The Sacrament of Letting Go

On the first day of Fall 2012, I share this with you:

Leader:

"That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Creator feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?"                                        (Matt 6:25-26)

Response: Slowly

She celebrated the sacrament of letting go.
First she surrendered her green
then the orange, yellow, and red
finally she let go of her brown
shedding her last leaf
she stood empty and silent, stripped bare.
Leaning against the winter sky
she began her vigil of trust

Leader:

And Jesus said: "Why do you worry about clothes? Remember the flowers growing in the fields; they do not fret about what to wear; yet I assure you not even Solomon in all his royal robes was dressed like one of these."

Response:

Shedding her last leaf
she watched its journey to the ground.
She stood in silence
wearing the color of emptiness
her branches wondering:
How do you give shade with so much gone?

Leader:

And Jesus said: "Do not be troubled or needlessly concerned."

Response:

And then,
the sacrament of waiting began.
The sunrise and sunset watched with tenderness
clothing her with silhouettes
they kept her hope alive.
They helped her understand that
her vulnerability
her dependence and need
her emptiness
her readiness to receive
were giving her a new kind of beauty.
Every morning and every evening
they stood in silence
and celebrated together
the sacrament of waiting.

Leader:

And Jesus said: "Now if that is how God cares for the wild flowers in the fields which are here today and gone tomorrow, will God not all the more care for you...?"


 From an autumn service at Normandale Hylands United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, 2011.

About Systemic Scleroderma

From the back of Mom's funeral program:

Mom fought a very long battle with what was eventually determined to be systemic scleroderma. For the last year of her life, she received treatment at the Fairview University Medical Center Scleroderma Clinic (University of Minnesota) and was part of a scientific study to help further the understanding of this relatively rare illness. She was a lifelong learner who was always interested in furthering education. In tribute to her passion for knowledge, we include information about the the disease that so tragically affected her.

Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a chronic disease that causes skin thickening and tightening, a buildup of scar tissue, and damage to internal body organs. There are several types of scleroderma and related diseases with complications ranging from minor to life-threatening. Scleroderma can involve almost every organ system including the skin, vascular system, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart, joints, muscles, etc. Furthermore, this disease varies greatly from patient to patient, and can dramatically impact someone's life. To learn more about this disease or to find out how you can volunteer or donate to help others whose lives are touched by this disease please visit  www.scleroderma.org or www.sclerodermaresearch.org .