6. SEASIDE RESTORATION

THIS SERIES: THE RESTORATIVE POWER OF CREATION

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    His praise from the ends of the earth,
you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it,
    you islands, and all who live in them.
​[Isaiah 42: 10]

​School will be out for all, shortly, and many of us will be heading off to the coast to enjoy family time, relax on the beach, play with the kids, take long walks, explore rock-pools and a host of other sea-side activities. Let’s make sure we also make time to meet with the Lord, who waits for us there. The sea with its rhythms, and ever-changing character, can have a wonderful effect on our weariness; add to that the presence of the Lord who fills His creation, and we have a recipe for deep restoration.
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He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
​[Job 9: 8]

​W. Phillip Keller wrote a series of meditative books describing the impact of various aspects of Creation. ‘Sea Edge’ is one of those; a beautiful reflection on finding the presence of the Lord in the song of the sea, and learning lessons of faith from observations of the ocean’s glory. Sadly, out of print now, ‘Sea Edge’ can still be picked up second-hand from Amazon* (see left), or charity book stores. Well worth reading, if you get the opportunity.

​My bit of sea edge is a special place of peace. This strip of shoreline that runs like a slender ribbon of sand and rock between the ocean and the land bluffs, is a small world of precious tranquillity…

...It is the atmosphere of repose that draws me here again and again. Enfolded in the eternal action of wind, waves, tides and currents, the beach breathes serenity and strength. It is a quality of life ever harder to find in our crowded world…

…This sea edge is a unique spot of seclusion and privacy. It is a place where a person can go to sit lost in thought, or take long walks thinking eternal thoughts or repose in the sanctum of quiet communion with his Creator…

…This tranquillity settles down into the soul and the spirit as softly as a sea bird settles down upon the shore… it is a spot to come with a good book, with a thick terry towel, and an hour or two to stretch the body and stretch the soul and ‘extend one’s spirit’ to meet one’s Maker in quiet communion…
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…There is a certain discipline of soul, a setting of the will, a determination of spirit required to meet with God’s Spirit in a place of peace. It calls for much more than merely feeling like it. It demands a deliberate act of faith that in such a spot I will meet my God....

...The Lord is not confined to the pages of Holy Writ.
He is not to be found only in our solemn sanctuaries..
He is not restricted to liturgy or creed..
He is everywhere at work in our weary old world..
He is to be met in a thousand disguises..
His touch is to be found at every turn of the trail...
The point is that I must be attuned in Spirit, receptive in soul, alert in attitude, to detect the impact of his presence upon my path...

​​'Sea Edge'  by W. Phillip Keller

Leave me alone with God as much as may be.
As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore,
Make me an island, set apart,
alone with you, God, holy to you.
Then with the turning of the tide
prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world beyond,
the world that rushes in on me
till the waters come again and fold me back to you.
​[St Aiden of Lindisfarne]
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NEXT WEEK: LET'S WORSHIP...

​GET IN TOUCH...

Tell me about your special seaside encounters with the Lord...

[Photo credits:  Sean Oulashin (seagulls); Robert Woeger (beach); Aaron Burden (deck chairs);
​Javardh (shell) @ Unsplash, with thanks]