The Events of Sunday, October 10, 2010

          Jack Frost visited last night, so my morning prayer walk was sparkly and crunchy. After breakfast, we took advantage of the free showers and then departed. After much research, we did not find any church services that matched our planned departure time for the day. Pam had suggested last night that we celebrate family church and I could give the homily. So I kept that idea in mind. During my morning walk, I asked God whether or not to try this idea of a family church service, and if so, what should be the specifics. My thoughts kept returning to the book I am reading, A Chance to Die, which is a biography of the missionary Amy Carmichael. The title comes from the verse in Matthew 16:24-26

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

The idea of self-denial is powerfully evident in Amy’s life. But how do I make that idea accessible to family members who have not yet read the book?

          Funny things happen when we travel. Or maybe I should say things that happen become funny when you travel. In the front seat, Pam and Caitlin noticed a graveyard on one side of the road, then another on the other side, and then as the road veered to the left, another appeared straight ahead. It was then that they noticed a sign straight ahead: “DEAD END”. How appropriate!

          During lunch, the topic of George Bush came up in conversation. One of the kids made a disparaging remark about him and was promptly chastised by another. After all, another chimed in; he is a relative of ours. (This is true technically: we are both descended, however obliquely, from pilgrim John Howland.) Pam commented, “Watch what you say about relatives; it may come back to haunt you.” Not known for her attentiveness to current events, Lindsey remarked, “But he’s not dead yet, is he?” Poor little bird, she did not know why we burst out laughing at her innocence.

          Today’s drive took us from New Hampshire across Maine to the coastal Acadia National Park. On the way, we stopped for lunch near a curiosity. There is a memorial to Vietnam Veterans by the Maine State Capitol that is made from a metal and a concrete triangle. It sounds odd, but the sculpture is both attractive and powerful.

          After lunch, we spent some time walking through the park and playing with our football, Frisbee, and soccer ball. It was during this playtime that I noticed the beautiful oak trees and the acorns scattered on the grass. Ah ha! Here is the teaching tool I needed. The acorn and the oak are a concrete illustration of Jesus’ teaching in John 12:24-25:

Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

So I gathered the family together under an oak tree and we discussed acorns, oaks, life, death, and self-denial. It was not a typical homily, but it is a lesson we will long remember.

          We reached at Acadia National Park near dinnertime, ready to find a campsite. At the visitor information center, I asked about RV camping and campfire programs in the park. I learned that there were no RV spots left and there are no more campfire programs this season. Bummer. We retreated to the Walmart in town, hoping to park for the night. However, when I asked the manager about parking overnight, she was less than enthusiastic. Walmart has no problem with it, but the city does, she answered. This is the first time we have encountered such a prohibition. Yet, wanting to obey the law (and thereby enjoy a peaceful, uninterrupted night’s sleep), we went to a nearby campground. We arrived after dark, and found the stars on this moonless night to be extraordinary. We all enjoyed some time outside admiring their beauty and trying to identify cosmic landmarks: Big Dipper, Polaris (the North Star), Little Dipper, Milky Way, Mars. It was a lovely way to end a lovely day.