Pastor Ash Dotson, Oasis UMC
Advent is upon us, and I invite you to join us at Oasis United Methodist Church on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. for the sermon series, ‘The Songs of Our Longings.’
In John 5:17 Jesus says, ‘My Father is still working and I am working too.’ Christian and mystics of other faith traditions have alway testified to the fact that God is still working. Indeed, one definition of a mystic is simply someone who has an inner experience of God working in the here and now.
Deepak Chopra lists some of the inner experiences he has had such as, “A passing sensation that I am more than my body or mind.” I often receive that message. Some others he lists, “Suddenly knowing that I belong,” and “Lightness of pure being, which are totally peaceful and often accompanied by a sensation of physical lightness.” These are sensations of what Creation Spirituality calls the Cosmic Christ who was here in the beginning and will always be here and always be working. That’s big time hope folks…no matter what the situation!
I am reminded of a great creation story out of Jewish Kabbalah tradition. In the beginning when God said, ‘Let there be light,’ the light was first contained in vessels which were to hold even more of this divine light. However, many of the vessels couldn’t contain such pure and powerful light and they shattered, spilling out the light. During what is known as the ‘Shattering of the Vessels,’ sparks of the divine light scattered throughout space and time.
Here’s the great part! Our job, as a part of the hope of the Cosmic Christ, is to seek out those lost sparks of divine light. They exist within ourselves, within our encounters with others, and within all the creatures and things of creation. We are also called to seek the divine sparks in situations that arise within our lives. I once read something from one of Thomas Merton’s journals in which he describes simply taking a walk near his hermitage in hope of, “raising the sparks.”
You see, when we raise the sparks we are raising those divine lights, and in doing so, we also raise those Holy lights within ourselves. So, what do these sparks look like? I think they are bits of love, grace, beauty, or wisdom that are sometimes hard to see, but always present. By raising the divine sparks on the outside we raise the divine sparks within, and as we do both we are God’s instruments in redeeming and restoring creation, and in restoring ourselves. This is a part of us becoming a new creation.
I love thinking of this story as a parable that leads to truth, and it really is a cool story. God is still working, the Cosmic Christ is still working, and the Spirit is still working, and oftentimes it is through us! How might you seek to ‘raise sparks’ as you go through your days this Advent season?