Imagination

Every once in awhile there are signposts that point that man is not the center of the universe. It's easy to get put into that mode of thinking when we have so many conveniences to free up our time, we have roads designed to take us from one destination to another, and we have products thrown in front of us all vying for our attention. So every once in awhile when a small word, a glimpse outside of ourselves, sparks our imagination - for me it equals possibilities. The possibility that anything can be a part, no IS, a part of a bigger plan just makes me smile from the inside. It reminds me of the Celtic tradition of finding a spiritual nature in all things. The Celts would not have been surprised to hear a talking donkey, they would be surprised to find there are donkeys that don't talk!

Nothing is more humbling than to look with a strong magnifying glass at an insect so tiny that the naked eye sees only the barest speck and to discover that nevertheless it is sculpted and articulated and striped with the same care and imagination as a zebra. Apparently it does not occur to nature whether or not a creature is within our range of vision, and the suspicion arises that even the zebra was not designed for our benefit.
-Rudolf Arnheim, psychologist and author (1904-2007)

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, Stir our imaginations to think beyond our limits. Help us to set aside our inward thoughts and away from our self-centeredness. Open our minds to recognize the sacred in all things and that nothing is too obscure or too minute to be placed out of your realm of possibilities to create greatness, even ourselves. Help us to be agents and the laborers of your workings. O God, we give thanksgivings that your visoin is indeed more than our minds can fathom. There are so many chances to break away from our own routine and our small insulated world that it boggles the imagination and awakens us to new possibilities! Amen