May 12thGifts of Isolation
Marilyn Rudy-Froese, Church Leadership Minister - One of the gifts of isolating at home is that I have spent more time in my quilting room, something I had been longing for in recent months. I have pieced 2 wall hangings in this time. The first is a wall hanging I had been dreaming of piecing since a trip to Berlin, Germany in summer of 2017. There, we visited Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, which is the site of the bombed out remains of the old church, and the church that replaced it. The new church has stunning blue stained glass windows. I dreamed of doing a wall hanging in deep blues with spots of bright yellows and oranges. As I dreamed about this wall hanging, the presence of peace was also a significant part of it. I pieced crazy patch blocks for all but one block, and placed a paper-pieced peace crane in the midst of the chaos. For me, piecing this wall hanging at the beginning of a pandemic, the meaning was clear: Peace is present in the midst of chaos.
There are times when God’s presence in the midst of challenges is very real and apparent. There are also times when God’s presence is only apparent to us after the storm or challenge is over.
Then, I found a pattern for a dove, and decided to repeat the wall hanging, using a dove. I intended to use the same blues, but found myself drawn to purples this time. With each block, I soon realized I was choosing brighter and more colourful fabrics. I fully intended to place the dove in the middle of these crazy patch, “whirlwind” blocks, but the dove did not seem to want to be in the centre, but rather seemed to want to ‘fly’ out of the whirlwind, off the wall hanging. Piecing this wall hanging over a month into the pandemic, I was struck by my need for brightness and colour, and maybe my need for Peace to rise above the chaos.
I have been pondering both the idea that God is present in the midst of chaos, and that God’s presence arises out of the chaos. I realized that I have been more drawn to the story of Elijah, who finds God not in the earthquake, wind, or fire, but in the sound of silence. After the chaos, God can be heard. But last week, I was reminded in some reflective reading, that in the book of Job, God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, or, as The Message says, “from the eye of a violent storm”. (Job 38:1) It was in the very midst of the storm, that God was heard.
I find both of these hopeful images of how God makes a home with us, and how we experience the presence of this God. There are times when God’s presence in the midst of challenges is very real and apparent. There are also times when God’s presence is only apparent to us after the storm or challenge is over. We need both Elijah and Job to remind us that God is ever-present, whether before, during or after the storm. Whether we are above the chaos, emerging from the chaos, or in the midst of the chaos with no end in sight, God is present. As we continue to be the church in a time of pandemic, may the ever-present God be revealed to you.
Marilyn Rudy-Froese
Church Leadership Minister
Marilyn Rudy-Froese works closely with pastors and leaders and supports them in their calling, formation and placement as ministers and chaplains throughout MCEC. Extending the Peace - A new blog voice for MCEC from your executive staff leadership.