BY NCALL
Dear Community of Hope Family,
Step into another world. Experience a new point of view. New perspectives create new realities. See what you see differently. Capture those new sights. Remember them. Let them shape you.
Believe it or not, such statements frequently go through my imagination when I pick up my camera. For those who follow me on social media (Facebook and Instagram), you know I take a lot of pictures When I purchased my new camera several months ago, I was concerned that it would sit on my shelf and collect dust. But that has not been the case. I use it every day. Viewing the world through a viewfinder is a spiritual practice. Capturing reality and sharing it with others is spiritual, too. It is a joy to share photographs with reflections with my friends and followers on the internet. A friend recently remarked, “Keith, it is almost like you have a second ministry!” Over the past several months, I have photographed my journey through the biblical Psalms. Engaging with scripture in a new way, the way of photography, has been healing, refreshing, and soul-filling. It has brought new life and sacredness into the book we call our “sacred text.” But that text has taken on a new form in the realities around me. Stepping into the psalmist’s world through a viewfinder reveals to me I live in the same world as the psalmist, leading me to say with them, “O God, how manifold are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. (104:24)”
Over the past several weeks in worship at Community of Hope, we have delved into the world of the prophets. Like the psalmists, the prophets are also poets. They envision visions. They sing songs. They create works of art. And their purpose is clear: to point us into a new way of being – a way that corresponds with God’s vision in our world. Through creative disruption, God’s vision and God’s world become one. They invite us to look at our world through a divine viewfinder. Where is God at work? Where is God absent? Where does God need to be at work? Over the remainder of the summer, we will continue to spend time with the prophets. We will hear and receive their ancient messages for today. All the while asking, “What do you see?” Through any medium you choose, we are asking you to share what you see with your church. Where do you see God at work? It could be anything anywhere? One church member shared with me she sees God at work at the intersection of College Avenue and Jackson Street. The sewers are being separated from wastewater sewers thus making the White River cleaner. Taking action to care for Planet Earth is a sacred act where God is found and present!
So, what do you see? I cannot wait to see how we will answer that question together!
Sincerely, in Christ
Pastor Keith Turner
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