Thin Times-Thin Places

Welcome to the new series of blog meditations. The time between Pentecost and Advent has been called “Ordinary Time” because there aren’t any big feasts. It’s a time of learning to live the Gospel in day-to-day fashion instead of hopping from mountaintop to mountaintop with great church feasts like Christmas-Epiphany-Lent-Easter-Pentecost which occupy the first quarter to third of every calendar year.

One reason festivals were held during the cooler months was that for our earliest ancestors, the time between spring planting and fall harvest was busy. Farmers and warriors could devote time to worship during the 'down time' of fall and winter. Another reason is found in the nature of the worship.Many or most ancient religions followed the cycles of the sun and moon more closely than we do now. The shortening days of fall meant it was possible that the sun would some day never rise and so extra worship needed to be done to appease the sun god and keep away the ‘dark lord’ in whatever form that was perceived.

The ancient Celts believed that the time between the Autumnal equinox (Alban Elued) and Samhain (Nov. 1) was especially holy and a ‘Thin Time’. That is, it was a time when heaven and earth came very close. Indeed, on Samhain, the souls of the dead could actually return to earth. (More on that later in the month.)

When Christianity came to the British Isles, (some say as early as the 1^st century, others the 3^rd century), the missionaries incorporated and Christianized many Celtic beliefs including the idea that there are Thin Places and Thin Times.The image of heaven coming near isn't just a Celtic idea, though. In fact, as you read the Bible, you will notice that there are many times where the veil between earth and the Holy has drawn aside. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of these events.

Consider Noah and the ark, Jacob’s dream of a ladder to heaven, Abraham’s 3 visitors and Sarah’s laughter, the ram in the thicket at Isaac’s sacrifice, Moses at the burning bush, Elijah in his cave, Balaam and his donkey meeting an angel, Mary greeted by an angel, Joseph’s visit from the same angel, Jesus transfigured, Jesus walking on the water, Peter’s vision on the roof in Caesarea, Paul on the road to Damascus, John on Patmos. The Bible is peppered with times when God stepped near and a glimpse of heaven was seen.

To Celtic Christianity, the Holy One is not just present in dramatic occasions, though. Every bit of life is imbued with holiness. Holiness is present in everything, from the smallest microbe (and even to the tiniest sub-atomic particle) to the furthest reaches of space. God is in nature red of ‘tooth and claw’ or soft and cuddly and in our daily routines.

Rich Mullins song With the Wonder (adopted from Psalm 19:1-4) gives a sense of what it means to see God present in all creation:

Down at Johnson's Creek
The trees grow tall
Like a man who feeds his soul on Your word
And I can look in the water
I can see the stars fall
Hear the fires crackle
And the crickets chirp
And there are bluffs
On the banks of the cumberland
Where I can see the sun rise
From a world away
And I can see the marvelous things
That You have done
In the beautiful world
That You have made
And in the winter it's white
In the summer it's green
And in the fall it's orange and red and gold
Then it comes alive
In the rites of spring when the rivers thaw
And the flowers unfold
And there are beads of dew on a spider's web
And there are motes of dust
In these beams of light
We who are bone and spittle and muscle and sweat
We live together in a world where
It's good to be alive

CHORUS
'Cause it flutters and floats
It falls and it climbs
It spins and sputters and spurts
And You filled this world
With wonders 'round every turn
And it buzzes and beeps
It shimmeys and shines
It rattles and patters and purrs
And You filled this world with wonders
And I'm filled with the wonder of Your world
If there's a better world
And a brighter day
Even brighter than the one we're in
We'd all be fools to think
That it could be made
By the wills and the hands of foolish men
So Lord to You we give our deepest praise
And to You we sing our loudest songs
And while we live in the world that You have made
We hear it whisper of a world
Of the world that is to come.

Celtic Christianity also invites God into all parts of living-from getting up in the morning to going to sleep at night. Prayers when getting dressed and when starting the fire and when milking the cow are all part of finding God and inviting God into life. Jewish prayers also keep God in the center of all things by reciting “Blessed art Thou, Lord God, Ruler of the Universe, who gives this bread (or this day, or this gift, or whatever)" in the morning and evening and many times between.

In this “Thin Time” of the calendar, I offer a Journey Prayer for your use:

Bless to me, O God, the earth beneath my foot.
Bless to me, O God, the path whereon I go.
Bless to me, O God the thing of my desire;
Thou Evermore of evermore,

Bless Thou to me my rest.
Bless to me the thing whereon is set my mind,
Bless to me the thing, whereon is set my love;
Bless to me the thing, whereon is set my hope;
O Thou King of kings, Bless Thou to me mine eye!

Next time we'll start to look at some of the Thin Times and Places in the Bible and what they might teach about God being present in all times and all places and all things.