Joseph’s Role

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dreams, generosity, God is calling, inner voice, intuition, love, prayer, St. Joseph, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Joseph, husband of Mary who brought Jesus into the world, has a very small speaking part in the gospels. He is very often called “the silent one” which is not the easiest part to play in any situation. We do speak of some men as the “strong, silent type” and that is seen as a good thing but more because of the descriptive strong rather than silent. (And they are usually handsome as well!) One might think of Joseph as one “waiting in the wings” for his moment to shine, but that is not true! Joseph is always ready – listening – for God’s word in his life and obedient at every turn. His obedience to messages that some would have dismissed immediately had to come from deep within himself and from the conviction of how God worked in his life – always for his good and the good of those he loved.

Sometimes we are also called to trust our intuition, our dreams and the sense that God is calling us to something we would not have chosen, perhaps, but what seems an important next step. We would do well to imitate Joseph, standing silent, waiting for God to speak and trusting our inner voice that flows from a life of prayer and generosity in love.

Our Brother Martin

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accidental activist, compelled, dreams, history, I have a dream, injustice, Martin Luther King Jr., Meg Wheatley, passivity, perseverance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There is so much to say about Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a “wake-up call” to our nation like no other, shaking us to the roots of our passivity in the 1960’s, and he paid the ultimate price for his courage. His own words still stir me when I hear his clear, booming voice proclaiming: I have a dream today…

Meg Wheatley speaks of people like “Brother Martin” as “accidental activists” – those who are compelled to do what they do. “In every case,” she writes, “they saw an injustice or tragedy or possibility when others weren’t aware of a thing. They heard a thundering call that nobody else noticed…They offer us dreams of bold new futures that others will never see.” (Perseverance, p.19)

Such was the life and death of Dr. King. One wonders today as we remember  his actions on behalf of racial justice how we can still be so far from his vision of “one nation under God.” When hatred and bigotry seem on the rise and we wring our hands in despair about the divisions in our country, let us seriously consider that “if we’re not part of the solution, we are part of the problem” and resolve to do our part toward directional change. It begins in our minds but grows to fruition only as it reaches our hearts and we come to understand that history chooses all of us in some way for the good.

 

 

 

 

 

A Second Try

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A Deep Breath of Life, adventure, Alan Cohen, blessed, capable of being, comfort zone, desires, dreams, failures, humility, missteps, more, Quaker, resting on laurels, retreat, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, virtue

A little over a month ago, when I was not sure of my ability to do this morning writing practice because I was leaving on vacation, I promised to leave a  series of quotes for our tech wizard, Mary Pat, to post day by day. I was so satisfied with myself for having completed that task but as I was driving the next morning, I realized that the quotes were still sitting in my computer as I had not sent them to her! Humility is a great virtue and I have learned a lot about it along the way. The best thing about that virtue, I think, is the ability to admit both the great things about oneself and the failures or missteps without agonizing over either. In that spirit, I am going to try again to complete what I didn’t on my first try.

I’m off again today, this time to a long-awaited retreat at Pendle Hill, a Quaker facility near Philadelphia. I am leaving home where we are completing a weekend with a group of wonderful women who have come here seeking to deepen their spiritual lives. In a different time and place, with a different set of circumstances, we are all looking for the same thing. I found the expression of that in a quote this morning from Alan Cohen (A Deep Breath of Life) that I will share as the introduction to the thoughts of others for the rest of his week. May the week be blessed for us all.

There is a part of us that will not let us be content until we become all that we are capable of being. Life is not about resting on our laurels and hanging out in our comfort zone; it is an adventure from good to better to best…Bless your dreams, your desires, and your sense that there must be more. There is more because you are more.

The Derby

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accomplishment, care, connection, dreams, fidelity, Good Shepherd, humans and animals, joy, Kentucky Derby, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thrill of victory

This may sound a bit crass to some who expect a reflection on the Good Shepherd today, but I just read an article about yesterday’s annual Kentucky Derby and made a connection that I want to share. It’s not about sheep, obviously, but rather horses and the fact that even really rich people can share dreams that start in childhood.

It seems that the two owners of the winner, Always Dreaming, grew up in Brooklyn and came to love horses and horse racing when their fathers brought them to the track as young boys. The one being interviewed, Anthony Bonomo, spoke of his neighborhood and the fact that after the race he had 267 messages on his phone from those folks he had known all his life. He said they would have to have a meal at a big restaurant in Brooklyn to share the joy of all those people whose support they cherish. He recounted – before the race – how their beloved horse would run the race, responding exactly as planned to the jockey’s body commands that were so familiar. It happened just as he predicted, even to the 2 1/2 lengths of the lead at the finish line.

This is the first time I have considered that, for owners, this race is not just about competition or money that most of them certainly don’t need. Rather, in addition to the thrill of the game, it is love for the animal itself that resounds in the joy of accomplishment. I understand in a very small way this “thrill of victory,” having gone on a few family outings to the race track and seeing the beautiful animals pass by on their way to the starting gate. I would choose the winner by looks and by their names rather than their statistical promise and rarely picked a winner so it was good that I was not rich enough to bet on them! Riding a horse in the hills around Taos, New Mexico, is also a great memory for me. There is no fear, even on narrow trails, as the horse knows where to walk and can read the simple cues from the rider’s knees and gentle pulls on the reigns.

This reverie may seem far-fetched – and I will stop here – but having experienced the connection between humans and their animals gives me a peaceful feeling that is always the result of such a relationship. Cats and dogs and even gerbils, I guess, can teach us a little of what Jesus was talking about today – about care given and fidelity received. And I, for one, am happy to have known that joy.

Possibility

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dreams, Emily Dickinson, possibility, Scripture, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, work

Not awakened by any word of Scripture this morning, I will pass on only a brief sentence said once (or probably many times) by Emily Dickinson – a perfect beginning to another round of work or study or dreaming new dreams:

I dwell in possibility.

 

 

 

 

 

Remembering

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dreaming, dreams, eyes, heart, holy name, Psalm 105, remember, rise, seekers, sing, songs of praise, St. Patrick's Breastplate, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tidings, voice, wisdom, wonder

Most nights I wake up knowing that I have been dreaming but without any sense of the content of the dreams. This morning as I read an alternate translation of the psalm for today, several quick dream images jumped into view. They seem unconnected and inscrutable but I wonder if they were brought forth by the call of the psalm which is a lovely way to begin the morning. Listen:

O God, we rise in thanks to call upon your name; we rise to spread the tidings of your deeds. We rise to sing you songs of praise recounting every work and word in music’s voice; we rise to sing in honor of your holy name. Let every seeker’s heart rejoice and search for you with all their strength until they stand before the beauty of your face, remembering. Remember, remember everything you can recall, remember every work and wonder, remember every word God speaks to you in wisdom…(Ps. 105: 1-5)

I am fairly certain I’ve used those words before. This morning it has the feeling of the famous prayer of St. Patrick’s Breastplate, first calling to God and then to ourselves, urging remembrance. No matter, I suppose, if it is a repetition since new eyes will see it today, just as I see it with new eyes and feel the call more deeply in my heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dialogue

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confusion, dreams, fear, Infinite Light, Loving Companion Presence, Nan Merrill, protect, psalm 91, Psalms for Praying, refuge, rescue, shelter, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, times of trouble

This morning’s psalm (91) is a confident prayer of trust on the part of the psalmist and a loving response from God. The translation of Nan Merrill in her book, Psalms for Praying, is a lovely rendering of this dialogue that will become my song for today. My suggestion is – if not singing – to speak the prayer aloud, hearing the response of God as if we were the most beloved of creatures, because we are.

Psalmist: Those who dwell in the shelter of Infinite Light, who abide in the wings of Infinite Love, will raise their voices in praise: “My refuge and my strength, in You alone will I trust. For you deliver me from the webs of fear, from all that separates and divides; You protect me as an eagle shields its young. Your faithfulness is sure, like an arrow set upon the mark. I  will not fear the shadows of the night, nor the confusion that comes by day, nor the dreams that awaken me from sleep, nor the daily changes that life brings…”

God: Because you cleave to Me in love, I will deliver you; I will protect you who call upon my Name. When you call to Me, I will answer you; I will be with you in times of trouble. I will rescue you and reverence your life. All through the years will I dwell in your heart, as Loving Companion Presence, forever.