Spirit Of All That Lives

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awe, breath, counsel, fear of the Lord, fortitude, gifts, Holy Spirit, knowledge, Pentecost, piety, Prayer Seeds, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understanding, wisdom, wonder

Today we celebrate the outpouring of the power that we call the Holy Spirit. Every inspiration that leads us deeper into the transformation of our hearts in love is understood as an impulse of this face of God. This Spirit is as elemental as our breath, unseen but known in myriad ways great and small – universal and individual. It is as simple as the intake of my breath at the beauty of the burgeoning flowers in spring or as miraculous as the moment a young woman first holds her newborn child. The Spirit brings many gifts, taught in Christianity (traditionally and then in modern parlance) as wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel (right judgment), fortitude (courage), piety (reverence) and fear of the Lord (Wonder and awe in God’s presence).

Let us be grateful in this celebration as we pray: Spirit of the Universe, Spirit of my heart, I welcome you into my life. Come visit the places within me where Love has yet to find a dwelling place. Breathe within all of my existence with the power of your transforming grace. I open my entire being to you and thank you for the gift of your presence. Amen. (Prayer Seeds, p. 172)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harmonic Convergence

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bless, center, counsel, Galatians, heart, intention, love, psalm 16, soul, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unifying

Today’s Scripture readings, if reflected upon, seem to fit in our present world of philosophical and psychological advisors who speak about the interaction and necessary integration of body, mind and spirit. The psalmist sets the stage by declaring: I bless the Lord who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me…Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence…(Ps. 16) Paul picks up the theme saying, “You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.” (GAL 5:13-18)

Perhaps I’m stretching a point in my interpretation but it seems to me that putting the intention and the effort of making love at the center point of all our actions and dealings with one another does create harmony that manifests not only in our relationships but especially as a unifying, health-producing becoming in the three centers of our own body, mind and spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Peaceable Kingdom

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Advent, counsel, courage, fear of the Lord, Holy Spirit, Isaiah, knowledge, living in the present, natural response, peaceable kingdom, right judgment, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understanding, wisdom, without judgment

Today’s first reading from the Prophet Isaiah conjures up images of lions and lambs – or all kinds of animals – in a country scene, usually a forest glade, on Christmas cards. The text speaks of the time when there shall be no harm or ruin on all [God’s] holy mountain for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord. This is the same reading that gives Christian denominations a way to speak of the Holy Spirit as it enumerates the gifts the Spirit bestows: wisdom, understanding, counsel (right judgment), knowledge, strength (courage) and fear of the Lord (wonder and awe in God’s presence).* (IS 11:1-10) Interestingly, the reading speaks of a child as the center and motivating force of this peaceful existence and the gospel (LK 10:21-24) praises God for having revealed the “secrets” of the kingdom of heaven to the childlike rather than to the (perhaps purportedly) wise and learned.

Why all this as the chosen readings for the early days of Advent? Perhaps to call us to adjust the lens through which we look at the world. Little children do not usually live in fear but rather (until they are taught otherwise) move toward new experiences and encounters with people/animals, etc. The childlike are usually less self-conscious and less needy of approval, thus delight is a natural response to things. In other words, they (all of the above) open themselves to reality without judgment and are generally able to let go of bad experiences by living in the present moment. Of course, my generalizations here are broad and subject to claims of being wildly naïve. My point is only that I think we would do well to consider more willingness to accept difference instead of fearing it wherever we find it and to live each day with a positive attitude, using those spiritual gifts enumerated above as our guide. It can’t hurt and it might help to hasten the peaceable kingdom so lacking in the world of today.

*The words in parentheses are translations of Spirit-gifts in modern usage in some Christian denominations and the gift of reverence is a welcome addition to the other six.