God and the Weatherman

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affirmation, Brother Luke Ditewig, encouragement, perspective, psalm 98, resurrection, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It sounds today like the psalmist has no idea of what’s going on in our world! I would have expected a more dire offering in keeping with our situation. Here it is, though, Psalm 98, calling us to: Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds. Of course that’s true but it certainly doesn’t feel like that today.

First of all it’s the 9th day of the most beautiful month of the year (May, of course!) and it’s 25 degrees F. outside. That’s seven degrees below freezing! The highest we’ll see today is 36 or 37 and that will be accompanied by more of the snow we got yesterday. God is certainly not related to the weatherman! There has to be some other perspective in the wind…for the world.

Actually, there was a clue from Brother Luke Ditewig at ssje.org to remind me that we are still in the Easter season. He said the following today: “Resurrection comes small, like seeds and leaven. One little word of encouragement, one affirmation, perhaps evoking one smile or laugh. One little gift can change us.”

I guess I can manage that today. Actually, I’m already smiling about God being related to the weatherman, who, if he’s anything like me, would much rather be called a meteorologist!

Preparations

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compassion, encouragement, new understanding, Philippians, preparation, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, waiting

We were just talking in our kitchen about by-gone days at the convent where, on the vigil of Easter (that’s today), there was major cleaning going on in every corner of the house. The weather spirits seem to know that we should renew that practice – although some of us have been working at it for weeks now. The sun is out and is tricking us into believing that it’s warm outside. The truth is that at present the temperature is just above 25F degrees. That makes it difficult to even consider flinging open the windows to start the cleaning. But it seems that cleaning will, in fact, be the order of the day.

While we wait for the great feast of Easter, hoping for a present day resurrection, it will be fitting to do so in quiet, in reverence for this opportunity of grace. How have we thus far become accustomed to inaction or to differently active days? Has our quotient of generosity, even in our thinking, been stretched toward our neighbors? Are we yet aware of the magnitude of the global — one might say “cosmic”– shift that we are experiencing?

As we wipe away cobwebs in high corners or climb to reach dust on ceiling fans will we go at the same time deep inside ourselves so as not to waste the opportunities that are hidden there? As we polish furniture or (even better) mirrors, will we look at our image to see if we have changed at all over the last month? As we recall Paul’s words to the Philippians who said that Jesus “did not deem equality with God something to be grasped at, but rather emptied himself…,” we might back up a few verses to see the advice that Paul gave just before that comment about how Jesus considered his fate. Perhaps it’s just the thing for a day of clearing and readying ourselves for a different kind of Easter celebration. Paul said:

In the name of the encouragement you owe me in Christ, in the name of the solace that love can give, of fellowship in spirit, compassion, and pity, I beg you: make my joy complete by your unanimity, possessing the one love, united in spirit and ideals. Never act out of rivalry or conceit: rather let all parties think humbly of others as superior to themselves, each of you looking to others’ interests rather than your own. (PHIL 2:1-4)

As the sun rises to new heights, may we do the same so that we may shine at the end of this day in new understanding of our place and role in this unique and precious moment of time.

Encouragement

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Br. Curtis Almquist, dignity, encouragement, gratitude, recognition, support, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worth

I am not accustomed to posting in the afternoon but being off schedule today got me to play catch-up and I found the second-in-a-row message that comes from the monks of St. John the Evangelist. (See yesterday’s post). I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share it as we all need encouragement once in awhile and I thought this a good reminder. (I especially liked the first line about being “rescued by love.”)

We are rescued by love when someone bequeaths dignity, worth, recognition, gratitude upon us, encouragement for us because of who we are and what we do. We simply cannot grasp this alone: that we are precious, and amazing, and of inestimable value, unless this truth is mirrored into our being by another person. We need to give and receive support and encouragement for one another as “daily bread.” (Br. Curtis Almquist.)

Float

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discovery, encouragement, float, follow, Jesus, Society of Saint John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I read something just now that seems so perfect for summer as well as for a time when things can seem to get out of hand. It is from one of the brothers at the Society of St. John the Evangelist (ssje.org). I plan to let it be the thought that guides me through the day. It’s entitled “Float.” See what you think.

Our attempt to handle life on our own is like trying to stay above water in the deep end of the pool by flailing with all our might. But Jesus is in the water with us, encouraging us to lean back as he supports us, ready to remove his hand and lead us to the delightful discovery that we can indeed float if we will just follow his instruction. (Br. Jim Woodrum)

Blessings on your day!

The Morning After

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affirmation, encouragement, gentle, humble, labor of love, Macrina Wiederkehr, Pentecost, shelter, Spirit of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transforming power

Sometimes the day after a big celebration can be a “letdown.” I have an image before me of a huge gathering space with folding chairs that need to be folded and all sorts of trash that (if you’re lucky) is gathered up into barrels or bags but maybe still needs to be picked up, decorations that are either able to be rescued for another day or totally useless now…and fatigue is the only thing left except for a memory of joy or love or something beautiful which makes the fatigue worthwhile.

Even with spiritual celebrations, the day after may be less than thrilling as ordinary life begins again. It is on those days – like today – that we must remember the peak times, going inside and turning our hearts to the ever-present Spirit of God. Macrina Wiederkehr is here this morning with the perfect prayer to help us regain the beauty of Pentecost. May it rekindle the fire in our hearts for this Monday and beyond.

O Spirit, come. Come with your transforming power. Breathe upon and into my thoughts and actions this day. Let my work be a labor of love. May those who come in contact with me feel sheltered and cared for. May I do or say some small piece of goodness that will help others feel affirmed and supported. Let your wind and fire move me into the places where I am needed. Let me become your breath so that I may assist you in breathing new life into places that are stale and unfruitful. Make me forceful and gentle, powerful and humble. O Spirit, Come! (Seven Sacred Pauses, p. 84)

Keep Going

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balance, clarity, encouragement, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, triumph, winter

Having been shocked into awareness of the impending season of winter with ten inches of snow last Thursday and waking up to frigid temperatures since that tell me it was no fluke, I am slowly acquiescing to what will most certainly remain for the next four or five…maybe even six months: cold and probably gray weather. I do not usually mind winter. In fact I sometimes glory in the crisp cold and the beauty of the winter wonderland provided by  snow-covered hills. I wonder if this year will be different or if this difficult start is a sign of change in my outlook as well as in an aging body. Fearing the worst, I turn for encouragement to Meg Wheatley’s book, Perseverance, and am once again called to a new way of seeing. The title is Clarity.

It can take many years of being battered and bruised by events and people to discover clarity on the other side of struggle. This clarity is not about how to win, but about  how to be, how to withstand life’s challenges, how to stay in the river. 

We never learn to triumph over life, but we can learn that every defeat, every problem, every terror is a teacher that prepares us for the next hardship. And we learn to expect that there are more difficulties ahead.

When this clarity emerges from our experience, what also emerges is trust in ourselves. We realize that we can cope and learn and grow from hardship and trials. We learn to accept difficulty and setback as part of life’s normal processes. We cease feeling threatened by most things…

The encouragement continues but, for now, that’s enough to get me ready for the day when I will get out the winter tires for my car, take them to the dealer to be installed and balanced and hope that I will proceed – balanced as well – back on the road that leads me forward.

If Only…

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Christ, encouragement, God, heart, humble, love, others, Peace, Philippians, psalm 131, quiet, Scripture, selfishness, solace, spirit, St. Paul, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vainglory

Reading today’s assigned Scripture texts for liturgy made me wish everyone – from the famous to the infamous – would pay attention to the messages. First we have Paul pleading with the Philippians to be united and then in what we actually call the psalm response the psalmist takes a humble tone that might actually turn things around if all were to act out of it. I imagine it as a conversation between God and us today. See if that makes sense and what might be the result if everyone took it to heart.

GOD: Brothers and sisters, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for your own interests but also everyone for those of others. (PHIL 2: 1-4)

US: O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me. Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. (Ps 131: 1-2)

The Body of Hope

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beatitudes, comforted, compassion, Corinthians, encouragement, holding one in prayer, Jesus, mourn, pain, suffering, the body of hope, The Sermon on the Mount, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Perhaps because the weather promises to be wet and wild today, making my body know it is aging, my first thoughts upon waking were of suffering. Watching the news puts the topic front and center – especially because of all the destruction from floods and tornadoes – but also in my mind were so many conversations I have had over the past week with people whose lives have been tinged with sorrow or disease that has turned their world upside down. As is often the case, I found Scripture to be a reference for reflection on the topic and a place to find some solace. First it was Paul  who engaged the topic (2COR 1:1-7) saying, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of all compassion and the God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.” Although a little wordy, the meaning of Paul’s message should engage us, I think, in an inventory of all the times and ways that we have felt God’s presence in difficult circumstances. In that way, we might be able to listen deeply to others when they need an encouraging word or a shoulder to cry on. Note that I did not say “a solution to their suffering” because that is not always possible. Rather, Paul speaks about sharing in encouragement as we share in sufferings and thus have a hope born of compassion.

In addition to Paul’s voice, today we have the teaching of Jesus in his sermon called The Beatitudes or the Sermon on the Mount (MT 5:1-12) which includes Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. There is no when or how in the promise but only the promise itself. So I guess it all comes down to the theological virtue of hope. Just as in everyday life when we hope with expectation of fulfillment of our desires, so too in our faith. The added component for people of faith, however, is that as we place our trust in Christ’s promises, we rely not only on our own strength to realize our hopes but also on the grace of the Holy Spirit and the support of the community of believers.

All of this brings me back to my earliest thoughts, recalling those people whom I know to be in pain. Holding them in prayer – each in turn and all together – will be my responsibility and my offering today to the building up of the body of hope. Won’t you join me there?

Greetings and Salutations

Tags

Business, encouragement, high school, Jesus, letter, Paul

As a freshman in high school I was happy for a course called “General Business” because we learned all sorts of practical things but nothing was too difficult. As I was trying to get my balance going from algebra to Latin class, it was always nice to sit in a class where we were learning things like how to write a check (not that any of us had a checking account in those days, much less a credit card!). One thing we learned was the difference in form of a business letter and a friendly letter. I’m sure business courses – even the most basic – are much more involved in high schools now but I have always been grateful for some of the practical things that I still use from my one and only business class.

I’m always uplifted when I read the salutations in Paul’s letters – today to the Thessalonians (1: 1-5). Paul writes:

Paul, Silvanus and Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and sisters, as is fitting, because your faith flourishes ever more, and the love of every one of you for one another grows ever greater.

I rarely write “real” letters these days but I’m thinking this morning about the value in taking time to encourage people – either on paper or electronically – or simply to let them know I think of them, praying for them and thanking God for their presence in my life. It could take less time now – no need to look for a pen or their zip code – and I wouldn’t even need to buy a stamp unless I communicated  in “the old-fashioned way” of snail-mail. The method isn’t as important as the product and neither is as vital as the intention. Paul was never too intent on his core message to overlook the importance of a positive “salutation” and, if we read to the end of the letters, we see the same in his “complementary closings” as well.

So today might be the day I send a shout out to my General Business teacher, Sister Patricia Gibson (aka Sister Marie Frederick) for all she taught me back then. Surely, it will be a grateful, friendly letter.