Wilderness Worship – Holy Ground
Sue Tell, Guest Writer
Today’s Treasure
Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Exodus 3:5
Writing classes filled our mornings. Our holy ground that week overlooked Uyak Bay in the North Pacific. Leslie Leyland Fields, our hostess and resident author, and Gary Schmidt, Calvin University professor and author, skillfully and passionately helped hone our writing skills. Their wisdom and personalities perfectly blending causing the mornings to fly by.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
Something fun, something special, something unique was offered each afternoon. The first afternoon a short skiff ride in our rain gear and knee boots to a nearby lagoon to hike and collect the gifts of the beach, sand dollars and clams. Sea otters and seals entertaining us on the way there and back. We floated across holy ground.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
Wednesday was the favorite. We loaded onto the barge and into the skiff and were gifted with fin whales eating their lunch, their water spraying high, orcas breaching over and over again in their synchronized dance, their shiny black and white bodies breaking the surface of the water; a phenomenal show. A harbor seal, a salmon shark, a large group of sea lions squawking at us from their private rock (reminding us of junior high boys after gym class), a puffin (unknown to me a friend prayed I would see a puffin), bald eagles soaring, sea gulls floating, more sea otters, and oodles and oodles of spawning salmon layered deep in Telrod Cove headed with the beauty of a waterfall trapping them. We gazed into their watery home while simultaneously ducking to avoid being decapitated by the branches looming over our barge and the skiff. The cove was narrow.
Duncan, piloting our barge, grew up on Uyak Bay. The pod of 30 plus orcas were close, very close. Duncan commented he has only seen that many once or twice in his more than 60 years living on the North Pacific. As we reported our afternoon to Leslie, we amazed her with the large variety of wildlife we saw in just four hours on the water motoring down Spiridon Bay into Telrod Cove.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
Thursday, I sat alone with Leslie and then Gary, my pre-sent writing between us. They asked; they critiqued; they mentored; they affirmed. Their strengths blending uniquely. It was good.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
Each night there were readings. Dave is retiring from commercial fishing at the end of this season. Along with his crew, he joined us Tuesday for dinner and the evening. Whereas Duncan and Leslie home-base on the island, Dave's home is his boat. His scruffy appearance belying the beautiful words telling stories of his many long years of life on the water in poetry. Life is hard; he didn’t mince words. I wonder, had his crew ever heard his words before?
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
We were the readers the last night; we shared the pieces we wrote while on the island, honest stories, deep questions, hard journeys punctuated with fun readings – we cried hard; we laughed hard. I am so thankful for these new friends.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Remembering new friends and the gazillion pieces of my Alaska week, tears threaten again. Welcome tears testifying to the everythingness (we learned new words too) of God’s goodness.
As we started with the Doxology, we finished with the Doxology Friday evening. Voices harmonizing offering our gift back to God. We received abundantly; we gave from our hearts:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen”
And then Saturday. The Doxology again sprung from our hearts through our voices, our thanks to God. We were loaded on the barge with all those 50 pound suitcases, or into the skiff sailing away from Harvester Island, leaving Leslie alone on the shore. We waved and we sang Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
One last time on the barge with Duncan at the helm and on the skiff piloted by Tanner, transported us to Larsen Bay at low tide that Saturday morning. In Larsen Bay, a cannery for fish, we unloaded into the water (thankful for knee boots again), walked ¼ mile to the runway meeting our bush planes. They flew us over amazing, very rugged Alaska wilderness. Thanks to the fog the week before we experienced both the float planes and the bush planes, an unexpected gift.
Wilderness Worship - Holy Ground!
Would I go again? I don’t know.
Exodus 3 recounts the narrative of Moses and the burning, not consumed bush. Moses was on the west side of the wilderness. (Exodus 3:1) As Moses turned to look at this unlikely site, God called to him:
Moses, Moses! …Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.
Exodus 3:4,5
Each time we entered one of the buildings on Harvester Island, we shed our shoes. Only once recorded, did God ask Moses to take off his shoes to acknowledge the holy ground of meeting with God.
That’s what Harvester Island was for me – holy ground, a place I experienced worship, a place of expectancy, a place I met God: "God has a place in his kingdom and service [holy ground] that no other could fill." from Becoming Elizabeth Elliot (Ellen Vaughen)
Who [Jesus] saved and called us to a holy calling, not because of our worksbut because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
II Timothy 1:9 (underline mine)
Wilderness Worship - Holy ground!
Friends, what might your holy ground look like today?
PRAYER
Father, I am so thankful for the Holy Ground of Harvester Island. Today, however, You have me, You have us, on different ground, just as holy. May we recognize You and live with expectancy on this holy ground. Amen.
Copyright, Sue Tell, March 2022, originally published on Echoes of Grace, 9/23/21
Sharon W. Betters is author of Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness and co-author of Treasures of Faith. She is Director of Resource Development and co-founder of MARKINC.org, a non profit organization that offers help and hope to hurting people. Sharon enjoys quality time with her husband, children, fourteen grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.