Cultivating the heartland

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Cultivating the Heart
March 20, 2022
Rev. Patricia Wagner

What wondrous love is this: That Jesus would give his life rather than deny his truth.  The truth of God, present, aware, continuously, constantly offering us the path of life, the waters of hope, the balm that will heal so we will remember who we are and turn away from that which harms other creatures and the earth.  So that we human beings would not be so filled with hate that one is ready to kill another, but so filled with love that we are ready to die for another.  What wondrous love.  And we long to know that love we are not always aware that we do we are distracted, and worried or bored, or unsettled or unsatisfied and we buy things, eat, drink that which will not sustain us and when we realize that we realize that we want something more, something deeper, that which will truly comfort, heal our brokenness.  That we want to be at home in our own soul.  God joins us in that longing and helps us cultivate that home.  Its why we are here in this room.  Its why we get up and get dressed and get here.  Or spend time apart in the quiet of contemplation.  Or rise in compassionate care for one another. 
 
Because we long for the waters of God.  Waters that invite us, wherever we are, whoever we (For all the distinctions disappear before God).  That we might know the One who meets us exactly where we are in that place within us here we are fully accepted, forgiven.  Where there are no more questions, only knowing.  Where there are no words, only love.  That is the place from which our sister Twyana is going to speak.
 
I heard recently that our first gaze at any other person is judgement.  And the second gaze is love.  Let us prepare to look upon our sister, Twyana as she comes before us a community of strangers to share her truth.  Let us trust it comes from the heartland.  Let us go with her to the waters. 
 
Rev.Patricia Wagner, Maple Grove UMC