I invite you to begin by finding a calm place to read this. Perhaps you’d like to light a candle or make yourself a cup of tea. When we gather in person we start by lighting a candle. This is an age old simple way of creating ritual/sacred space and focusing our attention. A candle can symbolize the Christ light amongst and in us. The Centre, the Ineffable which we gather to honour.

Prayer to Light a Candle with:

Oh Light. Accompany me as I take this time to ponder the mysteries. 

Light my mind with enough clarity to be enlivened.

Keep enough darkness that I may be sheltered in the mystery. 

Thank you for the presence of warmth, light and love all around me. 

Today’s theme is The Ineffable.

The ineffable is, well, just hard to describe! It’s all that is beyond our ability to describe. And this, I feel, is what we’re trying to capture when we talk about God or Spirit or LifeForce.

From the Tao Te Ching

The Way that can be articulately described 

is not the Unchanging Way.

The name that can be said out loud 

is not the Unchanging Name.

With your mouth unopened, and things left undefined,

you stand at the beginning of the universe.

Make definitions, and you are the measure of all creation.

Thus, being forever without desire, 

you look deeply into the transcendent.

By constantly harbouring desire,

your vision is beset by all the things around you.

These two enter the world alike, 

but their names are different.

Alike, they are called profound and remote. 

Profound and remote and again more so:

This is the gate to all mysteries. 

Today as I was walking through the forest I was noticing the proliferation of different species of trees. Some I know the names of, and some I don’t. Part of me wanted to know the names of the unknown ones, to assuage my ignorance and add to my understanding. However, I also noticed that in the absence of names; I was more free to absorb the character of each tree, and the permeating forest-ness of the locale. In our almost constant quest to name, categorize and understand, I wonder what we miss.

I know from personal experience that none of my names can completely capture the essence of who I feel I am. The ever-evolving spirit that animates me carries around names, but would be shrunk if completely identified with any audible name. I wonder: Do you identify strongly with your name? Do you have any nick names or endearing names? What’s in a name?

Across language and history, humans have given many names to the Mystery at the heart of existence. When they feel they come in close contact with this force, they are even more apt to want to name it. Think of Moses and the burning bush…

Please read along in Exodus 3 and intersperse it with my commentary below:

Moses is running away/hiding because he murdered someone. He’s in a foreign land, doing the humble work of  tending a flock in the desert.

He sees the curious sight of a bush that is burning but not burning up. Turns out it was the God-force in the bush. (Also, maybe he’s hallucinating from dehydration?!)

(One of the wise voices I turn to for spiritual insight is a man by the name of Rob Bell. He reminds us that “there’s always a bush burning”, as in there is always some amazing display nearby of the existence of the Divine. I invite you to read the story with this in mind…)

When God sees that Moses has taken notice of the display, God tells Moses to take off his sandals “because the place where you stand is holy ground”. I wonder what the equivalent is for you? When you see a display of the Divine, what humble action could you take to honour it?

After Moses is bare foot, God goes on to identify the thread through history of this Presence. God also claims that the cries of oppression of the people have been heard by the Divine. God has revealed themselves to Moses so that the people of Israel can be delivered from slavery.

There are many layers to this ancient story. I invite you to chew on it and see what you find.

Understandably, Moses questions his qualifications to go back and lead his people out of Egypt (symbolic for all that oppresses us). Remember, he’s Pharaoh’s adopted son and he’s running away because he murdered someone.

So Moses asks “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

And God replies “ I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.

Hold up a minute; this is really not so much of a sign! It’s like God is saying: Don’t worry Moses, once you get this crazy formidable task accomplished, and you’re back here where you started, then you’ll know that I was with you all along.

Excuse me??!!

But really, is this not often how the presence of the Divine seems to work?

When we’re in a very difficult section of life we wonder how we’re going to be delivered from that which enslaves us. Even though we ask for it, we may not get a sign of God’ presence.

It’s only really when we’re free and on the other side that we look back and see that some incredible grace and power must have been accompanying us.

Then Moses seems to be warming up to the idea because he says, ok, when I go to the Israelites and say the that the God of their ancestors has sent me, their going to ask me for some ID.

(There are plenty of different deities and one probably wants to be careful which one to run off with. Slavery is difficult, but it’s also THE NORM and so escaping it requires its own sort of craziness. It makes sense that if Moses is proposing this outlandish idea of ESCAPING SLAVERY that the people are going to be resistant and at least they’ll ask “What’s this God’s name?’”)

So, wise guy thinking ahead, Moses asks God, What then do I say to them?

And what is God’s answer?

I AM WHO I AM. 

Tell the people that I AM has sent you.

If you’re Moses you’re either like, ah, God you messed up your grammar! Or you think, hmm…this makes no sense.

Or maybe, just maybe, as you’re in front of the remarkable display of the Divine (whatever your burning bush is) that you feel something you can’t describe. Maybe you realize that the Mystery is always along side you.

And so yes, I AM is the best way to describe it. It just is.

Whatever it is that’s compelling you towards freedom, release, away from oppression, is the same Spirit that has been at work in the lives of all your ancestors. It just is.

There’s no sufficient name for it; it is all of existence.

Can you feel that?

Can you feel the frustration of not being able to name God? Of wanting to be able to explain what it is that is enlivening or compelling you, and all you’ve got is _____________.

All I’ve got this morning is my walk in the forest; which is much more than enough.

I don’t know the names of the trees I saw. I know that the sunlight was making them glow. That the evaporating moisture coming off the trees was glistening and visible just like my breath.

If someone asked me What is the name of your God? I would answer:

I AM.

Benediction:

May you not be so busy or ashamed or preoccupied that you miss the burning buses around you. 

May you be humble enough to take off your sandals. 

May you listen to the voice of God. 

May you ask your own questions. 

And may you hear the frustrating, insufficient, perfect answer of the universe unfolding:

I AM WHO I AM

May you go in peace to free yourselves and others.

Amen.