Think on These Things...

Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth (1985)

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;

In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!

In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,

Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;

There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.

From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,

Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;

In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,

In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,

Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see

We sang this hymn in chapel today—my final chapel service as a student in Drew University Theological School. What a fitting song to sing in this Easter season, but also in this phase of my life. I truly feel like a butterfly emerging from her cocoon ready to soar...

(image taken from http://www.howdididoit.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/monarch-butterflies.jpg)

Resurrection...

My three week hiatus ran a tad longer...blame it on the warm weather, the myriad of things to do for school, or just me nurturing the relationships that are important to me. All in all, it has been a great time away....my sermons have gotten better, my runs have gotten longer (I can run 3.5 miles, no stopping, no problemo), I've made some art (and am continuing to do so), and I've got some new stuff on the horizons--it is Resurrection season! For some reason, for many reasons, my heart is singing, "I get joy just thinking about what God's done for me..."

One of the many things that has happened is that I entered a sermon in the Good Preacher Seminarian Contest and have been chosen as one of the finalists (along with another Drew Senior Sarah Pomerantz). So, instead of writing more, I'm going to let the sermon speak for me today...

And after you've watched, visit http://www.goodpreacher.com/shareit/readreviews.php?cat=41 and vote. The password is nashville.

“How does one become a butterfly?" she asked...

I'm not sure why, perhaps it is because I've spent most of my life—either as a student or teacher—in school, but August has typically been a month I spend in the cocoon preparing to fly. At times I've been forced into the cocoon, like the year when my Aunt Mildred passed away. Life as I had known it had changed. At times I have voluntarily gathered my things—Bible, journal, pen—and entered the cocoon. Those were the moments when I was anticipating and craving transformation. Whether involuntarily or of my own volition, the cocoon has always been a good place for me.

cocoon |kəˈkoōn|nouna silky case spun by the larvae of many insects for protection as pupae.• a similar structure made by other animals.• a covering that prevents the corrosion of metal equipment.• something that envelops or surrounds, esp. in a protective or comforting way : the cocoon of her kimono | figurative a warm cocoon of love. ORIGIN late 17th cent.: from French cocon, from medieval Provençalcoucoun ‘eggshell, cocoon,’ diminutive of coca ‘shell.’ The verb dates from the mid 19th cent.

You have read how Oxford defines the cocoon, but I know you are wondering what does the cocoon mean for/to me? The cocoon is the place where I am changed. It is a place of growth and increased strength. It is a place of darkness of loneliness and sometimes pain. It is the place where my colors and wings are developing. It is the place where I complain about not yet being a butterfly. It is the place where I muster up the courage to fly. It is a place where I struggle and grow tired. It is the place where I write without ceasing. It is the place where I pray without ceasing. It is the place where, for all of the reason I listed above and so many more, I commune with God most intimately. It is the place where, despite the difficult transformation taking place, I am safe and secure. I trust that when I break free from the cocoon I will be stronger, more beautiful, and ready to soar. I will be a butterfly.

So, today, as I prepare to enter my cocoon, I share with you some pearls of wisdom that I've gathered over the years about caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies (which, by the way, is the title of the dope mix CD that my bestie gave me for my 32nd birthday. It still gets much play on my iPod.) Enjoy!

"Just when the caterpillar thought that life was over, it became a butterfly" (Anonymous)

"You are destined to fly, but that cocoon has got to go." (Nelle Morton)

"If you want a butterfly, you gotta be a butterfly." (India.Aire)

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies." (Anonymous)

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." (Maya Angelou)

"Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time." (Deborah Chaskin)

“How does one become a butterfly?" she asked. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” (Anonymous)

"When the time comes for the caterpillar to change into a butterfly it spins a cocoon around itself. Once the cocoon is finished the change starts to take place. Everything about the caterpillar becomes different. What will emerge later on after a great struggle is not a caterpillar with wings but a new creature! It is a butterfly!" (Anonymous)

Early...

It is 4:56am. I haven't been awake this early (on purpose) in a while. I delivered a resurrection message in my preaching class on thursday where I started with the movement that happened early on Sunday morning.  It was early, for the text tells us that it was still dark outside. Early. Mary was making moves before daybreak. Early. While some folks in Jerusalem were still sleeping.  Early. Not wanting to conflate the Gospel messages (I was working with the Johanine account of the empty tomb found in John 20:1-10), I did not assume that Mary Magdalene was going to anoint Jesus body or keep vigil. In fact, I wondered what business Mary had at the tomb. 

I cannot help but be reminded of that morning on this one. It is early, like that morning in Jerusalem. Early. These birds, as always, are making moves before day break. Early. While most folks in Green Villa sleep. Early. Well, early this Saturday morning, I wonder what business these birds have outside of my window. 

More than that...I pray that today is as life changing and hope filled for me as it was for Mary Magdelene and the disciples early that Sunday morning some 2000 years ago. I am going to walk in Resurrection power today--on purpose! Will you walk with me?