Marconi Beach, Welfleet, Cape Cod

 

Cape Cod, the Sands of Time

 

Cape

from the New York Times...writing about one of the holiest places I know - the outer stretches of Cape Cod...

Sounds of Silence on Cape Cod

Erik Jacobs for The New York Times

In winter, Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Mass., like much of Cape Cod, is filled only with unspoiled vistas.

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By LAURA M. HOLSON

Published: March 6, 2009

TO enjoy Cape Cod in winter, you must close your eyes and listen.

Map

There is a symphony of cold in sound: A lone seagull dives for an errant fish offshore, a far-off splash echoing across the emptiness of gray and blue. Frozen ice and sand crackle underfoot as a golden retriever bounds along the beach. The gentle whistle of icy breath, the muffled scratch of a coat collar pulled tight around the neck.

But the real allure of a winter day at this warm-weather getaway is what you don’t see when your eyes are open. Absent are the lines of cars snaking through jammed parking lots of summer or the dance of sunburned beachgoers who slap and yell at stinging waves. The Cape in winter is like a carnival park past its prime, empty but approachable because it is so familiar.

And along the shore, there is always the promise of spring, when small waves frozen in sand will retreat with the thaw and slip back to sea, waiting to embrace the crowds when they arrive once again.

That, at least, is what crossed my mind as I stood one crisp afternoon in January on Coast Guard Beach, 15 miles north of Chatham, Mass., the town situated at the Cape’s elbow. I was seeking a tonic for my post-New Year’s blues. As I wound my scarf tighter around my neck to ward off the bitter cold, I noticed a single fishing boat bobbing in the surf near shore. A rugged fisherman onboard waved in my direction, then hauled up a heavy metal cage from the water, hand over gloved fist.

Read it all HERE.

August Gratitude for God's Work "Behind the Scenes"

This has been a very busy summer, with my wife doing graduate school in New York City, and my good efforts to be the primary child care provider for our two sons, a move from Northern Virginia to Richmond, over 4000 miles on the car on trips to CT, DC, Vermont, Cape Cod, and various other trips. Now I will soon begin work as a school chaplain, which I am very excited about, but also I am more and more aware of how much work gets done quietly, with little fanfare, often in the background of our lives. All too often, I have forgotten to be aware and thankful for all that my spouse has done to make our house a home and to offer love and care to me and our kids. Likewise, I see all the support staff at my new school getting ready for the year, the grounds are beautiful, renovations continue, classrooms are spotless, and all this can easily be ignored for the more "important" work of teaching and learning and coaching and playing ... being aware of the work that gets done in the background of our lives is, I believe, a theological and a spiritual practice. Cultivating gratitude for all that other people do to support us reminds us as well of the work that God does to support us, guide us, and provide us with what we need.

God is in the midst of us, creating, providing, enabling, and loving this wonderful creation, including each and every one of us and the beauty of the world. These images from Cape Cod also remind me of God's presence and God's goodness ... though I envy C and H who depart for the Cape this weekend (I am green with envy!) ...

I hope we can all cultivate a sense of gratitude for God's work in our lives, and a sense of gratitude for all those who work 'behind the scenes,' to provide for us. May we also remember and cultivate gratitude and thanksgiving (eucharisto) for all God has done for us.