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"The Spirit is not known as a lake or a reservoir, but as a flowing river. As a river flows on and does not stop, so the Spirit moves and flows through the life of the true Christian."
-The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer
This year, I’m finally moving into the rhythms of Maine. I have always lived near a college where summers are lazy, church life slows to a crawl, and stores and restaurants are quiet. Here in Midcoast Maine, when the water is turned on for all the cottages, the busy season is just starting. Restaurants are re-opening, traffic is picking up (along with road construction), and we are getting ready to welcome our summer members and a revolving door of visitors to our homes. (Almost no one visits us from November to May!). My whole life has been busy from September through May, and I was more relaxed between June and August.
I felt upside down the last two summers trying to accommodate Maine life to my lifelong natural patterns. My brain neuropathways have been reorganizing to move with the seasonal flow. "As I adapt to my new surroundings, I find myself learning from the natural world. The shift from academia's rigid seasons to the more fluid rhythms of tides and winds reminds me of how the Spirit moves through our lives. Navigating life in Midcoast Maine requires a new approach. I never needed a tidal app before, but now it's a daily essential. I could ride my bike on any fair-weather day, but kayaking needs planning—knowing the tidal highs and lows to make it home."
New geography makes us see life in new ways. Desert mystics find stark simplicity. Mountain contemplatives experience expansive grandeur. On the fruitful plains, God's abundant generosity blossoms in prayer. Now that I live on a tidal river near the ocean, I pay more attention to the ebb and flow of life. The waters move in different directions and rise and fall throughout the day. I can't do what I want on my schedule. I must read the great forces of the ocean and moon and go with the flow of the tidal rhythm. Imagining God as a great tidal river flowing through the world changes my perspective from a static deity removed in heaven to a dynamic God flowing through our lives. This God must be experienced by moving into the flow and traveling with the currents. As the Apostle Paul said, "In God we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28)
This month, the flow of the liturgical season shifts from Christ to Spirit. We move out of Lent and Easter as the season of Christ acting in the world, to Pentecost and the Holy Spirit working in the lives of disciples to bring love and justice alive in the world. We won't have any significant religious holidays till Advent in December.
The quote by A. W. Tozer about the Spirit as a flowing river resonates with my experience in Maine. Just as rivers flow and shift, so too does the Spirit move in our lives, guiding us in unexpected ways. Just as we ready ourselves for the seasonal inflow of double our population (maybe triple by July?), how are we paying attention to the shifts of the Spirit? Take a moment to reflect on where the Spirit is leading you. What steps can you take this week to align with the flow of God's guidance? What do you need to move with the flow? If this question perplexes you, email me, and let’s find time to talk about it.
We'd love to see you at our Sunday services throughout the summer. Find more ways to get involved as you read this newsletter. This month, we will walk for Habitat for Humanity and have a church tour for anyone interested in learning more about our history and mission. Join us as we explore the flow of the Spirit and the joy of community. Together, we will navigate the great tides and flows of Spirit moving among us.
Pastor Todd
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