Blessing the Oceans on June 8th

 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

 These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths:

 their soul is melted because of trouble.

 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end.

 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Psalm 107:23-30

Last year we had three trips to the ocean cancelled because of the pandemic. First on the schedule was the summer home of cousins whose place is on Chesapeake Bay. Second was Haida Gwaii, the island archipelago off the coast of British Columbia, In the Fall we were going to stay at the summer place of another generous person, an old house on Change Islands, Newfoundland, adjacent to better-known Fogo Island. These islands are near the five-point pastoral charge I served following ordination in 1980, congregations with a number of fishers. 

Each experience would have been very different, yet each would have involved the tides, the inhaling and exhaling of the great waters of the planet under the influence of the moon. Many of the most deeply spiritual experiences of our lives have been adjacent to or on the surface of oceans and seas. 

We felt a profound loss in not being able to make these trips and, hey, we're not getting any younger. Still, we had hope for this year. Well, we may be shut out for 2021 as well, with the rescheduled trip to Haida Gwaii cancelled months ago. And for those who say miracles don't happen, we got our flight money back from Air Canada!

This is World Oceans Day for 2021, so I just had to note this United Nations day which was first proposed by Canada, a country with plenty of coastline and coastal waters:

 Canada's mainland coast, including the islands of Newfoundland, Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island, is 71,261 km long and fronts on the North Pacific, Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. If all measurable islands are included, the saltwater coastline has been measured at 243 797 km long.

We humans have made a mess of caring for our oceans, sad to say, and we could despair as a result. I would prefer to celebrate God's wonders in the deep and to be motivated by this reverence and awe to be stewards of the abundance of the seas before its too late. There are still Blessing of the Fleet ceremonies in various Canadian ports, Along with the safety of the mariners we can pray that the fish and birds and mammals of the waters these ships ply will flourish. 

Prayer from the Blessing of the Fisheries 

Celebrate God's Presence UCC

 Blessed are you, O God,

for your Spirit hovered over the primordial deep

and caused oceans, seas, and rivers to be formed.

Blessed are you, O God,          

for you filled the waters with all manner of living things.

Bless our boats, fleet, and vessels this season.

Bless the sea that it might teem with abundant life this year.

Bless all who move upon the face of the waters

and dive into its depths.

May we rejoice in the waters' beauty and power;

may all who go down to the sea in ships

find safety from its perils.

Bless all who wait on shore

and at home until loved ones return.

May Christ who calmed the storm,

and filled the nets of his disciples,

be with us all.  Amen.

                                                                 Ruth on Change Islands