Sunday, September 1, 2013

A Refreshing Plunge


The sidewalks of Dorset Vermont are all marble, slabs of white veined by nature and stained by time, beauty from the hand of God. This quaint, picturesque village was once home to a thriving quarry business dating back to 1785. For more than 150 years the quarry supplied marble for homes and office buildings as well as tombstones.


The drills, dust and dynamite are long gone, but the quarry is livelier than ever: it is now filled with water from a mountain stream and has become the local swimming hole, a favorite gathering place for young and old alike. The water is brisk and refreshing, and daredevils love to plunge 25 feet from the sheer rock face into the murky depths. 
 
 I’ve swum in the quarry over the years, but it seems that each time I return to Dorset I spend my time immersed in books rather than water. One author I return to every time I’m in Vermont is the Rev. Frederick Buechner, who lives just up the road from Dorset. I find his writings still as brisk and refreshing as the waters of the Dorset Quarry.

Buechner is 87 and no longer travels or preaches, but his voice carries through so powerfully and timelessly in all his many books. His writings are grounded in faith, wisdom, and compassion, reminding us that Jesus Christ reveals to us what it means to be fully human, as well as who God is; that to be fully human is to live in love, peace, and reconciliation; that love is not an emotion as much as it is an act, something that defines how we are called to live as disciples of Jesus.

“Power, success, and happiness as the world knows them, are his who will fight for them hard enough; but peace, love, joy are only from God,” he writes, reminding us that “to become fully human as God intended us to be is to become compassionate,” caring for others, friend and stranger alike.

“We are above all things loved – that is the good news of the gospel.” That is the good news revealed by our Lord Jesus Christ, who “never approached from on high” but is always in our midst, in the web of our lives, knowing each of us by name, calling us to follow him to new life.

If you are not familiar with his writings, I encourage you to pick up one of his books. In particular, I recommend Secrets in the Dark, a collection of his sermons, and Listening to your Life, a book with daily devotionals and reflections. Dive in – Buechner’s words always refresh, just like the waters of the Dorset Quarry!

Grace & peace,
Pastor Skip