God’s “Law”

Tags

Deuteronomy, Exodus, love your neighbor as yourself, Luke, ten commandments, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There are many iterations in the Bible of what God expects of us. In today’s lectionary readings we have the text from the book of Exodus (Ex. 20: 1-17) that has come to be known as “The Ten Commandments.” The older I get, the more I find reason to live by “The Golden Rule” which calls us to “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, all your soul and all your strength.” (Deut. 6:5) I found 25 translations of that verse today and then from the Christian Scriptures a whole other group of texts including one from Luke (10:27) that adds “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

It’s all about love no matter how you read it and I find that the most difficult and necessary way to live. Some people are easy for us to love and some most difficult. The ways that we come to love must be good for each person. For some, it is what is known in our culture as “tough love” while for others it is quite easy to find the road to loving “with all your might,” as the Scriptures say. We can only do our best and wake up each morning ready to try again to move toward the love with which we are loved by God.

Sacred Scripture, Cherished Words

Tags

be content, generous heart, Hebrews, hospitality, Luke, psalm 27, refuge, Scriptures, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Sometimes when I read the Bible verses for the day it’s difficult to choose what to comment on because what was written in the Scriptures centuries ago is so apt and/or uplifting for the very day that we are living. Today there is much to ponder. I have chosen the most precious to me. See if you don’t agree.

1. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. (HEB 13)
2. Be content with what you have for He has said, I will never forsake you, or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? (HEB 13)
3. The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom shall I be afraid? (PS 27)
4. Blessed are those who have kept the Word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance. Alleluia! (LK 8)

Bigger Barns

Tags

bountiful harvest, consciousness, declutter, letting go, Luke, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have been in the process of “de-cluttering” for some months now. It seems that’s the only good opportunity in this season of Covid-19. Sometimes I wake up with great incentive but when I look at the end of the day I see that I have gone through my closet and there are only four or five items in the box that I will give away. Maybe my intention for the day had been clearing out my e-mail list and I find it much longer than I expected with things I am sure I will give attention to in the near future so I turn off my computer after reading one or two “important” documents. And then there is my car which seems forever destined to have very little room for companions because of all the boxes that I call “my traveling office.”

I have always identified today’s gospel as “Bigger Barns” and often remind myself of my state of consciousness with that simple alliteration. I wonder at those times where “letting go” went as I take a deep breath and attempt a purge in whatever corner of my life or heart seems most cluttered. I wonder where I would choose to start if I heard God speaking to me as did the rich man in today’s gospel (LK 12) who was looking for a place to store his “bountiful harvest.”

I’m glad today is Monday. I’m always willing to start over on Monday. It’s getting late so I ought to get started before “overwhelm” sets in. May you have the kind of profitable day that I hope for. I will be satisfied, I hope, with crossing off at least some of the items on my “to-do” list. What about you?

Life Choices

Tags

Carthusian, contemplative life, direction in life, Galatians, Jesus, Luke, Martha, Mary, psalm 139, St. Bruno, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There are many choices today for reflection. They all spring from the day’s lectionary readings and speak of the active and/or contemplative life in God. Paul speaks of his conversion, the recognition of his role in proclaiming Christ to the Gentiles and his many interactions with followers of Christ that convinced them of his transformation from persecutor of Christians to a faithful follower of Christ. His entire life became a witness. (GAL 1:13-24)

Then follows my favorite psalm (139), proclaiming how wonderfully made we are – and have been “from our mother’s womb.” Sometimes it just takes some time to wake up to the reality and the privilege. Many things determine our capacity to flourish. Conditions of place, family, income: all the many outer elements of life – as well as opportunities for inner development – make us who we are. Nature and nurture should work together.

But there is more, as seen in the gospel featuring Mary and Martha today, a very familiar story of a visit from Jesus. (LK 10:38-42) Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening to him, while Martha scurries around doing the tasks of hospitality and complaining about Mary’s lack of help. These were sisters, likely living together but remembered through the centuries as indicative of very different personalities: one the active and the other the contemplative in life.

Today is also the feast of Saint Bruno, a man who was a famous teacher and appointed chancellor of the his archdiocese at age 45 – a very high position. Bruno, however, had a dream of living in solitude and prayer, a dream he eventually realized in his foundation of the Carthusian order of monks and nuns. These men and women lived in individual cells at a distance from one another. They met for two prayer periods each day and spent the rest of the time in solitude, eating together only on great feasts. After nine centuries, there are approximately 370 monks and 75 nuns in various places in the world, living in the same manner as the companions of Bruno. in the whole, wide world, by today’s standards, a very small number.

What motivates people to choose a direction in life? Some, it is clear, “fall” into a life’s work. Some people take a long time to choose – or never do. It seems to me that it takes attention of both body and spirit to discern a place in this world. What has been your motivating force in life? Who has influenced your choices? Are there dreams still awaiting fulfillment? Most importantly: where is God in your life?

Look in the Mirror

Tags

judging others, kindness, Luke, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Luke’s gospel (LK 6:39-42) reminded me this morning of a saying on a coffee mug that I’ve also seen on a T-shirt. It says, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Luke is a bit more direct and is asking a question so I would expect a more forceful delivery. I can hear him challenging us, wanting to know: “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?”

Life-long Learning

Tags

forgive, Jesus, judging others, love your enemies, Luke, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There’s a lot to ponder in the lectionary readings for today: (Luke 6: 27-38). It’s all about love but because Jesus was speaking to his disciples rather than a large crowd the message was not flowery or sweet. It cut to the heart of how to live a good and meaningful life in the way that God would have us act. Spend some time with it if you will. I’ll just offer a taste to get you started, three thoughts that take some real honesty to get to the heart of things.

1. Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…
2. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
3. Stop judging and you will not be judged…Forgive and you will be forgiven.

Read the statements aloud. (How does it feel on the first read?) It will take some doing to go deeper than just recognizing the words. No squirming! Just stay with it until you’re ready to make a decision and a plan of how you can take a step toward this transformation in practice. (And then keep walking that path…)

Make It Personal!

Tags

blind, examination of consciousness, faith, Jesus, Luke, pity, question, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There are so many ways to learn from the Scriptures. We can usually find literal meaning in the passages we read. Sometimes it is also really easy to see more than a literal meaning to the gospel stories. Today is a good example of that. (LK 18: 35-43)

When Jesus approaches the city of Jericho, he hears someone calling, “Jesus of Nazareth, have pity on me!” We already know that this man is blind, sitting on the roadside begging. (Could we be the blind man? Are we sometimes blind to what’s going on? Do we ever ask those around us for help?) Even though people try to get him to stop yelling, he keeps calling out for pity. (How persevering are we in our prayer?) Jesus has the man brought to him and asks the important question: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Would you be ready for the question? Would you dare to ask for something or would you just say as many of us often do: “Oh, I’m okay…I don’t want to bother you…”) The man was brave enough to acknowledge what was wrong with him: “Please let me see,” he said. (Are we willing to ask God for what we need, even if it exposes some weakness or sinful behavior?)

The reward for honesty about ourselves is clear in this story. Jesus answers immediately: “Have sight!” and it’s clear that it is the man’s faith in the power of Jesus to heal that allows the healing. (What is your faith quotient these days? Are you sure that if you have faith you will get what you need? Would you be willing in your request to believe that God knows better than you do what you need and what will be good for you?)

I like this way of approaching the gospels and see it as an examination of consciousness because I really have to be awake if I’m going to get to the depth of meaning in my search. This story was easy to interpret. It’s the answers to the questions, however, that take time and honest digging. Are you willing to give it a try?

The Persistent Widow

Tags

faith, Luke, pray, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today the gospel reminds us of a parable about a widow wanting justice from a judge who only saw her as an annoyance. You can read it if you choose (LK 18: 1-8) but right now I’m interested in the first and last verses between which the parable is sandwiched. The directive at the beginning and the question at the end of the passage should wake us up if the “meat” in the middle does not!

Jesus told his disciples parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. (vs. 1)…But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (vs. 8)

Within and Among

Tags

among, between, flowing energy, God, Luke, the Kingdom of God is among you, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, within

Occasionally there are in the translations of gospel passages a one word difference from the familiar that stops me in my tracks and causes me to reflect rather than to simply assume I “get it.” That happened this morning in a very familiar passage from Luke 17. Listen:

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Did you hear it? Haven’t we been saying “The Kingdom God is within you?” That’s been my favorite quote for a long time and what I believe: that God has set up housekeeping in my heart! Hard to believe for some of us who feel unworthy of such a gift, but we have it on good authority – centuries of theological study and the witness of so many sainted people. Today I was happy to see that word among instead of within. It’s a little risky to say that because it could also allow me to say things like, “Well, yes: in you but not in me.” That’s not it at all! For me, “among” makes me know that God’s love is in all of us and that we are called to see it that way — in the mutuality that is totally inclusive. I would venture to say that Luke might be tempted to explain it as the kingdom of God being everywhere we are: within, between and among us as a flowing energy that is the life of God in this realm.

Can you, will you, see it that way?

In the Silence, Listening

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, God, God is calling, Luke, Lynn Bauman, Romans, silence, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I awoke this morning from a dream of snow. It was so real I had to get up and look out the window to find it truly a dream. Our first snow is predicted for later in this week but not yet…not quite yet. I love the symbol of snow as a new beginning. I have no idea where I first heard that but I keep it close as a wake-up call. This morning it was so vivid in my dream that I believe God is calling, and the readings certainly corroborate the feeling. Paul’s Letter to the Romans says that we have differing gifts and we ought to use them. (See ROM 12: 5-16) and Luke calls us to pay attention when God invites us to dinner. If we refuse by making excuses, our seats may be taken by others. (LK 14: 15-24). In order to hear God’s invitation, however, I find the humility of the psalmist the most vivid instruction, speaking to me in Lynn Bauman’s translation of Psalm 131. Please read it aloud.

Lord, I have little or nothing. I am no one and can bring nothing to you at all. I am only a simple human being; I understand little of earth’s great affairs. But I know this, that I must still my soul in quietness, and like a child who rests upon its mother’s breast, await your presence in the silence, listening, and in this waiting silence, remain awake forever. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 336)