Matthew, Mark, Luke and Susan
We’re glad you’re here!
Welcome to the weekly blog for Burlington East Presbyterian Church.
First things first: feel free to fill in your name instead of Susan. John might already be taken.
Here, you’ll find a weekly reflection which I hope will give you an opportunity to stop for a few minutes, to see yourself in God’s story of our own lives, of the community, and of creation. We’ll be thinking about what it means to live in God’s love for each of us, to grow as disciples and to follow Christ. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at [email protected].
Looking forward to journeying with you.
Peace in Christ,
Susan
January 23, 2025
Icons and Idols
This week.
Wow, this week.
Whether you’ve had a week that has been calm or rocky in your own circle this week, the external news, events, and cold (even for us Canadians) has been enough to send our minds twirling. I hope from last week’s devotion that you had a chance to know that God surrounds and loves you and can calm your storm in any situation.
This week, I found myself wondering about seeing through that storm–not just for some horizon, but really seeing through the rain, the wind, the present moment to the path we’re on, and perhaps even seeing through our questions and doubts as to whether we will make it through at all.
Sometimes we come face to face with things that will block our view to where Jesus would like us to see. Naming those things for what they are is crucial to our journey with Christ.
So let’s explore that…
Many years ago, I read a book that changed the way I see the world through the eyes of faith. Madeline L’Engle, who wrote a Wrinkle in TIme and other amazing books, wrote a short personal book called Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols. She described how there are things in our lives that help us see through an object or person to a better understanding of God; she talks about penguins that can lead us to wonder at creation, stars that make us aware of the vastness and complexity of the galaxies we can’t see and the One who made them. Those are the icons.
Sometimes, we hear that someone is an ‘icon”. It’s kind of fun to be called that, isn’t it? In the original understanding of the word, it meant more than being great; it meant that that person pointed to something divine, demonstrated something that led to a better understanding of God. We saw through that person or that piece of creation and were led onward on our journey of faith. That’s an icon. So if we’re called that–well, we’re directing people to God. No pressure.
Then, there are other things that block our vision and understanding of God. Those are the idols. People or objects that force our attention only on themselves and block any other progress. Structures that say “You must stop here, I am all there is to see here, don’t go any further, don’t question any more.”
As those who are on a journey with God, no matter where we are at, we see both. We have questions of God–and God never says stop asking questions, even when perhaps we’re not ready for the answers yet. Our icons are those who allow us to see God through them, through creation, through words or art of music or a random action or….you get the picture.
Our idols are those things which demand attention only for themselves–things that claim ultimate power over our lives when that power belongs to God. One of the most dangerous things about an idol is it stops us from wondering–everything about the idol is right in front of us, all there, a big stop sign. Don’t go any further, idols say. And don’t question me. This is all there is. If we look at human history, we know where that leads. One of the key things about idols is that they demand fear. It’s not like the ‘fear of the Lord’ that is respect and admiration and a healthy sense of knowing what’s right. The fear idols inspire is paralysing and punitive.
You and I were never called or created to live in fear. Remember, iIn the Bible, God and God’s messengers say “Do not fear” 365 times. That’s enough for once a day for a year.
Our journey of faith doesn’t stop, and icons can lead us from place to place and get us unstuck sometimes. They can cause us to wonder at the sacrifice, grace, creativity, and love of a God who asks us to keep journeying and keep discovering what it means to live as forgiven, loved people. They can open us to helping others see the love of God too.
Now that’s something no idol can stop.
I’d really encourage you to read L’Engle’s book, and look around.
Who, or what, are icons in your life?
How do you see a little more of God through them?
What are the idols?
May you see God more clearly today because of all the wonderful icons God puts around you. May you know the love that says there is nothing to fear, and with God’s help, may you get the idols out of the way.
Peace in Christ,
Rev. Susan
Content © Susan Kerr 2025. Photo: Book cover of Penguins and Golden Calves: Icons and Idols by Madeline L’Engle (1996: Crosswicks Inc.) May not be reproduced or circulated without permission of the author.
January 9, 2025
.Overwhelmed
Something to think about: Jesus Calms a Storm
Read the news, and the world seems to be swirling, caught up in winds going all kinds of different directions, powerful people making decisions that bring chaos into the lives of others. Most days, if we are working for changes in justice and peace or taking care of people, we wake up not knowing where to start. Even if we do, by the end of the day the priorities and needs have changed, and something else has risen as immediate and pressing, and our worries start rising because we haven’t been able to make progress because of the whirling, changing, demanding world we’re in.
Regardless of how good we are at organization and method, we are humans with emotions and anxiety and needs and when we don’t know what to do first, or what will make the best change, we get overwhelmed by the storm.
Sometimes it seems that, like what happens in the gospel story, God is asleep in the boat.
It’s that sleeping that gets to me. Jesus would have known that the storm was around, that people were scared, that they didn’t know what to do next. But he’s so tired that he’s sleeping through it all. Why is God sleeping???
It makes me question and want to explore some things. I know these aren’t all the answers, but just some reflections to share. Feel free to email me with your thoughts.
What priority did the storm have for God? Sometimes, we are doing what we should be doing, and we go through a tough patch–and what is making it tough is a distraction from what we need to keep doing. If it is a distraction, God is not going to necessarily stop it. When it becomes a need that keeps us from doing what we’re doing–when the storm becomes greater in our priorities than the fact that God is there in the boat, God steps in with a reminder that God never left. This isn’t to glibly say that our going through tough times or circumstances gets any easier, but perhaps sometimes we give more weight to the storm than it deserves.
When does God do something about it? Where is God in the storm? Jesus calms the storm when the disciples’ anxiety gets to be greater than they can handle and keep going; when they are beyond a point where they can say, “I can control my reaction and choose to keep going through this storm”. Even if we do lose it, even if we do lose perspective, God doesn’t ignore us. God reminds us not to be afraid. “Rebuke” here is a word that would be used when you are teaching students a correct answer. It’s not an angry “why didn’t you think of this yourselves?” Jesus doesn’t lecture. Jesus calms the storm.
Then the disciples, and we, can go on. God doesn’t lift all the storms. Just gets us through this one. And sometimes, that’s all that’s needed for today.
May you know that God is in your boat, all the time.
May you know the storms, and the power of the One who goes with you through them.
May you know that nothing can separate you from the Jesus who calms those storms in you and me…
and that together, we’ll make it through.
Peace and blessings this week,
Rev. Susan
Photo and content © Susan Kerr 2024. May not be reproduced or circulated without permission of the author.