Deep Calls to Deep

When I was growing up, I lived out the hot sunny days of summer at the pool with my friends. Every morning we’d have swimming lessons. Most days we’d bring a pack lunch to eat at the park, and in the afternoons we’d return to swim. Aside from the one week spent at the Jersey Shore, this was the rhythm of my life, at least until I was old enough be employed making chocolate chip cookies at a bakery.

We found many ways of amusing ourselves. Do you know that if a pool full of kids all walk and swim in the same direction, they can make a whirlpool out of an Olympic sized racing pool? This was a favorite activity, right up there with Marco Polo, homebrew synchronized-swimming routines, and practicing our flip turns.

I still remember the feeling of diving under the water, deep down where you hear no sounds, and watching the ceaseless yet silent motion play out around me. We used to swim down and sit on the bottom, pushing against the water above our heads with our hands to keep from moving upwards. Eventually our buoyancy would get the better of us and up we’d pop, back up into the realm of sharp sunshine and the chatter of children.

We live out our days amidst the heat and noise of a culture on steroids. All around us, there is the commotion of folks splashing around on the surface of things. We get caught up in the hubbub, thrashing our way from one side of the pool to the other, back and forth, back and forth, in a race to finish. All the while, a little voice within us whispers, “There is another way. Dive down. Dive deep.”

Calendar:

• September 27th: “Stewards of the Deep: Remembering our Story” 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
• October 6th: “Stewards of the Deep: Remembering our Name” 1 Peter 1:1-2 (Speaker – Anne)
• October 13th: “Stewards of the Deep: Gratitude” 1 Peter 1:3-12 (Speaker – Anne)
• October 18th: Book Party @ Small Ritual, 7-8:30. We will gather to celebrate the publication of Leah’s new book Planted. Complimentary drinks will be served to help train a new employee, but please support Small Ritual and buy your own goodies.
• October 20th: ALL IN – “Stewards of the Deep: Cleaning House” 1 Peter 1:13-2:3
• Oct 27th: “Stewards of the Deep: Under Construction” 1 Peter 2:4-12 (Speaker – Anne)
• November 3rd: “Stewards of the Deep: Paradox and Power” 1 Peter 2:18-3:22 (Speaker – Anne)
• November 10th: “Stewards of the Deep: Culture” 1 Peter 4:1-11
• November 17th: “Stewards of the Deep: Suffering” – 1 Peter 4:12-19
• November 24th: ALL OUT “Stewards of the Deep: Steadfastness” – 1 Peter 5:1-11. This is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the church year and the last Sunday before Advent. We are in need of a venue, since the Leisure Center is booked.