Remember that? Remember how (check out John 2) Jesus went to
a wedding and ended up turning water into wine? John begins that story with “On
the third day…”. His narrative before that references several “next” days, but
today I heard echoes from Genesis. The
book of John begins just as Genesis begins: “in the beginning…”, and makes it
plain that Jesus was the Actor who brought creation into being. In Genesis, “on the third day” water and land were
separated and God-Jesus created plant life, vegetation. From a world enshrouded
with water to a world with the possibility of agriculture.
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| Turkish farmer at harvest |
Which got me thinking about grapes, and how grapes make
wine. At Cana, it was instantaneous water-to-wine at Jesus’ word. But from the
intriguing book The Spirituality of Wine (Gisela
H. Kreglinger, Eerdmans 2016), I learned that part of how grapes were created
is that they just do turn into wine.
Fermentation is a natural process.
Which got me thinking about Jesus’ saying that He is the
true vine (John 15) and we who abide in Him are branches who, simply by abiding
in Him, produce fruit. Vines produce grapes, which, in the natural course of
things, turn into wine. Wine, elsewhere in the Bible, is an image of joy, of
life and gladness. It is a Kingdom image. “You
cause the grass to grow for the cattle, and plants for people to use, to bring
forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the human heart, oil to make the
face shine, and bread to strengthen the human heart.” (Psalm 104:15-16)
Which left me grateful. The One who created water, and
grapes, and the possibility of wine, says that life in Him is like a fruitful
branch on a vine that will bear fruit that He created in such a way that it
will morph into something more rich and full without me knowing how to do that
or having the power in myself to make it happen. A mystery of His life working
in what I bear as I rest my life in Him.
Which brings me to Spa for the Soul, and our coming season
on that quiet Turkish hillside overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
October 10th will be our first availability as we
again open our Kaş/Antalya home,
that place we call Spa for the Soul, to anyone who desires a spacious place for
rest, prayer, writing, art-making, or other pursuits that bear fruit in
sheltered solitude and love.
As we move into our seventh season, what joy to reflect on who
has come over the years:
·
Most of our guests come to pray and to listen
for the Lord away from the crush of daily responsibilities and full schedules. To
refresh their posture of abiding in Christ as the way of fruitfulness. Simple.
No life-crisis. They desire shelter for rest and retreat.
·
Some guests come at a junction in life, to set
apart time for consecrated decision-making.
·
Some come to study or to write, to work on
special projects and preparation, to produce fruit of their labors.
·
A few take on a season of fasting.
·
Others have found Spa for the Soul a nourishing
start to a sabbatical, to set the tone and find their stride.
·
There are those who flee crises and great
suffering, turning to our place of shelter and safety to catch their breath,
process, regain a measure of balance, and determine next steps.
·
And there is the occasional working team who
come to rest and refocus together, to renew and clarify vision, purpose and deepen
relationships.
There are those who seek support and direction for silent
retreat. Others appreciate directed quiet days mixed in with days of recreation
out of doors. Occasionally, we facilitate devotional retreats, and offer
explorations of new disciplines of prayer.
Our guests come to stay 2 or 3 days, or ten, or even a
month.
Our guests come to us from all over the world, and from
nearby towns and cities. Lots of
nationalities, and the occasional one who does not speak
English and stretches our Turkish.
Spa for the Soul is a place to practice, and to refresh, a
posture of abiding in Jesus as the source and reason of all real fruit.
For more information, and to arrange to come, contact me at jeribidinger@yahoo.com.
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| Cappadocian vineyard in winter |
