our own story. We all are guilty of turning a blind eye or a deaf ear to a person who presents in need.
The accompanying photo continues to speak to my heart. Children can intuitively provide a spirit of hope and help. Maybe today God will bless you with an opportunity to be the hands or feet of our Lord. I am praying for that. 
God bless you in your service,
Pastor Tom
Jun 30, 2021 | Pastor Jim's Blog
Today’s Word from Deacon Amy…
Sometimes things don’t turn out the way that we hope they will. Sometimes we make promises that we fully intend to keep, but later discover to be unrealistic. Sometimes our plans and dreams are thrown off track and we need to make new plans. I’ve heard it said that your success in life is dependent on your ability to adapt to Plan B. What they don’t mention is that adapting to Plan B can often be uncomfortable.
My family is in a position of needing to make adjustments and adaptations due to plans and dreams that were not meant to be. My husband, Allen, and I have made the very difficult decision to end our marriage. This is, of course, a very emotional and trying time for all of us, my daughters included.
This is not the reality that we had dreamed of. This does not fit into the plans that we had made. We are not upholding promises that we had made to each other. This is not what was “supposed” to happen. But for many reasons, this is what needs to happen.
We are sad, and we are hurting, but we will move forward, and we will adjust to Plan B, or C, or whatever may come next.
There are still many unknowns, as with any major life change, but here is what we do know: my daughters and I will remain in our home and keep our little farm going, Allen will stay on the island and continue his handyman/construction business, and we will all continue in our service to and relationships with the people of Trinity Lutheran Church, and the South Whidbey community.
We feel so very blessed to be a part of this amazing community. We have made so many friends, and truly feel that we are among family when we are at Trinity. Thank you for caring for us, supporting us, and praying for us.
With love,
Deacon Amy
