Caves of Wonder: Exploring the Caves of Wonder
How many of you have been in a cave? What caves have you been in? (Congregational Interaction) Mammoth? Onondaga? That’s a cave? You didn’t just make that up? Forest Cave? Anybody ever been to Ruby Falls? Lookout Mountain? I remember going as a little kid to that one. Then when I was a little older we went to Wyandotte Cave in Southern Indiana.
How do you explore a cave? “Spelunking” is a word for caving. It’s a great word, and it means putting on your gear and getting off the beaten path. I can remember spelunking in Wyandotte Cave and there was a particular place that was very flat and you had to crawl through on your belly and twist your head sideways to get through. I was the last one of the group to go through. There were rocks on either side of me, and as I pushed, it felt like the rocks closed in around my hips. Then I had this image of a great big dragon or some kind of big lizard coming in behind me and eating my legs off, so I got out of there pretty quick!
That was also the time I learned about bats. In Wyandotte Cave there were a lot of bats. Deep in the cave, you may find yourself in the bat rooms. Bats hang in colonies from the ceilings. Because you are in their colony, they don’t fear you. We were able to lift them off of the ceiling using a single finger. After petting them like you may pet a kitten, we returned them back on the ceiling when done.
In caves, small things are magnified. At times that I have been in a cave, the guide would have us turn all of the our lights off. It is the only time I have experienced absolute darkness. As our eyes acclimatized to the dark, the guide would strike a match on fire. Its light seem like a blazing fire. In the dark, we would notice a silence that seemed to match the darkness. The slight move of a foot against gravel sounded like an avalanche. To spiritualize that thought that in caves, the small things seem to become large things. In God, small things we do become great. We want to make sure that we attend to the small things because in God they have eternal consequences.
So, we are going to explore some biblical caves together. Using the rules of caving, we may be reminded of spiritual practices that help us to get the most out of our exploration.
Here are the five rules of spelunking:
Go with three or more people.
Pack three light sources.
Keep three points of contact.
Wear protective clothing.
Take three times the water.
Go with three or more.
Don’t go alone, take two at least others with you. I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am also.”
There is another scripture we might think about as we think about going into a spiritual cave together. It is in Gospel of John when Jesus is preparing his disciples for his absence. Jesus tells the disciples, “You are no longer disciples, you are no longer students, but you are now my friends.” We go into spiritual caves together, as a group, and with Jesus as our friend. Take somebody with you when you want to grow spiritually. You can’t do it alone, you do it in community with others.
Pack three sources of light.
You need to have three sources of light. You don’t want just one source of light. You never know when you’re going to drop your light or break the bulb, or when a battery is going to run out. Some people will carry a headlamp, a flashlight (or hand lamp) and a candle (or a heart lamp).
Our first source of light is our “head” lamp, our mind, our logic.There are a lot of folks who say you shouldn’t question matters of faith, John Wesley was not one of those people. He taught his people to use their God given reason. USE your mind, USE your logic, and USE your thinking. God gave you the ability to think, so use it! That is a part of growing spiritually.
A second source of light for our spiritual journey is a flashlight or hand lamp. We use our hands for what we do, for work and play. We glean spiritual wisdom through what we do.
Celtic spirituality does not separated spirituality from the world. Spirituality is developed through your daily routine. Doing the dishes, mopping the floor, going to work, your job at work. Sewing, mending, being an accountant, however you spend your days working becomes a spiritual discipline.
Our third source of light may be a candle or your heart light. Just as we use our mind and our hands, we use our hearts. When we think of the heart we think of our emotion, our spirit, and our soul. We think of that connection of one to the other…the relationships we have.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” That light comes to us through our thinking, through our handiwork and through our hearts.
Keep three points of contact.
Jesus says to “touch and see” to his disciples following his resurrection. They were disoriented and discombobulated. To touch Jesus allowed them see Jesus. You know how this works. When two people have miscommunication, the best way to reboot is to pause, and touch. Hugs are good. Handshakes are good. A pat on the back is good. Hand on a shoulder works. In a touch, we connect our humanity to each other. Jesus invited his disciples to connect to his humanity, “touch and see.”
When in a cave, you always want to have three points of touch. There are many variations as to how this can be accomplished. The point is that in some way you connect your body in three different ways with the rocks and/or people around you. This helps you to stay grounded in the midst of changing shadows, light, and echoing sounds. Here is another way to think of it. Think of waltzing. When you waltz with a partner you stay connected – hand-to-hand, side-by-side, foot-to-foot.
So, stay in touch with Jesus. As we reach and search with one hand, keep grounded and connected with the one we know.
Wear protective clothing.
Protective gear is needed for spelunking. There is never a bad environment in caving, only bad gear. You need gloves, the rocks are sharp. You’re going to hit your head, so you’ll also need to wear a helmet. We have to be prepared for cold, and have to be prepared for heat. In caves, the outer surface can be very cool, and the depths may be warm. And the opposite. You may start out warm and be cool in the cave. Be prepared.
Paul knows something about wearing spiritual protective clothing to protect us against changing circumstances. “Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Before showing up, suite up.
Take three times the water.
When going into a cave, carry enough water to go in, to come out, and for emergencies.
Our spiritual water supply is Jesus. Jesus says, “I am the living water.” He gives us living water. And so the more Jesus we have, the deeper we’re able to explore our spiritual life. The more Jesus we have, the more reserves we have for emergencies. The more Jesus we have, the better we are able to make it home.
The five SpiritLunking principles to explore biblical caves are:
Go with two or more people. “For where two or three gather together…” there is Jesus.
Pack three light sources.Pack in your head, your hands and your heart the light of Christ.
Keep three points of contact. “Touch me and see.”
Wear protective clothing. “The belt of truth …the breastplate of righteousness …shoes of peace …the shield of faith …the helmet of salvation.”
Take three times the water. “A spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’
Now, the best way to learn is to teach. So this week I’d like you to teach someone the five rules of caving and explain their spiritual application.
Remember these rules for the next three weeks as we climb into caves of wonder.
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