Wisdom Work

Tags

enlighten, Pentecost, silence, Spirit of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unite in purpose, Wisdom School

I leave this morning for five days in New Hampshire where our “team” will guide nine seekers toward a deeper way of seeing in their lives. We, ourselves, always benefit similarly during these ” wisdom schools” and so I ask the prayer of all who seek – wherever you are – that the Spirit of God will enlighten us during this time. This is the venue that does not afford internet access so I will ask that if you wish to visit the blog you let the Spirit guide you to the archives for a past post, click on it and see if there is a message in it for you. If not that, perhaps you might sit in silence and unite yourself to our purpose for gathering which will surely lead us all – together – closer to the One who loves us more than we can ask or imagine.
Blessings to all as we move toward Pentecost!

Remain

Tags

connection, flowering, fruit, Jesus, John, remain, steadfast, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vine, wine

In my neighborhood we’re just beginning to see the flowering of trees that we hope will later produce much fruit. In the southwestern part of our state vintners are hoping for just the right mix of sun and rain that will assure an abundance of grapes this year. Driving in wine country is a breathtaking experience of seeing acres and acres first of the perfectly pruned “naked” vines secured in row after row and later those same vines in full leaf. It’s then time to walk the fields in order to see the fruit hidden among the leaves and experience the fragrance of the ripening grapes. (Oh yes, and then there is the wine tasting…)

From observing nature in this and many other ways, we come to better understand the frequent references of Jesus to life and growth in the Spirit. Often, for me, there is a word (usually a verb) that deepens the meaning of the message. Today that word is “remain.” In what scholars have come to call the “final discourse” of Jesus in John’s gospel (ch. 14-17), there are many beautiful sentiments, none more vivid or familiar, perhaps, than “the vine and the branches.” Jesus says, Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. As I read those two sentences, the verb remain, repeated four times, reverberates in me as a clear call to fidelity. The essential truth is that if the connection of the branch to the vine is severed, life is irrevocably cut off. But the responsibility for connection is not all on us! The effort of remaining steadfast in all of life’s circumstances is made worthy of any struggle because of the promise that Christ also remains in us. Knowing this, I am willing for the pruning as much as for the ripening and trust that all will come to fruition in the fullness of time.

 

 

Peace, God-style

Tags

Jan Phillips, John, meditation, No Ordinary Time, Peace, safe from danger, Spirit of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wars

Here’s what has happened in the last half hour – in addition to the struggle of getting my computer to do what I want – rather ironic to the topic at hand:

1. I read the gospel for today and what kept repeating itself, as it always does, was the section in which Jesus promises his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (JN 14:27)
2. I thought: “Wars everywhere…obviously we will not be seeing peace any time soon in the world. What about the interior kind of peace that Jesus is talking about…?”
3. My hand went right to No Ordinary Time by Jan Phillips which fell open to Tuesday lauds (prayer at sunrise).
4. Here is what I read. Meditation: This can be practiced in just a few minutes, so try to incorporate it as part of your daily life. Come into a comfortable seated position on the floor or in a chair. Sit with the back flat, crown of the head lifted. Shoulders relaxed and chest open. Rest your hands in the lap or on the knees. Close your eyes, deepen the breath and release thoughts from the mind. Gently repeat the following out loud or in your mind: May I be safe from all danger/May I be held in the arms of God/May I be strong in spirit and body/May I be true to my heart and my soul. Repeat the phrases again, changing “May I” to “May you” while you think of a specific person, or a group of people, or of the whole planet. Finish with a few slow, deep breaths, feeling compassion, love, and kindness flowing through your body. Take a moment or two before moving on with the rest of your day.
5. I gave thanks for the Spirit of God present in so many ways among us – reminding us that peace is possible right now.

Spread the News!

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Good News, grace of God, humility, Jesus, proclaim, St. Mark, the love of Christ, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worries

Today is the feast of St. Mark, known as the evangelist who wrote to proclaim the “good news” of Christ to the Gentiles, those beyond the Jewish communities who had experienced Jesus during his lifetime. In the gospel today we hear Mark pass on the post-resurrection mandate of Jesus who appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” (MK 16:15)

Peter, the one who loved Jesus so fiercely and knew himself to be loved in all of his foibles and missteps as well as his willingness to serve the mission, took up the charge. His urgency and energy can be heard in his letter quoted this morning, a letter that reflects his own experience as well as his relationship with Mark whom we celebrate today. Listen in to what he writes:

Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another for “God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries on him because he cares for you…I write you this briefly through Silvanus, whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1PT 5: 5-14)

Whether written by Peter himself or later by one of his disciples (this fact is disputed) the message is certainly consistent with Peter’s experience and desire for “the whole world” to know the love of Christ and the manner in which to follow what had been taught. The image I have is of a man on fire scribbling quickly on a parchment the most important things he wants to say so that Silvanus can carry it to a new and growing community of believers. Today I am grateful for these early figures who have left us such a rich treasury of teaching and I look within to catch that fire in my life.

This Day

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Bible, God's dwelling, holy cards, human race, John, love one anpther, Revelation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, today

When I was young my Bible was a home for a collection of “holy cards” – some commemorating events or people who had died but others sporting prayers or poetry like “I am the mother of a priest…” (my grandmother) or “a prayer for religious vocations.” This morning as I read the text from the Book of Revelation in today’s lectionary, the beginning of one of those prayers popped into my mind. It said: “Today is mine to mar or make; O keep me strong and true…” I wondered where it came from but then looked again at REV 21:1-5 and really heard the visionary’s words proclaiming that God’s dwelling is with the human race…God will dwell with them and they will be his people…Behold, I make all things new. Following this covenantal statement was Jesus saying: I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (JN 13:34-35)

I realize more and more lately that living each day “like the first or the last one” (as John Denver once sang in his song about Alaska) is the only sane way to proceed. Doing our best is all God asks, I think, and all we should be asking of ourselves and others. Recognition that perfection is likely still out of our reach and making peace with that seems enough to go on as the sun comes back for another round, another chance at loving. So good luck to us today, I say, as we keep in mind whatever prayer of intention will “keep us strong and true.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renewal

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apostles, awaken, disappointment, fatigue, frustration, Jesus, John, Macrina Wiederkehr, Philip, renewal, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

On days when I don’t feel especially far along on the path toward God, I often think of the apostles for comfort. They sometimes appeared rather dense – not unwilling but just not able to grasp what Jesus was saying. Of course, I also feel sympathy for Jesus who must’ve been frustrated at those moments. One of the clearest examples of such a situation appears in this morning’s gospel (JN 14:7-14) and I always feel bad for Jesus when I read it. He is speaking to Philip about the fact that anyone who knows him (Jesus) also knows the Father (God). Philip says, “Master, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” In the response of Jesus I hear not only frustration but fatigue and disappointment that he hasn’t been able to make his point about who he is and the mission he has been given. Then comes the question that I hear not only as spoken to Philip but sometimes also to me. Jesus says, “Have I been with you for so long a time and still you do not know me?”

Jesus has been with me for my whole life, in the example and prayer of my parents, in school, in religious life. I’ve read hundreds of books and participated in numerous meaningful retreats and rituals and still sometimes I feel lax or lazy in my efforts at recognizing the God that Jesus preached and manifested. His question this morning is always a goad to renewal. As usually happens, my chosen morning “word” from a source other than the Scriptures is a perfect motivator. Here is what Macrina Wiederkehr just offered to me:

O Morning Song of Love, O you in whom we live and move and have our being! We have been asleep too long. Heal the unseeing part of our lives. Lead us to our awakening places. Awaken us to new light. Open the doors of our hearts, the windows of our souls, the walls of our minds. Awaken us to hope. Awaken us to joy. Awaken us to love. Awaken us to new insights. Make our hearts ready to receive the brightness of your presence. To you we give praise.

I can imagine that Jesus is happy to have the assistance of people like Macrina in moving people to know God as he knows God and wishes to show God to us all. I know I am similarly grateful today.

Defying Logic

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apostles, I am the way, Jesus, John, logical thought, Peter, surprise intuition, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas

If we were matching names of apostles with defining qualities, Peter might be the easiest: Peter – impetuous. Maybe John would be beloved. That’s about as far as I would be willing to go except when I think of Thomas who is sometimes dismissed in the upper room for what we call “doubting” or faithlessness. I tend to say rather that he is concrete or logical. I usually smile in recognition when I read his question in John’s gospel (JN 14:1-6) to Jesus who says, “Where I am going you know the way.” Jesus is talking about many rooms in his Father’s house (and this isn’t even close to the post-resurrection time) so Thomas is (reasonably, I think) taking him literally so he asks, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” My smile comes from the fact that I probably would have reacted with the same question. By now I am clearly in the mindset that it’s impossible to interpret everything logically – especially when you’re in the company of Jesus! So now I’m much more open to surprise, intuition, etc. but I still appreciate logical thought.

The answer that Jesus gave to Thomas is my thought for the day. When we ponder our path and how to get where we’re going, the best answer, it seems to me, is to listen for the voice of Jesus saying, “I am the way…”

David

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Acts of the Apostles, David, faithful frienship, fountainhead, God's love, imperfection, psalm 89, quiet, reflection, sheep, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

When I was young I always thought that if I had a son I would name him David. For no logical reason, David was my favorite name. It sounded both strong and gentle to me; I just liked it – not Dave really, but David. And this was before I ever encountered the famous David of the Scriptures.

All the readings for this morning speak of or at least advert to David in some way. The Acts of the Apostles and Psalm 89 name him, while Jesus just speaks of “my chosen.” That got me thinking of what a complex character David was and how wonderful for the rest of us that he was not perfect – at least for those of us who tend to compare ourselves to others (a very bad habit indeed!).

I think of David in the fields tending sheep and wonder if he was sorry to be called away from that duty. Being alone out in nature with the animals – recalcitrant though they might be at times – in the quiet that allows reflection must have had its appeal for him. I can only imagine the shock of hearing when he was summoned into the prophet’s presence that he was to be King of Israel. No one could have predicted that, it seems, but God.

If one believes that David is the author of all or even a majority of the scriptural Book of Psalms, it’s easy to intuit the ups and downs, the sins and repentance in his life. Noted for expressing every emotion known to humans, they are the perfect witness to his misuse of power, adulterous behavior, deep friendship with and loss of Jonathan and – most of all – his recognition and humble acceptance of God’s deep, all-encompassing love for him. I like to think about David because although he seems in every way larger than life (no event in his life was a small thing) he is also, essentially, like the rest of us: sometimes faith-filled, devoted and well-motivated and sometimes less so. He made big mistakes, was even punished for them, but never gave up on his relationship with God nor did God give up on him. So I sing with the psalmist this morning in gratitude for the example of great love even in imperfection and with confidence that God sees us no differently than this beloved servant.

Your love, O Lord, I will forever sing, your faithful friendship shall be the subject of my song. For I have come to know your love as fountainhead, its ceaseless source not here, but in your high abode. And you yourself have made this oath of faithfulness to us and all of David’s line, a covenant proclaimed to all you chose, a promise made to us that never ends. (Ps. 89:1-4)

 

Politics

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apolitical, illuminating, non-aligned, non-judgmental listening, non-labeled, non-political witness, politics, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

This morning I deviated from my pattern of “blog first” because yesterday was the New York State primary in the campaign for president of the United States and I wanted to see how my neighbors voted. There were no surprises really but lots of “spinning” of the results and crunching of numbers for the possible final nominees to the general election. It is a contentious moment in US politics – much deeper and broader than the presidential race, of course – encompassing many issues and all branches of our government. It’s difficult to see the future; the divisions are so blatant on both national and local levels.

I’ve had many conversations in the past week on the value of non-judgmental listening to expand our consciousness – the only way, I think, to become aware of the reasoning behind differing convictions. I don’t often turn to Thomas Merton’s political statements for reflection, even though he was quite outspoken, especially toward the end of his life, on issues of social justice. This morning, however, in the wake of last night’s results, I can’t help but share what I read – once again a seemingly appropriate choice (as often these days) of something to consider as we reflect on the state of the world in which we live.

It seems to me that the basic problem is not political, it is apolitical and human. One of the most important things to do is to keep cutting deliberately through political lines and barriers and emphasizing the fact that these are largely fabrications and that there is another dimension which politics pretend to arrogate entirely to themselves. This is the necessary first step along the long way toward the perhaps impossible task of purifying, humanizing and somehow illuminating politics themselves. Is this possible? At least we must try to hope in that, otherwise all is over. But politics as they now stand are hopeless.

Hence the desirability of a manifestly non-political witness, non-aligned, non-labeled, fighting for the reality of [man] and [his] rights and needs in the nuclear world in some measure against all the alignments.    (The Hidden Ground of Love, p. 272)

Taking Refuge

Tags

Acts of the Apostles, christians, disciples, election, homeland, overcome, persecution, primary, psalm 87, refugess, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning’s text from chapter 11 of the Acts of the Apostles gives a clear sense of how the “good news” of Christ is spreading and ends with the statement that it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. It wasn’t all euphoria, however. There was lots of persecution accompanying the work of the disciples and many refugees who had been scattered in the wake of Stephen’s murder. It reminded me of images of all the people who are fleeing their homes in Syria and elsewhere today, searching for a safe shelter and a home where they might raise their families in peace.

Psalm 87 followed those thoughts and my longing for “the peaceable kingdom” for all people in our world. Not unaware that today is primary day for New Yorkers and that it takes more than an individual voice to solve the problems of the world, I know that I will vote today, hoping that there will be a smooth transition of leadership in our country – not only for the presidency but in all three branches of our government – so that the corporate voice of the United States might be heard in the world for the good of all. I will also pray today that reason and good will may increase to overcome violence and destruction in the world.

While those two things are what I know I can do, perhaps there is a call today for me to delve more deeply into what is happening to change systems that contribute to the breakdown of society, to see where I might participate in building up solutions toward peace and the vision of the psalmist who calls such a place a homeland, a sacred birthing place, for many people across the earth, for here God’s presence dwells and draws them in, and makes everyone her own. (Ps 87:4-5)