Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace
Sue Tell, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia … But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also." 2 Corinthians 8:1,7
Harvester Island, knick-named the island of grace, was more than I ever anticipated. I experienced our hosts excelling in everything and for me living with expectancy became the habit of the week. My heart soars with worship as I remember that time.
A week after leaving Harvester, God painted a beautiful rainbow over Uyak Bay. The picture Leslie sent was a reminder of the beauty of my week, of living expectancy, of learning worship.
The week on Harvester was a week of remembering. Remembering God and the goodness of his grace. For a week I lived on an island of grace realizing (even more after I was home) the grace of expectancy; the grace of worship.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
One of the homes on Harvester is designated as Leslie’s writing studio. Her desk on the second story faces a large picture window overlooking Uyak Bay. (I wonder, could I ever get any writing done with that view?) She designated her writing space to us, her students, for the week. A gift of grace.
To enter this home, you walk under large bones from a fin whale framing the entrance. My roommate snapped a picture of me one morning standing under those huge fin whale bones.
The previous January, on another island, I had spent two weeks meditating on the book of Jonah. I was sharing that time with Leslie one afternoon. "Sue, those are bones from fin whales at the entrance to my writing studio; the same species that swallowed Jonah", Leslie responded. A God moment.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
Generosity, the grace of giving overflowed. Leslie offered us the gift of her writing studio for the week. She lived out these words:
"But as you excel in everything - see that you excel in this act of grace also." 2 Corinthians 8:7
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
One afternoon, watching some of the men in our group in a 25-foot aluminum skiff picking salmon enlarged my understanding of grace. Those row-boat crafts have the capacity to hold 6000 pounds of salmon. God provides; God protects.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10 (underline mine)
Those in the boat worked hard to haul in the salmon. And God protected their lives as they hung over the sides of the skiff.
We watched with bated breath from above on the edge of the island, at the same time enjoying the antics of the bald eagles and baby Matilda … or is it Matt ... perched high on an alder tree.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
Sharing meals with others is grace. Sharing meals with others leads to stories of grace. Our cooks for the week created the atmosphere and shared their gifts with us twice every day. (Yup, I gained weight and it was worth every bite!)
Their abundant meals, beautifully presented, more than filled our stomachs, they filled our souls. Salmon in many different forms (Have you ever enjoyed poke?), halibut, king crab, and venison (Sitka deer were plentiful on the island). We circled, held hands, sang, and prayed before each meal acknowledging the God of grace.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
God's creativity, His grace offered by His creation, overflowed with gifts from the ocean. Before the tides rolled in in the early mornings, some walked out on the spit greeted by several varieties of starfish.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
"See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments and life itself is grace." (italics mine)
These words penned by Fredrich Beuchner in his book “Listen to Your Life” describe worship for me: the mystery, the hard, the excitement, the holy, the hidden. These words describe my week on Harvester Island (minus the boredom and pain). Fathomless mystery unveiled itself in expectancy, in worship.
Wilderness Worship on the Island of Grace.
Friends, what gifts of grace have you experienced in the last week?
PRAYER
Father, thank you for the gifts of grace You lavish on us. I ask that we might live with expectancy, the expectancy evolving from grace. And may that lead us to worship. Amen.
Copyright, Sue Tell, March 2022 originally published on Echoes of Grace 9/30/21
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Tell is the wife of William Tell, a great name if you want people to remember you. Mother of two married sons (one a PCA pastor), two delightful daughter-in-laws, and Mana (gramma) to six special gifts to our family, ages 2-16. Sue is a member of Village 7 Presbyterian where she enjoys the ministry of mentoring. Her ministry loves: writing, mentoring, speaking, and she is the author of Echoes of Grace, written to invite readers to better understand life through the lens of God’s grace, suetell.com. Sue loves traveling - especially to warm places - with my husband. At home, walks with Molly (our Golden Retriever).
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Originally published Friday, 10 November 2023.
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