Enough

There's nothing like plainchant. Even more, there's nothing like plainchant sung by a choir in a cathedral. The sound dancing from this stone to that, echoing back and forth, lingering in the nave for the notes of grace to take root in yearning souls.

It's Advent and so I was thinking about my favorite seasonal music. In the top tier of my favorites is Divinum Mysterium ("Of the Father's Love Begotten"). Even though this is not technically plainchant, it recalls for me at least a similar kind of tone and "feel". And so, plainchant came to mind.

My stream of consciousness notwithstanding: the peace of engaging in beautiful music, sincerely and well offered, while sitting quietly in some sanctuary off from competing noise or other distractions is peace indeed. It is the peace in the middle of more and less. Somewhere between more and less is enough, and enough is where we want to be.

We always want more of every good thing, or so it seems. Yet, we know from wise ones throughout history that to have more, we need to seek less. When we lessen our dependence on more, we learn the blessings of enough. The sense that we have enough is the key to finding the peace that we seek.

When we have enough, we are satisfied. We're full. In the prelude to his gospel account St. John spoke of this fullness and whence it comes,

"And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth...From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace." (John 1:14,16)

There is much that is empty about our life. For too many there is only emptiness: those without food, those without joy, those without hope. Many that are more blessed wonder whether the glass of their life is half full or empty. And, there are those who have more than enough, whose glasses overflow with abundance.

For all of these God's-love-made-flesh-at-Christmas is the blessing that truly fills us. This love can help us -- those of us with more than enough and those of us who are unsure of how much we have or need -- to trust in God's gracious abundance rather our need to acquire more.


This love challenges all of us to seek to redistribute the abundance of God's creation so that those with little or nothing can also have enough. We seem to think that we will have enough, that we will be satisfied, when we have everything. But the truth is that we will find satisfaction in what we have only when everyone has enough. As Paul remembered Moses, "As it is written, 'The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.'" (2 Corinthians 8:15)

In a conversation with one of our pastors who had just learned of this blog I said that these writings had become an important part of my ministry, particularly to me. I used to say as much about my sermons. Usually, my sermons as these blog postings point to my own needs for change.

Even so, I love having and getting more stuff. One of my father's possessions that my sister and I redistributed was his high definition flat screen television. It's now in my den. It occasioned the moving of furniture. Not only this, I gave over much time to setting it up, plugging in wires, programming the remotes. Oh, was this great fun. It's the kind of fun that causes the rest of my family to leave the room until I'm finished. When they return, they have even more fun figuring out what I've done.

So, I need to find a peaceful, quiet sanctuary to listen to some beautiful and serene music. I need to own up to the longings of my heart and open myself up to God's longings for my soul. Part of it is setting aside the time to listen and meditate. Another part is to open my heart to giving.

We'll give to the local Rescue Mission. We're taking part in the gift tree program at UCC Bayberry. It's so heartening to see and hear of so many churches that help children and families in their communities in this and other ways.

We'll also give to the Samaritan Care Center in East London, South Africa (a medical outreach, hospice center specifically reaching those infected with HIV/AIDS). Our group of the New York Conference visited this fine ministry last year. I am including the link in case you want to learn more about this ministry and more about the work of our missionaries, Dawn and Jon Barnes. http://www.globalministries.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=200

The national UCC special Advent initiative "100,000 for Peace" is quite compelling, especially as we're all asked to submit prayers for our troops and invited to give money to help Iraqi refugees. Here is the link to this program. http://www.ucc.org/100kforpeace/

Advent III (the "Love" Sunday) draws us to consider the mystery and majesty of God's love -- how God loves us, that God loves us. It is all too wonderful, too powerful, too confounding, too much for us to understand. And yet, the greatest gift of all is that we don't have to understand, only receive and pass it on.

This love is enough. As the Psalmist sang, "O taste and see how gracious the Lord is." (Ps. 34:8)

Blessed dawning of salvation as the Word is breated in grace into earthly flesh receiving -- God incarnate taking place; Now the light of God revealed through the child of human face,
forever and forever."
(Divinum Mysterium, "Of the Parent's Love Begotten", NCH)

Blessings,

Rick Cowles