Why Resist?

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God, grace, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

My body can hardly sit in this chair because it is 9:20 AM and I have yet not settled on a thought worthy of being written. I keep trying to fit thoughts into a lesson from Thomas Merton. He sounds like I feel on this cloudy but still morning and it makes me smile that a great writer/theologian could find himself in the same state as someone like me. He says this:

My mind is scattered among things, not because of my work, but because I am not detached and I do not attend first of all to God. On the other hand, I do not attend to Him because I am so absorbed in all these objects and events. I have to wait on his grace. But how stubborn and slow my nature is. And how I keep confusing myself and complicating things for myself by useless twisting and turning. What I need most of all is the grace to really accept God as He gives Himself to me in every situation. (Entering the Silence, p. 199)

So I guess I’ve found my place for the day, after all!

God’s Song: Us!

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, God, Lynn Bauman, Psalm 147, raise up, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The Psalm for today’s liturgy is personalized by Lynn Bauman in a lovely way. Just reflecting on the first six verses, translated in a much more personal and lyrical manner than traditional English, gives us pause. See if you don’t agree. (Read aloud and stop to reflect on what is said, bringing our life situation now into the meaning, if you will.)

Hallelujah! My whole being longs to be a song in which you, my God, are always the refrain. So let this canticle of praise which is my life bring honor to your name. The music for this song began in ages past when you, O God, drew back the exiles from afar, when you rebuilt your ancient city called Jerusalem. And now it sings the healing of our shattered hearts, the binding up of all the wounds our world has caused. The chorus of stars, each named by you, sings out and adds its voice. It sings the majesty of God and wisdom’s boundless name. For God steps down and raises up in tenderness all those who live in grief; and just as surely God subverts all wickedness and casts the wicked in defeat upon the ground. (PS 147: 1-6, Ancient Songs Sung Anew)

(Can’t you just see God stepping down somewhere in the sky, picking you up out of whatever sadness clings to you and calling you – softly smiling – by your name…?)

God’s Dwelling Place

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Basilica of St. John Lateran, Corinthians, God, Lynn Bauman, psalm 46, refuge, St. Paul, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I used to think it strange that the Roman Catholic Church counts in the daily list of “saints” a Church building. That was back in the days of my most concrete way of thinking. Today I know that the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome is symbolic for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it has survived from the early part of the fourth century, the oldest church in Europe. Yes, it has been renovated, having survived several fires and even an earthquake, but as such has become a symbol of the ongoing presence of the Church—the home of God, so to speak, and as the site of papal installation until 1870. It still stands as one of the most beautiful and significant churches in Rome.

The symbolic value of the Church is seen today in the lectionary Psalm 46, chosen for the celebratory Mass of this day. Listen to the images found in the translation of Lynn Bauman (more powerful if read aloud).

God is for us a place of refuge and a mighty strength always present to us in our time of need…Suppose an earthquake rumbles through our world, or a mountain tips and tumbles into the sea; should these make us afraid and be the cause of dread? Though storms may blow and the seas themselves begin to foam, and though the foundations of the world are shaken to their core, Our God is the God of thousands, the God of myriad beings, like a stronghold to our ancestors, our God is with us now.

As if that were not enough, St. Paul tells the Corinthians today: Brothers and sisters, You are God’s building…Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? AND the temple of God, which you are, is holy. (1 COR 3)

Think on these things, if you will!

Called By Name

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existence, God, Hearts on Fire, Joseph Tetlow SJ, Lord, name, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It took me a long time to get comfortable with my name. My mother, I have heard, was looking for names that didn’t have the likelihood of devolving into nicknames. (That was a lost cause!) I think she was also interested in finding names that were uncommon, if not really unique. (The majority of Catholic girls of my age had a Mary or Marie attached somehow.) The one thing that comforted me about my name (although I was often asked where Superman was hiding) was that I was the only Lois in my class from kindergarten through high school.

Today I came across a prayer by Joseph Tetlow, SJ that focused more on who we are in the eyes of God and how our name becomes us as we grow into that identity. Knowing that I am unique in all the world (as we all are) because of God’s call, I pray:

Oh, Lord my God, you called me from the sleep of nothingness merely because in your tremendous love you want to make good and beautiful beings. You have called me by my name in my mother’s womb. You have given me breath and light and movement and walked with me every moment of my existence. I am amazed, Lord God of the universe, that you attend to me and, more, cherish me. Create in me the faithfulness that moves you and I will trust you and yearn for you all my days. Amen. (Hearts on Fire, p.14)

A Tiny Whispering Sound

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Elijah, God, hear, listen, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, whisper

Today we have what is probably the story of the greatest challenge a prophet ever had. It came to Elijah when things were looking quite bleak and he knew his days of serving God as prophet were likely at an end. It is a story of discernment, of knowing the voice of God when you hear it, and Elijah did not fail. I think it is, for us, a reminder that it isn’t always easy to hear God’s voice among all the competing messages from inside us and out, but is also an assurance that if we do our best, we will be rewarded every time. Read 1KGS 19 for the full story but here is the crux of the message, a message of mutual love, to be sure.

At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave, where he took shelter. But the word of the Lord came to him, “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the Lord; the Lord will be passing by. A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountain and crushing rocks before the Lord — but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance to the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?”

If God chooses to whisper to us by name today, “Why are you here?” may we each hear and have a ready answer.

A Winding Road

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comfort, God, God acts, God speaks, God's voice, Joyce Rupp, praise, pray, psalm 16, Stephen Mitchell, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Feeling a need for inspiration I pulled out the book, Prayer Seeds, by Joyce Rupp this morning. I wanted to hear and see something that would speak of hope or certainty to some deep place in my heart with the hope that it would do the same for others. I read a lot of Sister Joyce’s prayers, all lovely and appropriate for many occasions or seasons. This is, however, a season that we might call “out-of-time” so I needed to look further. At the top of page 167, there was a quote from Stephen Mitchell’s translation of selected psalms. It read:

Unnamable God, I feel you with me at every moment. You are my food, my drink, my sunlight and the air I breathe. (Psalm 16)

This could have been enough, I suppose, but then I thought, “What about people who are not feeling God at every moment these days?” so I found a selection of Mitchell’s psalm translations at another place on the internet. I feel a need to write two of them here as sort of a stream of consciousness: in on-going sentences rather than the traditional psalmody form, as if the speaker were walking a path while thinking/speaking. I don’t know why that seems important but I hope Stephen Mitchell would forgive this diversion from his work. It is my best offering for today.

God acts within every moment and creates the world with each breath. God speaks from the center of the universe, in the silence beyond all thought. Mightier than the crash of a thunderstorm, mightier than the roar of the sea, is God’s voice silently speaking in the depths of a listening heart. (Psalm 93)

Even in the midst of great pain, Lord, I praise you for that which is. I will not refuse this grief or close myself to this anguish. Let shallow people pray for ease: “Comfort us; shield us from sorrow.” I pray for whatever you send me, and I ask to receive it as your gift. You have put a joy in my heart greater than all the world’s riches. I lie down trusting the darkness, for I know that even now you are here. (Psalm 4)

Easter Sunday

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blessings, Easter, give thanks, God, liturgy, livestream, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s mid-afternoon by now, as I finally sit to reflect on this very different Easter Sunday. What I find as I think about it, though, is that it doesn’t really seem so different from all the other Easters that I have known. Susan is always prepared so we have sweet little bunnies (oh yes, stuffed ones) and other treasures for each of us. The livestream from my favorite Church in our area offered a lovely liturgy and I saw on the livestream that there were 397 people attending in addition to me and Liz. Dinner was a grand gesture from Omaha Steaks, provided by a very safety-conscious and delightful new acquaintance who has blessed our lives over the last month.! All that’s left is to clean the grill which is soaking away all the remnants of the yummy steaks. Now come the naps or other quiet occupations, likely to be kindly interrupted once or twice by well-wishers and others calling to make sure we’re okay.

We are okay. We are actually better than okay. We have a home and food and people who love us enough to forego visiting this time, and a God in whose image we and all others have been created and today we give thanks for all those who shine as examples to us of that beneficence. Happy Easter!

The season is well-begun!

The Good News from Valentine

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God, God loves us, love, perfection, St. John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is all about love – not just with chocolates and flowers (although I am partial to both) but also with thoughts from St. John the Evangelist who, among many other messages, gave us this deep and meaningful word from his first letter. Keep it close today!

“Love consists in this: it is not we who have loved God, but God who loved us. My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another. No one has ever seen God but as long as we love each other, God remains in us and God’s love comes to perfection in us.”

All About Love

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God, God is love, John, love, love one another, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Yesterday and today I have been without internet access but the messages from the daily lectionary have been very clear. My suggestion to all who are looking for inspiration this week is to look deeply into the first letter of John, especially chapter 4 which has enough power to last throughout the remainder of the Christmas season. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Let us love one another because love is of God. Everyone who loves is begotten of God and knows God.
2. If God so loved us we also must love one another. If we love one another, God remains in us and God’s love is brought to perfection in us.
3. God is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God remains in them. In this is love brought to perfection among us.

I know that you have likely heard and/or read these lines often before. What I suggest is sitting with them until they are stitched into your consciousness, popping up each time someone crosses your path, and you may find a new word in some one of the phrases as I did this morning. I have always heard #3 as God’s love is brought to perfection IN us but today I read it as AMONG us. A new effect of our willingness to love!
I rest my case.

Natural Beauty

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awake, beauty, dawn, God, gratitude, sunset, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Yesterday I was driving home at sunset which seemed to me a ridiculously early time for it to happen. I noted the time as 4:20PM and then realized that we are less than a month away from the winter solstice! “How can that be?!” I thought. Those people who told me years ago that time goes more quickly as you age were certainly correct! It’s all about perception, however, as the atomic clock is still chugging along with just seconds of loss or gain over the years. But I digress – sort of.

I can never get enough of the color and design of the sunset on Route 81 as I drive south coming home. That’s where I get the longest view because as my car climbs the hills and dips down into the valleys it’s like playing “Hide and Seek” with the sky. (It is New York State, after all!) So yesterday, I watched this golden panorama sink and then rise for at least 30 miles, shifting slightly all the while but continuing to delight me as I consistently worked at keeping my eyes on the road.

This morning I had the opposite phenomenon to watch as dark turned to deep magenta – just a hint at first and then brighter and glorious behind the tree outside my window. Just for a moment and then it was gone, swallowed up in the light of day. It would have been so easy to miss this brief miracle. Just another five minutes of sleepiness…

The psalmist calls, “Awake! Awake! I will wake the dawn!” I know how that feels and am also bowed in gratitude for the slowness of every sunset. How kind of our God to have created such beauty – so many trees and birds and sunrises and sunsets…and you and me in the midst of it all!