Week One Summary

enough joy
"the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in God who helps me. My heart leaps for joy and songs of praise arise from my soul" - from Psalm 28:7-8

In the first seven days of Trek: Journey into the World of Enough, we have focused on finding enough joy. Jesus promised that his Way is the way of abundance. He came that we may have life and have it abundantly. The way which Jesus lived was marked by simplicity, generosity, gratitude, contentment, community, compassion, kindness and freedom from the obsession of possessions. The way most of us live in North America today is marked by very different expectations. Marketing experts have helped create a culture which pressures us to measure our own self-worth against unrealistic expectations of material wealth and cosmetic perfection. The resulting cultural norms have not led to widespread joy.

Questions for Today

What have I learned about myself this week? What have I done (or not done) this week that increased my joy? How is trust in God connected to the joy described above by the Psalmist?

Trek Day Seven

one thing needed
"...he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home..." - from Luke 10:38-42

I have seen many funny memes about the state of order and cleanliness in our homes in the last six weeks. There's the cartoon of a priest filming worship, with an icon behind him for the video's backdrop. On the other side of the camera, socks and underwear are draped on ceiling fan blades, with general disarray throughout the room. The caption says, "Father Daniel carves out a holy space to prepare his flock for worship." Another post says, "One thing that Covid 19 has taught me is, lack of time at home to clean is NOT why my house is always a mess." Still another reads, "I finally realized I only straighten up when people are coming over. This isn't going to end well."

Today's scripture reflection is from that familiar Gospel story about Jesus dining at the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They know each other well. He is a frequent guest. In the story, Mary finds a place on the floor among the other disciples and participates in the teaching conversation. She is clearly hungry for more time face to face with her good friend, and hungry to know more about the nature of God's Kingdom and her part in ushering it into being. Based on gender role expectations, it went without saying that Lazarus was sitting down, too. Martha, on the other hand, was doing everything required to get a meal ready for all of them. She became resentful of her sister's absence. Luke says, "... Martha was distracted by her many tasks..."

On a usual day, with no one coming over, I easily fall into Mary's position of sitting down and settling in to listen, to read, to write, to pray. But when guests are expected, I am a Martha, wanting to spit-shine the faucets (not with real spit, that would be  gross and a real no-no these days), re-shelve stacks of books, haul totes of fabric back down to the craft room, and vacuum up the pet hair that stealthily accumulates while we sleep. Shortly after all my children moved out, they each independently sent me this video the first time they saw it: Company Is Coming. Given that it has had close to 13 million views, I'm guessing their childhood experience of mother-insanity anticipating a night of "relaxed hospitality with friends" … was not unique to our home.

Our questions for today ask us to reconsider how we prepare to welcome friends and strangers into our homes. Now, while we are sheltering at home without them, is a good time to reevaluate how we open back up our life together.

Questions for Today

When have I been received into someone's home or living space with great hospitality?

What did they do to make me feel welcome?

Who makes me feel most at ease in is or her presence?

How does he or she make me feel at ease?

Trek Day Six

freedom from pretense
"Everyone ... had all things in common. They … ate their food with glad and generous hearts." - from Acts 2:43-47

In recent weeks we have talked a lot about masks, as we are becoming accustomed to wearing face coverings in public. For the health of others who could become sickened by a virus we are unaware we are carrying, we put on a mask -- because we love our neighbors. At the same time, it seems like our metaphorical masks are coming off.

This week I was watching an interview of a favorite actor who was on a video call from her parents' home. The setting was hardly glamorous. At the beginning of the crisis, the popular actor had gone to her parents' home to care for them, taking with her a minimal amount of clothing and personal items. Six weeks later, she was comfortably doing a video interview clean-faced, with hair pushed back by a headband. She's been wearing her elderly mother's cardigans and her own comfortable leisure wear. I found myself actually staring at her face and was overwhelmed with the sense I was seeing HER for the first time. She was simply a daughter concerned for her elderly parents and the mask of fame and glamour was gone.

In similar ways, we have been peering into one another's homes through church Zoom meetings and family video chats. The mask has come off for us, too. We no longer give much thought to the pets roaming through our meetings, the family members talking in the background, or the beeping coffee maker and gonging clock that insist on sounding mid-call. This is the "real" us in our real homes.

Another way we have been unmasked is the realization of how dependent we are upon others. We can remain holed up inside the house only as long as delivery workers, store clerks, restaurant workers, factory workers, truck drivers and more get out there and work while we stay inside. Many of us have experienced the unmasking of our financial independence, realizing that an interruption of paychecks for even six weeks can upend our ability to remain housed, fed and insured. Still others are unmasked regarding the confident assumption that "I can take care of my own body". As illness takes it toll, especially an illness as severe as Covid-19, we are awakened to our dependence on others for the most intimate kind of care when we are seriously ill.

Todays scripture from Acts, which we also heard in worship on Sunday, reminds us that the early Church was gladly and generously interdependent, not independent. They had all things in common so that everyone would have enough and no one would have too much. Today's writer, Linda Gehman Peachey says

I often ponder how our wealth affects us. 

While I enjoy the comfort of my home, have I given up the freedom to feel at home with others? 

While I cherish my independence, have I given up the freedom to admit my needs to others?

Questions for Today

If a change in my circumstances required it, who would I ask to give me emergency housing?
If I became very seriously ill, who would I want to take care of me?

What messages do I receive about the need or desirability of being independent?

Who tells me how well I am doing "taking care of myself"?

Trek Day Five

Fishy Assumptions
"One's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." - from Luke 12:13-34

As we continue this journey … into joy, into abundance, into the meaning of life, into enough ...we are challenged by a word from Jesus. Life isn't about the abundance of possessions. I've never heard a person in real life claim that it is. But most people I know, including me, too often live as though we believe that it is. I find a strange comfort in knowing that this human failing goes back millennia.

In today's reflection, Earl Martin shares a story of Anthony de Mello, a priest from India, that you may have heard before.

The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying leisurely beside his boat.

"Why aren't you fishing?" asked the industrialist.

"Because I have caught enough fish for the day," said the fisherman.

"Why don't you catch some more?"

"What would I do with it?"

"You could earn more money," was the reply. "With that you could fix a motor to your boat, go into deeper waters and catch more fish. Then you would make enough to buy nylon nets. These would bring you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats... maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me."

"What would I do then?"

"Then you could really enjoy life."

"What do you think I am doing right now?"

The tension evident in today's questions points to a tough area of discernment for me. I am a strong believer in saving, prudence and frugality. Yet, I also want to savor each day and enjoy life in the moment. I don't want to be a hoarder, but I also don't want to wastefully consume things or toss stuff aside without considering the environmental impact of my buying and discarding behavior. It seems so much of our consumerist culture is built on fishy assumptions of what will make us happy, and the result is astonishing levels of depression and anxiety, even in people who have no real lack of things.

Questions for Today

Will the amount of things I own continue to grow throughout my life, or will I eventually say, "that's enough"?

How much do I need to accumulate before I can do what I really want to do?

What am I doing now to enjoy life?

What is a good balance of "deferred gratification" and "taking no thought for tomorrow"?

Trek Day Four

i've seen the pygmies dance...
"the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song ..." - from Isaiah 55:6-13



Today's reflection card from Trek includes a poem by global ministry partner, Pam Ferguson. Reflecting on the unexpected joys and challenges brought by living attentively day by day, she finds that even the struggles come with gifts to celebrate.

Life is surprising that way.




I have been surprised by life.
What an amazing amount of experiences I've had in the past 40 years.
     Some good... and some bad...
I've seen the pygmies dance.
I swam in the Indian Ocean.
I gathered sea shells on Zanzibar Island.
I've seen the whirling dervishes in Khartoum.
     And a riot in the middle of Kampala.
I've smelled incense from sandalwood, frankincense and myrrh.
     And open sewers, burning trash, rotting flesh, drying fish and camel dung.
I've awakened to the Muslim call to prayer.
I heard the explosion of a landmine.
     And gunshots fired in celebration, in fear, in anger and in rebellion.
An AK 47 was aimed at me as thieves stole our car.

I know there is much in life that I have not experienced,
     nor have I lived as fully as I was capable.
I am surprised that those regrets aren't the focus of my life.
Now I am catching glimpses of my life at 50 years, at 60 years and at 80 years.
What a joy to discover that I may have half of my life to live.
Forty more years of choices, of experiences and of people.
Forty more years with a man I love.
And forty more years of walking, loving and living with my God.

I am surprised.  -- Pam Ferguson

The theme for this whole first week of Trek is "enough joy." All the questions for reflection today ask us to think about what enough joy looks like.

Questions for Today

What experiences give me my deepest joy?

Are there ways I could earn a living while serving others in ways that bring me a deep sense of joy?

Have I personally had experiences like the writer's, of knowing joy even in times of danger, toil and stress?

What have been the high points of my life so far?

Trek Day Three

taxing wildflowers
"the pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy..." - from Psalm 65

In today's reflection, Ellen L. Davis-Zehr contemplates our definitions of poverty and abundance. She notes that she and her husband are both capable of earning more income than they presently do, but because of choices they have made, they are defined by the government as poor. Filling out their tax forms confirmed this. But the choices they made over the years provided them with an abundance that cannot be defined on an income tax form. A lifestyle as market gardeners on a small acreage has given them an abundance of wildflowers blooming, the antics of goats, and plenty of time working, playing and learning together with their children. It has also meant a deepening of their spiritual lives, enough quiet time, enough friendships, enough joy. She says

My husband and I could earn more money... but would we have time for wildflower projects that delight our son? Could we and our neighbors help each other? Would I make space in my life for prayer if we got rid of the goats that are not "economically viable?" I will continue to measure my wealth by standards other than adjusted gross income. I am happy to be so richly poor.

Questions for Today

Are my core values reflected in my lifestyle?

Do my closest friends support my values or push me away from being true to what I believe?

On what basis do I make my choices about how to spend my life?

Do I know someone whose lifestyle is aligned with values I commend?

Might I reach out to such a person to talk about the journey of pursuing a life in harmony with core values?

Trek: Day Two

missing almost everything

"...I have suffered the loss of all things ... that I may gain Christ ..." - from Philippians 3:7-16

Today's reflection card beings with a quote,  "The secret of the spiritual life is the willingness to miss almost everything" (author unknown).

In our culture, we are accustomed to having almost unlimited choices. I have noticed personally, and heard many of you remark, that it just feels strange to go to the grocery store and find limited choices of meat available. To not be able to purchase flour or yeast. Or to find all the produce gone except fennel bulbs and kohlrabi (grab those treasures, they are pure gold!) We are used to having dozens of choices any night of the week of where we can go and what we can do. "Do you feel like a movie? Walking around at the mall? Going out to dinner? Which restaurant?"  People ask frequently, "When will we be able to get back to normal?" And often, the "normal" envisioned is this kind of abundance of choices.

Early childhood educators know that having too many choices actually produces stress and creates an underlying feeling of dissatisfaction in our pliable human brains. Children play much more contentedly when choices are limited and expectations are clear. Susan Classen writes in today's reflection:

Following Jesus means accepting that the way is narrow. Walking faithfully doesn't offer the lure of endless options. But the boundaries provided by committing myself to the narrow way provide the frame-work I need so my energy can flow with purpose and direction. Being willing to "miss almost everything" enables me to live my uique, spiritual calling fully and deeply.

Questions for Today

What life choices have I made that reflect my relationship with God?

If fulfillment comes when our fundamental choices reflect our fundamental values, 

what are my fundamental values?

How am I affected by the options that surround me? 

Trek Day One

 the meaning of life
"I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" - from John 10:7-18

As I mentioned in the sermon this Sunday, there are times when I know I need to be told, "enough is enough!" Despite an advertising industry which tries to convinces us that we are never rich enough or thin enough, a true experience of living an abundant life is not determined by our bank accounts, the glamour of our bodies, or how much stuff we accumulate. In todays reflection card, Dave Schrock-Shenk reminds us

"Jesus said he came to bring us a full, abundant life. During this week we will reflect on what we think a fulfilled or abundant life is. Our undertsandings of what life is about grow out of our deepest beliefs. They reflect who we understand God to be, and how we think the world works."

I remember long ago a friend who taped magazine pages to her refrigerator depicting the life she wanted to achieve. It included a mini-mansion kind of house and a speed boat and an expensive car. There were also photos of super thin models with perfect hair and skin. She told me she needed to look at those photos every time she went to the fridge because they reminded her that she needed to work more hours, work out at the gym, and stay focused on advancing her career so she could earn a higher income. Sadly, I have known many friends who got the successful career, the boat, the car, and even the perfect hair, skin and body -- but remained intensely unhappy and dissatisfied with their lives.

I have heard countless times someone say with confidence, "that's what life's all about!" More often than not, I find myself internally cocking my head and saying, "really?" I remember fondly the scenes of Cubs fans spilling out into Chicago streets celebrating and singing together. A rush of good feelings, to be sure. But I don't think "that's what life's all about." I swelled with pride at each of my children's graduation ceremonies and enjoyed the celebration. But I don't think "that's what life's all about." Nor the wonderful evening with a wine glass in my hand relaxing at a friend's lake house, nor any of the many delicious feasts I've enjoyed with family.

Todays Questions

So what is life all about? 

What makes life abundant? 

What images come to mind as you think of Jesus' statement that he came to bring us an "abundant life"?

Starting Trek: Prelude

trek: venture into a world of enough
"Give me neither poverty nor riches …" - from Proverbs 30:7-9

A long time ago I bought a cardboard folio filled with recycled paper cards, one for each day. It was a spiritual enrichment resource produced by the Mennonite Central Committee. The pretty card set is no longer available and the paperback book version of the resource is out of print (but available on Amazon). It turns out my husband Ed was also using the resource about the same time and we both, in our separate ministries back then, found it so helpful that we used it with groups and promoted it.

With perfect timing, I came across our stash of the card sets in my office as I was tidying up in the last few weeks. I decided it was time to take the journey again, as we are all on a journey right now to find contentment as we experience limits placed on our usual way of life. We may be wondering if there is enough for us in this strange time.

I invite you to join me on the journey as we venture together into a world of enough. I will post each of the 28 days from May 3-31.