My experience of Qigong consists of two events: A mid-afternoon practice during a group retreat at Penuel Ridge Retreat Center and then today, via Zoom, as prelude to an afternoon of group spiritual direction. The gentleman leading the movement took us through a practice which included the 4 elements. My imagination ignited with the wood element set as he instructed us to hug small trees and big trees in succession. I felt the soft, shaggy bark of our old cedar trees caress my cheek, then stared skyward in amazement as a great sequoia took its place, my arms toothpicks to its towering wonder.
Then tonight, a full moon poured its shimmering light into the front yard, peek-a-booing with the cedars and pines, the redbuds and cherry and for a moment my teenaged self remembered staring at these same trees. The main road's traffic slowed considerably at night with the now-abundant housing developments years away from construction. The night grew still with the moon casting peace on the land, the stars whispering their reminders of our beginnings and our endings. The hush sounded in my busy mind and soul, and I could stand with the trees, intercepting the light, bathing in its glow and breathing in the expansiveness of the universe.
As I "held" the sequoia this morning, I recognized while I might try to hold the sequoia, its enormity could not be held. It could fill my arms to overflowing a thousand (a million?) times over and still have more to give.
God (and God is Love) is gargantuan in comparison to the width and height of the sequoias - all of them. Paul prays in Ephesians 3 for all of us to know the height, width, depth and length of Christ's Love and to experience this Love, so we may be filled to measure of ALL the FULLNESS of GOD (my emphasis, but really, it needs to be emphasized). We cannot get a hold on God, yet God offers to hold us and to fill us to the brim with Love (and I believe "overflowing with Love" is more God's goal).
So go ahead and try to hold a sequoia, I think you'll find, as I did, your arms opened wide in praise.
PRACTICE
Lectio Divina: Read the following passage through after a few deep breaths and pay attention to any word or phrase which sticks out for you. Read through again and pay attention to anything further you notice about the word/phrase and how it applies to you. Read through again and spend time in prayer with the word/phrase asking God what you need to understand/know/do with the word/phrase (i.e., How might God be guiding you? What needs your further action? Where may your understanding need to be changed or expanded? How may this impact your relationship with someone else?). End with a time of thanksgiving.
Ephesians 3:14-21, NRSV
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family[b] in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and[c] in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
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