Hard Questions

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love, Peace, power, self-control, speaking truth to power, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, truth

Again today, just one line from St. Paul. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said the following: For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. (2 TIM 1:7) We would do well to reflect on these qualities in these difficult days when darkness seems to toy with the waning light of day, when violence seems to compromise peace in the world and when leadership in our institutions sometimes seems to fail instead of leading us. Where in ourselves can we find the strength to speak truth to power, to stay the course of peace in times of conflict? And how will we be the love of God to all we meet, regardless of return or reward?

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Bless the Lord!

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barakah, bless you, children, divine Source, grace, love, mercy, power, Psalm 103, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I was startled by concepts in an alternate translation of Psalm 103 this morning. The first line was not so different from the lectionary reading but it made me feel the guilelessness of a child who might blurt it out: O God, I bless you with my whole heart and soul! Verse four caught me, however – again like a child now prancing with delight: I wear your love and mercy like a crown! The entire translation was delightful but the attending notes afforded me what I was looking for that opened up a new perspective in my relationship with God.

“The word barakah”, I read, “is Hebrew for blessing.” (No surprise there.) “It means something more in Hebrew than it does in English, a power and grace that flows from one being and place to another through the universe from its divine Source. Interestingly, it flows both ways, from the divine Source to ourselves, and from ourselves back to the Source, Apparently we are catalysts in the flow of blessing.”

Two questions of note follow: How is it possible to be a blessing, or one of the conduits through which it flows? and more to the point of my wondering, How is it possible to bless God? I’m used to asking for God’s blessing on others but can blessing the Divine, the Almighty One be efficacious in the same powerful, gracious way as blessing other beings? How does the understanding (or at least the acceptance) of that flow of blessing alter my view on things or the way in which I wear that crown of love and mercy that is God’s gift to me?

Open the Door

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authority, Come O God, House of David, House of Israel, Isaiah, Jesus, key, love, Messiah, O Antiphons, power, prophecy, salvation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unconditional love

Today’s O Antiphon speaks of the Messiah as the Key of the House of David. Isaiah writes of the authority given to the leader of the House of David, the one who has the power to open or to shut without anyone taking that power away. The authority of this powerful leader of God’s kingdom “shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and forever more.” (Isaiah 9:7)

How do we understand this power? How did Jesus come in order that this prophecy would be fulfilled? Clearly his power was not the might by which earthly monarchs of earlier days manifested their authority. St. Paul speaks of the humility of the Christ (Messiah) who “emptied himself” of power in order that a new age be initiated, a new way of being triumphant.

What was the key to that new way? It could only be fueled by love. Pouring himself out in love was the example provided for us. We need only to search the gospels to find all the doors unlocked with that key of love. “Love one another as I have loved you,” Jesus said in word and deed. But we cannot only depend on the one who governs for that kind of success. Our participation is demanded. Love others as your very self. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take care of those less fortunate…You know the terms. The freedom that comes with loving unconditionally will be the salvation of the world. Are we willing?

O Key of David and scepter of the House of Israel, you open and no one can shut; you shut and no one can open: Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house, those that dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

God’s Grace In Us

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ego, fallible, God, grace, Paul, power, Scriptures, sufficient, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, weakness

Sometimes it can be very comforting to read the letters of Paul in the Scriptures, like today when he speaks about his ego getting the best of him. When that happens, he notes that there’s always something that reminds him of his fallible nature. When he begs God to make him better (Sound familiar??) God’s response is amazingly reassuring and loving. We would do well to believe God says the same to us. Listen and see if you can rest in both parts of the answer.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 COR 12:9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bless You!

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ancestral clearing, Ancient Songs Sung Anew, barakah, blessing, creation, divine Source, God bless you, grace, Jewish, John Newton, Muslim, power, Psalm 103, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Psalm 103 calls for blessing not only for us but from us and from all of creation. We are to bless the Lord as the Lord blesses us. In addition, we ought to be sending out blessings to all people not just in God’s name but in our own. “God bless you” has been a familiar phrase throughout my life but what has sounded like shorthand for that (“Bless you!”) has recently gained new significance for me.

John Newton (www.healthbeyondbelief.com), on his webcasts for ancestral clearing, ends his conversations with people who call in by saying, “Bless you” and many respond, sometimes in addition to “Thank you, John,” with “Bless you!” I thought perhaps that John was just being sensitive to all the ways callers might name their “higher power” rather than God – as is clearly true in his conversations. This morning, however, in a commentary on Psalm 103, I was suddenly brought to a fuller awareness of the power of that phrase of blessing, as parents who bless their children as they send them off to school have known for generations. I’m grateful for that inspirational moment (a gift of Pentecost, perhaps?) and offer two paragraphs in hopes that some of you may share in my experience.*

The word barakah is Hebrew for blessing. It means something more in Hebrew than it does in English, a power and grace that flows from one being and place to another through the universe from its divine Source. Interestingly it flows both ways, from the divine Source to ourselves and from ourselves back to the Source. Apparently we are catalysts in the flow of blessing.

The subject of blessing is much neglected in  modern theological and spiritual thought. It does, however, continue to have a strong role in both contemporary Jewish and Muslim thinking. In both traditions blessing is a power that flows and is available to human beings. The source of this energy is transcendent and is not subject to the normal laws of cause and effect. It can flow backwards in time, for example, or appear instantly across great distances in time and space. It is as though the universe is a body with barakah (blessing) flowing through its veins. Envision this if you can, and open yourself to its flow. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p.260)

*A visit to John Newton’s website may be in order for your further information and inspiration.

Bless you all today!

 

 

 

 

 

Let All The Earth Cry Glory!

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Christ, divine influence, existence, God, Lord, power, radical transformation, Teilhard de Chardin, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity, universe

After a weekend of observing radical transformations of vast fields into vibrant green carpets and watching the waning sun splash patterns of color like the best abstract artists – not to mention the truest blue of the sky, I turn to Teilhard de Chardin for a fitting prayer of gratitude this morning. He does not disappoint.

Glorious Lord Christ:
the divine influence secretly diffused and active in the depths of matter,
and the dazzling centre
where all the innumerable fibres of the manifold meet;
power as implacable as the world and as warm as life;
you whose forehead is of the whiteness of snow,
whose eyes are of fire,
and whose feet are brighter than molten gold;
you whose hands imprison the stars;
you who are the first and the last,
the living and the dead and the risen again;
you who gather into your exuberant unity
every mode of existence;
it is you to whom my being cries out
with a desire as vast as the universe:
“In truth you are my Lord and my God!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Believe It!

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beautiful, bitterness, despair, hope, indifference, love, Macrina Wiederkehr, nonviolent, Peace, power, seven sacred pauses, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transform, truth, unconditional love, violence

I read something from Macrina Wiederkehr’s book, sevensacredpauses, this morning that made me smile, especially given what I wrote yesterday. I think it’s worth sharing.

I will believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is:

• I believe in my power to transform indifference into love.
• I believe I have an amazing gift to keep hope alive in the face of despair.
• I believe I have the remarkable skill of deleting bitterness from my life.
• I believe in my budding potential to live with a nonviolent heart.
• I believe in my passion to speak the truth even when it isn’t popular.
• I believe I have the strength of will to be peace in a world of violence.
• I believe in my miraculous capacity for unconditional love.

I will believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is. (p.109)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Authentic Authority

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A Deep Breath of Life, Alan Cohen, authentic, authority, conversation, empowerment, Jesus, power, respect, role, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Affirmation can come from any source at any time. I have a present and clear example this morning of exactly what I needed as a first item being checked off on a full calendar of tasks and events today. In conversation yesterday with a colleague who is unable to be at a 3-day meeting this weekend because of the death of a close friend, he suddenly said, “Oh, I was supposed to be chaplain for the group!” (This is a position of prayer preparation for the days and is often also one of awareness of the need to take a break for silence in deliberation.) I told him I would do it for him and this morning wrote a brief message to the committee that said, “I have agreed to step into the role of chaplain for the meeting.” Three times I added clauses that said: “if you all agree” and “unless someone else desires to do it” and “if it’s okay with everyone.” Each time I erased the addition and finally said to myself: “Just do it!”

Next I picked up Alan Cohen’s A Deep Breath of Life and read the entry for 9/27 entitled “Real Authority.” The message could not have been clearer to me. Here is what it said, in part:

The words authority and authentic are derived from the same root word. When you are authentic, you proceed from the deepest place of empowerment within you, and your words and actions bear the most effective results. When you do not act authentically, you are not effective because you are moving from a place of fear or emptiness.

The Bible tells us that the people respected Jesus because “he spoke with authority. When we tap into our divinity, the true author, God, authorizes us to be authentic and, thus, we bear the highest and only authority.

Cohen concludes with a brief affirmation prayer that says: “Let me not hide my true power under a cloak of smallness or unworthiness.” And I say: Amen to that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving Or Getting?

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Acts of the Apostles, afflicted, Corinthians, demand, esteem, Jesus, Matthew, Paul, perplexed, persecuted, power, serve, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, zeal, Zebedee

Today’s lectionary readings seem to point out two basic attitudes to life. I often smile when I read the text from 2 Corinthians (4:7-15) where Paul reminds me of the play when the “Unsinkable Molly Brown” sings (as the Titanic is sinking), “I ain’t down yet!” Paul says, “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed…” He is so full of zeal for the mission of Jesus that nothing can stop him. I am always amazed when I read of his travels in The Acts of the Apostles, knowing that a trip in his day has absolutely no comparison to mine. What took Paul months on the sea or overland might cost me a few hours on a plane. Paul’s attitude was that of a consummate optimist; he was willing to suffer anything for what he knew of Christ and wanted to share.

The gospel (MT 20:20-28) shows us something different with which we are quite familiar in our “dog-eat-dog” culture. Enter: the mother of the sons of Zebedee, an over-zealous parent who has obviously not learned the disasters that can afflict spoiled children. She approaches Jesus with the wish – no, the demand – that her sons be at his right and left, the positions of power, when it comes to sitting in the kingdom that she presumes he will establish. Not only were she and her sons totally mistaken about the mission of Jesus but they then had to deal with the other ten apostles who were indignant about the way they put themselves forward. Getting all you can of power or esteem or money is a prevalent attitude in our time and culture but is definitely not the way those who seek a spiritual life view right living.

Jesus is clear in his assessment of this situation and in his response both to the Zebedee family and the other apostles, saying, “Whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.” Paul got the message and maybe the Zebedees eventually did too, since it appears they remained in the company of Jesus whose closing remark in this text is a good lesson for all of us: “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve…”

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Moments

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Alan Cohen, blessing, daily interactions, Golden Moments, heart of God, hello, Jubilee, love, power, strangers, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tone, triumps

Still basking in the glow of last weekend’s beautiful golden jubilee celebration that I experienced with so many kind words and gestures, I was immediately interested in Alan Cohen’s daily reflection for this date because the title was actually “Golden Moments.” After a personal anecdote, he continued with what is surely a worthy way to look at life. (I especially like his concluding sentence.) See if you agree.

It is not through world-shaking triumphs that we build our life, but in the common daily interactions. The tone of our voice can win or lose a business deal, and a thoughtful hello can change a stranger’s attitude. We never really know how far a little blessing will go. Go beyond the norm of expected kindness by even a little bit, and you will become a miracle-worker.

Never underestimate the power of a kind word or act. Even if your gift does not seem to be received, your heart will soar. Love is always received in the heart of God, where we all live.