Mid Week Inspirational Message May 4

New Moon
​Barbara Brown Taylor, in her book Learning to Walk in the Dark, explains that it takes three days of darkness before the sliver of a new moon appears in the sky. 
“Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale, Jesus spent three days in the tomb, Paul spent three days blind in Damascus … From earliest times, people learned that was how long they had to wait in the dark before the sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky. For three days every month they practiced resurrection.”
April 30th was the beginning of a period of the new moon. Make time to look up into the night sky and accept an invitation to practice resurrection and see where it leads. 
Scripture - Read: Acts 9:1-20  Saul’s Spiritually Defining Moment
Reflection: For three days Saul was without sight - three days - just in case we need reminding this is an event with a Living Christ.
For three days Saul was without sight. He can’t see his hand in front of himself.
For three days he was without sight. He can’t see even one step ahead.
And this is a scary place to find ourselves. Not being able to see the way ahead.
Sometimes it is an inner spiritual experience. We call it “the dark night of the soul.”
We are like a caterpillar wrapped tightly in her dark cocoon. Something is happening inside us but we don’t know what. Who could possibly imagine a butterfly when our spiritual senses have the consistency of mush? We simply exist in the dark awaiting our spiritual transformation. Perhaps you know something about that in your life?
Sometimes this “not seeing” is an outer experience of being in liminal space and the way that was familiar has passed from sight and the new way hasn’t yet opened to us. Perhaps you know something about this too?
For three days Saul was without sight and yet a sliver of new light always comes (though often taking longer than three days.)
Reflect on a time when this was true for you. 
Reflect on what this means for the community of faith at Grace United.
Reflect on what you need if you are abiding in days of darkness. Consider the ways this dark night is a gift.
Peace, Rev. Gail