Wisdom from Qohelet

I’m loving this spring season. As I type up these thoughts of mine this morning, I’m glancing out my window into my backyard. It’s full of trees and ferns…part of what remains of the greenbelt around the perimeter of the residential housing area in which we live. I love the contrast of the bright green leaves and dark brown trunks after a good rain. I have a couple of vines I planted last year that are taking off. One had seemed to die last year (the one on the right), but it’s making a great comeback this spring.

But while I’m loving this spring season, I’m also thinking about another kind of season. Qohelet, the Teacher from the book of Ecclesiastes, (Qohelet literally means “she who calls, she who assembles”) tells us there are many seasons…a time for everything. In chapter three Qohelet says:

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Springtime reminds me of the time to be born. But then in the same line, I’m reminded there is a time to die. That’s harder to think about. It’s so nice to sit here and gaze outside (or better yet, go outside) and enjoy the beauty and new life. I could just sit and soak in the enjoyment. Not so with the thoughts of aging and dying.

My mother’s health has been declining. She’s in the winter season of her life. That’s not something on which I like to dwell. But it’s part of the natural rhythm of life. Qohelet, in chapter 12, reminds me of this natural aging process:

“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"- before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain; when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim…” The last verse is a picture of aging. Keepers are our arms, the strong men are our legs, grinders are our teeth and those looking through the windows are our eyes.

My mom doesn’t have much money. She lives on social security, which puts her around a thousand dollars over the poverty line. My siblings and I help out, but she still watches her pennies. She lived through the Great Depression and she does know how to be frugal. I love her ways of giving. She and I share a love of suduko puzzles. So she writes me a note about once a month and sends me sudukos she has clipped from newspapers. What has struck me lately is the change in her penmanship. Her writing has always been so good. It’s shaky now. She's becoming the picture Qohelet is describing.

Qohelet reminds us all that no matter what, no matter in which season we find ourselves, there is still joy to be had. Even in the midst of our circumstances, our limitations, our aging, we can be realistic about what we have to endure and still experience life as a gift and rejoice in it. My mom still finds joy, which makes me glad. And I cherish the time I still have with her and the rest of my family.

So as Qohelet would tell us, savor each day. Find joy in the moments of your life. Hug your family.

The wisdom in nature - a promise of hope

I love the view of nature in the wisdom literature of the Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job. It assumes that nature has a lot to teach us. I’ve always found inspiration in nature. To view the vibrant colors of a Kansan sunset creates a sense of awe for the beauty God has created. The power of a good cleansing thunderstorm on the plains refreshes the air and usually my spirit!

Mountains have a special place in my heart. There is a grandeur about them that is awe inspiring! When I first moved to the Pacific NW, I would be so struck with the beauty of the mountains as I drove along the interstate that I would call out to my children who were with me, “Look, kids…the Cascades!“ or “Look, kids, Mt. Rainier!” or “Look, kids, the Olympics!” I didn’t want my children to miss out on the beauty. Twenty years later, I haven’t lost that sense of awe.

I never want to lose that sense of awe for the beauty of nature. And I as I reflect on this Lenten season, my prayer is that my sense of awe might increase for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the hope of renewal and new life that it brings. In this difficult time in our society when many people, including my family, wonder what will happen to our jobs or our loved ones’ jobs, the promise of spring…the promise of renewal…is a promise of hope that we need.

Starting out on the great adventure

Today I'm starting a new thing. Ok, ok, so it's not so new to many of you. But the blogosphere is a fresh new adventure to me. Welcome to my inner world!


I recently took a few days of study leave. I did some reading and attended a lecture series on "Finding Wisdom in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes". Dr. Amy Pauw, a Professor of Theology at Louisville Seminary, was the speaker. Great presentations!


Prior to this, I had mentioned to one of the ladies in my church that I was going to be reading Ecclesiastes and I got a groan and an "Oh, that book." I wish I would have followed up on the meaning behind her words, but I was on my way to another place. How often do we miss out because we're too busy to stop for awhile? For me, more often than I'd like.

I wonder if her feelings about Ecclesiastes was because women have gotten a bad rap from some folks' interpretation of a certain passage in Ecclesiastes. Chapter 7, verse 28 seems to imply that there were no wise/good/upright women to be found when the teacher in Ecclesiates was searching for wisdom. What people have missed is the bigger picture. In Proverbs, another wisdom book, "wisdom" is personified as a woman. Proverbs tells us she - woman wisdom - can be found. In fact, she is to be found. We should be seeking her out and listening to her. The tone of Proverbs is upbeat. But the tone of Ecclesiastes is much different. The teacher/author of Ecclesiastes searches all over for wisdom...and wisdom can't be found. The teacher in Ecclesiastes was not able to find woman wisdom.

Some days it feels like wisdom is right here by my side. Some days she just seems to allude me.