We did a “blending of sands” rite in worship yesterday.  Our church has recent roots in two different congregations and it was thought that a blending of sands might symbolize our union.

Perhaps you’ve seen one of these rites in a wedding.  Kind of like “the unity candle” (an optional rite within a wedding service), there is also more recently a “blending of sands” rite (also very optional).   The bride and groom pour their own color of sand into a shared vessel.  The result is an interesting and colorful creation.

Our congregational blend (photo attached) turned out to be very colorful and beautiful.  It was also fun to do.  Each person in worship was welcomed forward to add whatever color of a communion cup full of sand to the shared container.

I was holding my breath at the end.  I didn’t know if all the people with each of their cupfuls would fit into the container. Not to begrudge the Holy Spirit, but in hindsight she sure took up a lot of base space (white sand at the bottom).

In retrospect I see now our text on Sunday was about blending in—or not.  Daniel and friends in Daniel chapter 1 receive golden tickets—education, room and board with a guaranteed plum job in the Babylonian court.  Just one problem:  the royal rations.  This food defied Israelite principles of what is proper and ethical to eat.  Daniel and friends refused to blend in—to passively submit to the elite cultural dining norm.

How Daniel ingeniously navigates this ethical dilemma is for you to read on your own in Daniel chapter one.  (And good luck on your own Daniel Diet.)  Where I’ll leave things now is to ask:  In living a principled life, do you blend in or not?  How do you live in community with the unique life package God gave you to live?

The sand rite perhaps has more “grains” wisdom to offer.  That core, base foundation (white sand) is essential.  Whether it’s ethics or principles or gifts of God, they undergird human life and creativity.  This precedes, undergirds and supports our color.  And then clearly we need each other’s colors if our goal is to be part of something productive and beautiful.

Pastor Sarah Dickinson