Transition

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division, inauguration, justice, kindness, Peace, protest, psalm 85, reconciliation, salvation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transition, truth

Transition ceremonies for the inauguration of a new president of the United States have already begun.  The early morning news is reporting the use of pepper spray by police to quell what seemed to portend a violent protest. Today begins in trepidation and – for me – sadness that we are in such a position of fear of disruption and disrespect from within our own country as well as from foreign terrorists. I have not been enamored of every president who has been elected during my life but I learned early on to respect the office. “How have we come to this?” I ask myself. The only answer I am able to offer myself is: “It’s not that simple.”

There’s no sense in wringing our hands and longing for “the old days.” I find it ironic that the refrain for lectionary psalm for the morning, Psalm 85, announces that kindness and truth shall meet. The verses 11-14 that appear tell us that justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth and justice shall look down from heaven, promising also that the Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps.

It seems impossible even to conjecture how that might happen here and now for us, in this “winter of our discontent.” There is so much division in the country; what will heal us? “Well, nothing but every person’s recognition and responsible participation,” I hear as I read the gospel acclamation: God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Call me Pollyanna if you will; I know that unity in this “land of opportunity” seems a far distant goal at the moment. What I believe, however, is that if I work toward reconciliation inside myself as well as in all the situations and with all the people in my life, by acting with love as the impetus and prayer for unity as the guiding principle of each day, I will have done my part. And I trust that I will continue to find like-minded people willing to do the same. In that way we will undoubtedly, someday, reach “critical mass” and see the renewal of justice and peace.

May God bless our efforts and our country today and in the days to come!

Crowds

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, crowds, inauguration, Jesus, march, Million Woman March, peaceful change, Psalm 40, temper, tension, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, violence

I just read the gospel this morning with the directive from Jesus to his disciples about getting a boat from which he could preach on the water so he would not be crushed by the crowds. It put me in mind of the two events happening tomorrow and Saturday in Washington, DC. Although all reports say that the crowd at the Presidential Inauguration will be “smaller than usual” that still means a huge turnout. And Saturday will see the “Million Woman March” – not only in Washington but at other centers around the country. The followers of Jesus could never have conceived of the crowds we will surely see during these days.

Even in the time of Jesus, large crowds have always held the potential for tension and the need for crowd control, especially in situations where there are supporters and opponents of the reason for the gathering. When people are being jostled and “personal space” is non-existent or when chanting becomes a shouting match by the different factions present, tempers can flare and the danger of violence grows.

My prayer this morning is that all of the participants in the weekend events will remember the privilege we have of living in this country and that peaceful change is possible if cooperation is based on higher purpose. Whatever our political leanings, may we be guided by the reminders in the prayer of the psalmist this morning.

O Lord, my God, all that you do is marked with good, and all the things you have in mind for us are incomparable. O that I could speak it for everyone to hear and know, but it is vast and overwhelms the soul. Yet I know this, for you have made my inner ear to hear, that it is never bloody sacrifices that we burn for sins you want or need from us. For even in the scroll of Torah, the book you wrote, it is said that I should simply do your will. That is it, your whole desire which has now become my soul’s delight. So from my heart I keep your ways, your law of life. (PS 40: 6-10) Ancient Songs Sung Anew

 

 

 

 

 

No Words

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books, Jesus, life, meditation, message, seeking, silence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

No matter how I try, there is nothing in me able to string enough words together to make a comprehensible message. Books at my side give me nothing appropriate or worthy. There is no light yet outside to ignite something from inside (and vice versa). I look around the room and the words I can read as titles of the books standing at attention in their rows are the following: Life, integral, Selling All, Jesus, Seek My Face, Compassion, Meditations, Silence.

Perhaps that is enough for today. What do you make of it?

 

 

 

 

 

Invitation

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celebrating, dance, dancing, festive service, God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

On this gray day, when freezing rain is predicted, I look toward my window and see underneath a framed image of a woman, head thrown back and arms out-stretched, obviously dancing to her favorite, all-engaging music. The accompanying quote says: Be not lax in celebrating! Be not lazy in the festive service of God! My only response can be: Okay, God – then come, dance with me!

 

 

 

 

 

Morning’s Gift

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delight, hear, joy, light, Mary Oliver, poem, see, teachings, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning as I sat down with my coffee there was a folded paper on my night stand that had come loose from a pile that I had disturbed yesterday in my rush to find something to write on. I was attracted to a picture at the top of one quadrant so picked it up to find four poems by Mary Oliver. What a delightful way to start the day! I offer one of them as my hope for the kind of day we all might have.

Mindful

by Mary Oliver

Every day

I see or hear

something

that more or less

kills me

with delight,

that leaves me

like a needle

in the haystack

of light.

It was what I was born for –

to look, to listen,

to lose myself

inside this soft world –

to instruct myself

over and over

in joy

and acclamation.

Nor am I talking

about the exceptional,

the fearful, the dreadful,

the very extravagant –

but of the ordinary,

the common, the very drab.

the daily presentations.

Oh, good scholar,

I say to myself,

how can you help

but grow wise

with such teachings

as these –

the untrimmable light

of the world,

the ocean’s shine,

the prayers that are made

out of grass?

Oh, for the Simple Life…!

Tags

attention span, change, conscious, conversation, creativity, entertainment, robots, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, work

The pace of change seems to accelerate with every passing day. Last night on the news, in a story about auto manufacturing plants, I learned that now 10% of assembly line work is done by robots. In what I believe was given as the year 2025 the percentage will be 25%. While the introduction of robots makes the actual work less labor intensive, it also will decrease the need for human workers and thereby unemployment will increase. This morning I read of the impending closing of the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus in April after 146 years. There are many factors contributing to the demise of this institution, including the vigorous work of animal rights activists, but a telling comment struck me as a clear indication of the impact of the speed of change even in small children. Speaking of the 12-minute tiger act segment during the circus performance, a representative of the circus remarked, “Try getting a 3 or 4-year old to sit still for 12 minutes…It is seemingly no match for Pokémon Go or YouTube…”

This is not a lament by an aging American (although I do feel somewhat like an anachronism on occasion) but it speaks to both the immense creativity of the human mind as well as the need for attention to the complexity of life in our times. When people lose their jobs, whose ingenuity will supply alternatives? When simple methods of entertainment from yesteryear fail, how can we provide healthy, creative activities and images that feed the souls as well as the bodies and minds of our youth? And in this busy lifestyle that requires differing schedules for family members of all ages, is there still room for the “simple things” like face-to-face conversation and “just being there” for one another?

Complexity requires more attention than simplicity, it seems. Awareness of what is happening around us is not a choice. Whether subtle or blatant, we need to be awake to the pace of change and its effects on the whole of our lives as citizens now not only of our town or village but of the larger world as well. So in case we haven’t noticed that 2017 is already two full weeks old, I say, “Good Morning! It’s time to wake up and get conscious!”

 

 

 

 

 

What Would You Say?

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Alleluia, captives, Good News, Jesus, love, message, poor, sent by the Lord, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As I read the gospel acclamation for this morning (the “Alleluia verse”) which said, “The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives” (LK 4:18), a question passed through my mind. If you were the one being sent by the Lord, I heard, what would be your message to the poor and the captives? In the following of Jesus, that is perhaps a great question for us. How do I – how do you – see the “good news” of God? What glad tidings do we have to share with the world, particularly for the benefit of those most in need?

My answer would certainly include the concept of love made concrete, but how would that look? Although it will take more than today to adequately answer that question (probably the rest of my life in actuality…), I can’t imagine putting it off now that it was such a clear message. Small steps may be all there are today, but small is, I trust, enough for God. It’s about keeping the intentional consciousness of the question before my eyes and heart. May God bless the effort!

Telling the Truth, Honestly

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, divine teacher, failure, gained, God, history lesson, lessons, meditation, psalm 78, self-esteem, success, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unconditional love, wandering, wisdom

I was in a conversation last evening about the difficulty of being honest if one is dependent on others for self-esteem. There are other reasons why people lie, of course – perhaps especially in business these days – but even in our everyday lives the challenge is to avoid linking our worth to success or failure in the eyes of others or even ourselves. As I write this, my thoughts come round to the conclusion that our image of God needs to be taken into consideration here. If the God I believe in is the God of unconditional love, I ought to be able to be honest about both my successes and failures before God and, in that assurance, not be so timid about speaking the truth in all situations.

Psalm 78 is one of the longest psalms. It is, according to one commentator, the retelling of the epic journey of Israel, both an interior and an exterior experience of wandering. It is the reflection of someone who wants to see clearly the realities, and who laments the mistakes of the past…He or she does not glorify the past (as most epic stories do), but tells it in stark detail, failure after failure…It is perhaps true that this is wisdom literature precisely because it refuses to do what other literature does: glorify the past and gloss over the failures in which lie the deepest lessons of wisdom. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p.199)

The first eight verses of the psalm tell of the purpose of recounting what is to come in the rest of the “history lesson” and it is these verses that appear in the lectionary today. I think it bears repeating.

Listen carefully, my people, pay close attention, all who belong to me. For I am about to speak as teacher, explaining the mysteries of old. I will teach you using parables drawn from ancient times. I will teach you many lessons you must know. And what you learn and come to hear, speak it to your children, so generations yet unborn will know God’s works and ways, how God taught ancient Jacob and Israel knowledge of the law; how it became a pathway, a teaching meant for all. It passed as holy wisdom to the people as yet unborn so as they lived their trust would grow upon the paths of God, and not rebel or learn so slow, as their ancestors before them.

The commentator asks questions for meditation which stood out to me as directive for today. 1. Where have you experienced the divine teacher in the midst of both success and failure? 2. What have you learned specifically from failure and sin, or disobedience to the best that you knew? AND What have you gained from mistakes made in ignorance?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awareness, Anyone?

Tags

authenticity, awareness, collaboration, cooperation, heart, heartbreak, Jan Phillips, No Ordinary Time, oneness, pathway, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

In a section of the Thursday reflections that I was reading this morning in No Ordinary Time by Jan Phillips, I found the following paragraph particularly appropriate for now. See if you agree.

The only access we have to our authenticity is the pathway through the heart, and we must keep this channel open, at all costs. We must look deeply into our world, into its heartbreak, into the eyes of our sisters and brothers, and let these images awaken our senses, expand our awareness, and jolt our memories back to the truth of our oneness. It is not altruism, not charity, not selflessness that will open the gates to our own magnitude. It is awareness. And when awareness is fleshed out in the experience of our lives, it culminates in the events of relationship, of collaboration and cooperation. (p. 115).

N.B. Jan will be at the Sophia Center for Spirituality in Binghamton, New York on April 28 & 29. Please visit our website for more information on the EVENTS page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Ordinary

Tags

healing, holidays, Jesus, Mark, Ordinary Time, praying, preaching, surprise, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, work

This morning as I checked to be sure I was reading the correct lectionary selections for this date I noticed the heading: Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time. Not really meaning ordinary in the “ordinary” way, I know that I should be thinking of it as ordinal/counting time. It struck me as the former, however, as it seems that way. Holidays are over, routines have returned and, whether or not we are happy about it, life goes on as it always does. We may have done a year-end inventory – financial or spiritual. We may be grieving large or small losses or celebrating gains as individuals, but on a macro level, the world is still turning.

Jesus is busy in the beginning of Mark’s gospel. (Mark’s writing always reminds me of the saying, “Just the facts, Ma’am” as there is little embellishment in this shortest gospel.) Today in just eleven verses of chapter one (29-39), Jesus finishes his worship in the synagogue, heals Simon’s mother-in-law, has a meal – served by the former invalid, cures “many” including those possessed by demons, spends some time before dawn the next day in the desert praying and then leaves to preach and heal in the nearby villages. That’s quite an agenda!

Some of us are lucky enough to have variety in our work but, seen in another way, sometimes a routine job is more comforting. At least in that way we know what the day will look like. Here’s a nod to the Christmas story that we’ve just left, however. Our God is a God of surprises. If the long-awaited Messiah could be born as a baby of what were reputed to be poor, insignificant parents in the eyes of the world, we ought to be looking deeper than our “ordinary” circumstances for the extraordinary work of God. Life does, in fact, go on and it is ours to stay awake to the little miracles inherent in the everyday.