musings

I am sitting at my desk after attending a Board of Ordained Ministry meeting at one of our camps. For a formal meeting we were able to accomplish alot. I was in charge of the closing communion and I shared my epiphany that I had while on vacation. I thought that I would share it with those who have not heard it.

I was able to spend a week at Ocean Isle Beach one of the barrier islands in North Carolina. My wife and my daughter's family were there. To say that it was a restful and wonderful time is an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed the time and put some of the pictures on my facebook page.
One day in the late afternoon when the high tide was coming in, we were all on the beach. I had walked off shore and looked back at the others gathering their sea shells. The waves were coming in fairly strong for that beach. As I watched the waves break upon the shore and begin to spread out all along the beach I had my epiphany. I thought isn't that what the church should be doing. The relentless and ongoing waves breaking upon the shore of the world spreading the good news. Reaching out to the entire beach leaving no area left alone.
A further epiphany was that the wave was not done but after spreading out quickly and with some urgency returned to its source. So too the church needs to return to its source so that the next wave can come forward and spread out on the shores.
When I first told this, someone mentioned it is not only the wave that returns to the source but also the grains of sand that the wave touched that also returns. As the people who hear the good news turn to God. What also happens is that those grains of sand also come back to share with the rest of the beach.
This is the cycle of God. To go forth to make disciples and to return to our creator to be renewed to once again go forth and to be with others who also go forth.
We need to do both go forth and return.