https://www.stashmedia.tv/ringling-college-meets-carl-sagan-the-pale-blue-dot/
We had a wonderful discussion again at our Picnic and Prayer session last Monday.
And, we were outside enjoying the glorious sunshine and warmth. Of course, it was all relative … as one participant noted, if we were in Florida we would be in parkas and complaining about the cold. But we were just enjoying the sun … until a cloud covered it up.
We were talking about worry … and Jesus saying to “not worry about the future.” Was this a reasonable commandment? How does one not worry? And when worry does creep in, what do we do with it? How do we cope with worry? Is worry ever useful?
We talked about our coping strategies … meditation, prayer, talking with someone else, “parking” our worries for an agreed upon time, deep breathing, walking in nature …
For me, distraction is often the most effective way to cope with worry. When I need to set my worries aside, even for a day, I can usually count on losing myself in a good mystery novel. I tell myself I am also learning something along the way—about Welsh history, language, and culture, through Rhys Dylan’s Detective Evan Warlow series (I started book #20 this week and, true to form, I can’t put it down), … or about forensic archaeology, in Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway series; or Griffith’s series about the seaside town of Brighton in The Brighton Mysteries; … or about French history, culture, cooking, and the wartime Resistance in Martin Walker’s Bruno, Chief of Police series.
One participant of last week’s session reminded us of Pope John Paul XXIII’s nightly prayer, which was apparently well known according to a quick google search and goes something like:
“Lord, this is your church. I’m going to bed.”
Others have embellished it a bit … “Lord, this is your church. I have done my best. I’m going to bed.”
It is certainly an act of surrender. An act of trust and faith. An act of letting go.
It has continued to stay with me all week as I prepare for my last few weeks at Bethany.
Next Monday is our last session of Picnic and Prayer, and we look at 3 stories from the Instructions of Jesus and Why Follow Jesus sections.
One of the reflections refers to a YouTube video which is an animation/illustration project from students at Sheridan College 15 years ago. Here’s a bit of explanation from the internet:
“The Pale Blue Dot is an iconic photograph of Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft. Captured from a record-breaking distance of 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles) as it left the solar system, the image shows our planet as a tiny, faint speck suspended in a sunbeam.
The photograph inspired the title of astronomer and author Carl Sagan's 1994 book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, where he famously reflected on the image's profound philosophical meaning.”
https://youtu.be/XEwdRE8MKQg?si=T5QxnEO9eyhR1-gN
There was a time, many years ago, when I watched this video almost daily to remind myself of my place in the world. To inspire me … both to do my part to make this a better place, but also inspire me to humility on this “pale blue dot” … that while what I do might make a difference in the present … in the grand scheme of creation and time, what we do and how we make a difference is a mystery.
This is helpful to remember as I prepare to say a formal goodbye to folks at Bethany. Although I will be back to offer worship leadership at the end of July, I won’t be involved in the same way or as intensely after June 30.
This Sunday, we celebrate the work and participation of the children, youth and young adults in our midst under the leadership of Louisa. They have offered much to this community of faith over the years, and I have been blessed by their contributions during my time here. During my short reflection I will remind us of some of the wonderful times we have had in worship together this past year.
Another one of my favourite videos is the one for Day 30 in the section “Why Follow Jesus?” under the title “Jesus Prays for the World” … Ducklings vs Stairs. Again, I have watched it over and over … and it reminds me of persistence, making mistakes, picking oneself up, and trying again … a reminder to us all that we often don’t get it right the first time … or the second …
You can see it here, and cheer for the little ducklings as each one makes it up the final stair, at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIQCfwE1dEs
Blessings
Martha