The Seventh Day

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, keep holy the Sabbath day, life, listen, Psalm 95, Sabbath, ten commandments, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, voice of God

No matter what’s happening, when I wake up on Sunday morning I always feel different from other days. The Scriptures for today remind me of the reason that is true for me. The first reading (for Year B) recounts the Ten Commandments, the fourth being described as follows: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God…no work may be done.

Sometimes these days it’s impossible for everyone in these United States to observe Sabbath in their traditional way. Just the fact that work schedules span the 7-day, 24-hour work week for certain employees makes that easy to see. Whether we have to carve out our own Sabbath time because of our life circumstances or are able to join with traditional services where we live, the observance of Sabbath is clearly an essential element of our well-being. A reminder in Psalm 95 today says it well.

So come, then, let us bow before this God of ours, and offer up our beings to the Lord. Listen deep within yourself to hear the voice of God who shepherds you and leads you forth to life. (vs. 6-7, Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p.241)

 

 

 

 

 

Harden Not Your Hearts

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bitter, failure, God, heart, hearts, Meribah, miracle, Psalm 95, sign, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, voice

The verse before the gospel today is very familiar. It comes from Psalm 95 and if I only see the first clause, I can always recite the second. If today you hear God’s voice…harden not your hearts. I usually pass it by making a quick note to myself of the meaning, i.e. “Don’t get mad at God for anything that happens” or “Don’t forget that God always loves you.” This morning I decided to investigate because I didn’t remember why the psalmist was warning the people in that way. Here’s what I found in a commentary.

The experience of the Hebrew people at the oasis of Meribah was one of those historical markers in their journey from Egypt. The waters of Meribah were bitter (which is the meaning of the name) and they also complained to God bitterly that they were brought out into the desert to die. In the record and tradition of the people a miracle was performed and the bitter waters were turned to sweet, drinkable water. They never forgot what happened, but they also failed the same test of trust over and over again. Meribah became a kind of sign to them of their failure and God’s provision. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 241)

Thus, I guess I wasn’t far off in my assessment of the meaning of that verse, but now I might recall the whole thing myself before I get all huffy when a situation seems unfair. May it be so – for all of us!

 

 

 

 

 

More Mercy

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abbot, Benedict, gracious, Joan Chittister, judgment, kindness, Lent, merciful, mercy, monastic life, perfection, Pope Francis, Psalm 95, spirituality, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Year of Mercy

I’ve thought and talked a lot about mercy, especially since I came to understand that it has more to do with love than with pity. At the conclusion of the “Year of Mercy” declared by Pope Francis, it was suggested that we continue to keep that virtue front and center in our lives. Not a bad idea, it seems, in our broken, frustrating world as we attempt to maintain equilibrium and good faith each day.

Lent is a perfect time for practicing mercy and contemplating the breadth of what it can mean – not just as an aspect of God but in our human interactions as well. Psalm 95 acknowledges God’s mercy to us this morning with the refrain: The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

From the human side, Joan Chittister has a great paragraph about mercy in monastic life in her book Wisdom Distilled From the Daily. In speaking about the qualities of the abbot she writes the following which I find to be comforting as well as challenging.

The abbot must be more intent on mercy than on judgment. But if that is the case, then clearly Benedict knew the world was made up of the very imperfect, the very human where a great deal of mercy would be necessary as we each wound our stumbling, human way to God. We, on the other hand, find it so hard not to expect perfection of ourselves and, because of that, to expect it of others as well. We drive ourselves and drive everyone around us beyond any achievable standard and then wonder why we fail and fail and fail. Benedictine spirituality says that life is a set of weaknesses in search of wholeness and we must be patient with one another’s growth. (p. 115)

Even Now…Come!

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God's presence, heart, Joel, open arms, Psalm 95, return, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Between the prophet Joel and Psalm 95 this morning, I find it impossible to resist the invitation I hear from the God who never gives up on us. Come, sings the psalmist, calling us to be in God’s presence. Come and bow in worship before the one who made us and guides us as a shepherd. And as if that were not enough, verse 8 pleads with us: Oh, that today you would hear God’s voice! Harden not your hearts…! It’s as if God is saying, “Yes, of course I know everything: the good, the bad and the ugly! Your past is totally open to me, but I can’t resist you, can’t let you go! Even in your darkest moments, I have loved you and you belong to me.  So in this present moment, come!”

It’s Joel that seals the deal with those two enticing words. When we feel at our lowest, least lovable, Joel speaks God’s message: Even now, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful.

This season of Lent is one that has traditionally called Christians to repentance for past failings and to a “firm purpose of amendment” – actually something we ought to commit to every day of the year. This determination is not, however, something that should depress us because of our lack of perfection but rather encourage us because God’s expectations are probably more reasonable than our own. Waking up each morning to a God whose first word to us is “Come!” ought to be enough to move us toward the day with a heart full of gratitude and hope, of longing and confidence toward the God who turns toward us with open arms.

 

 

 

 

 

Today Is the Day

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Ash Wednesday, bigheartedness, clean heart, determination, hear his voice, heart, honest intention, Joel, Matthew, motivation, psalm 51, Psalm 95, spirit, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, whole heart

There’s an urgency running through the Scripture readings this morning that calls us to recognize this moment. It’s as if we are crouched at the starting line of a race, having registered late, maybe, but waiting for the gun to signal: “GO!” The prophet Joel starts it off with his initial words: Even now, declares the Lord. St. Paul picks up the theme telling us that now is the acceptable time and Psalm 95:8 (the gospel acclamation) chimes in with the familiar line: If today you hear God’s voice…These are the prompts that get us from “READY” to “SET” but what will start us running?

It’s all about the heart, you see. This season of Lent could be called “Forty Days of Big-heartedness.” Joel says it doesn’t matter how bad you’ve been because even now, declares the Lord, return to me with your whole heart! Rend your hearts, not your garments. (JL 2:12-13). Harden not your hearts, Psalm 95 adds. So how are we to accomplish this softening inside in order to draw closer to God?

First, we have to take stock of our lives – not necessarily an exhaustive search for what needs correction, but just an honest look in the mirror that will start us on the humble road to conversion. Then we have to ask for God’s help, as with anything we do. Psalm 51 gives us a way to start. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Lastly, we might turn to today’s gospel for a detailed way to pray that makes concrete that humble turning that we wish to achieve. Just a few words of Jesus from the text (MT 6:1-6, 16-18) will give us the idea.

Jesus said to his disciples: Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them…When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you…do not let your left hand know what your right is doing…When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret…When you fast…anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting…

It’s easy to get the point about honest intention, motivation and determination, i.e. working from the inside. May your Lenten journey begin today with attention to the beating of your heart for the good of all you encounter. And may the love you share during this season make you stronger in the knowledge that, in truth, it really is all about the heart.

Wait For It…

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faith mustard seed, fulfillment, Habakkuk, hear, Luke, Psalm 95, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, vision

All of the lectionary readings today urge us to recognize the gift of faith that is already in us and the courage we need in order to develop and maintain steadfastness in that faith. When the apostles say to Jesus, Lord, increase our faith, Jesus offers what we can only call hyperbole as a response, saying: If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea” and it would obey you. (LK 17:5-10) I wonder – because of such a strong retort on the part of Jesus – if this isn’t one of the moments of his frustration with the lack of comprehension of his message in those he has chosen to follow him.

St. Paul sounds a bit more placid but just as clear in his exhortation to Timothy: Beloved, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. God did not give you a spirit of cowardice but rather of power, love and self-control. (2TM 1:6-8, 13-14) Those three qualities would go far to stir up our faith if we practiced them consciously each day, remembering also the advice of Psalm 95:8: If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

All of this advice and urging to faith will surely coalesce in us if we remember the promise of the prophet – a long-ago message that may give hope in our world today where we are always looking for the “quick fix” to our problems and difficult situations. I quote it last so that it will remain as first of what we might ponder today.

The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. (HAB 2:2-4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

How’s Your Hearing?

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attentiveness, focus, harden not your hearts, hear God's voice, listen, pay attention, Psalm 95, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The refrain from Psalm 95 reverberates in my ears and in my heart this morning. We read it and sing it from hymnals and it would behoove us to take a moment to ask ourselves, “Am I listening?” As soon as I read it as the psalm refrain this morning (If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts!) The melody began to repeat in my head. Then I got to the verse that said, O, that you would hear his voice! as if the psalmist were pleading urgently for us to pay attention. It made me think that hearing God’s voice isn’t just work on God’s part (to talk to us), but rather a question of our willingness and the recognition that we need to really pay attention in order to hear. Multi-tasking is not helpful here. Sometimes we need to put down the hammer or the book or turn off the television or our iPad and focus!

So today’s a day to turn up our “hearing aids” of attentiveness and listen for the words of love that will soften our hearts and keep us on the path to God’s house.

The Cosmic Dance

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conscious work, glory, healing, hungry, Kanuga, poor, Psalm 95, refugees, sharing, synergy, terror victims, The Elm Dance, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I can’t be sure yet but I think the rain has stopped. Yesterday it seemed as if we were destined to begin building an ark for 250 people and however many animals came swimming down the paths here at Kanuga. But it was a day when it seemed no one was bothered by the rain. We were buoyed up by the synergy of our sharing, especially as we came together in a magical event that replaced our “conscious work” period of cleaning up the grounds of leaves and sticks and other remnants of autumn.

We gathered in the gym, first in our “small groups” of 20 people each and then in 3 concentric circles to learn and then dance The Elm Dance for the healing of the world. All nervousness about “doing it right” vanished quickly in the first go-round when the groups realized how simple the steps were and how easy it was to stay together as they moved. Especially beautiful were the moments of moving toward the center of the circle where joined hands let go into the sky, waving like the branches of beautiful trees and coming back together in the movement out again to continue circling. Later sharing provided ample evidence of connecting with the plight of refugees and victims of terror, the poor and hungry of the world and the ravaged places of Earth herself in ways that were deep and meaningful.

The rain continued to accompany us through the day and night where strains of our closing chant for the evening resonated everywhere as witness that every cell of this body sings, “Glory!” I have no doubt that the best advice any of the participants here could give for this new day comes from the gospel verse for this morning: If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts. (Ps. 95:8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One at a Time

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calm, disciplined prayer life, don't judge, harden not your hearts, holy anger for injustice, non-violence, Psalm 95, silence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tolerance, willingness to forgive

The gospel verse this morning urges: “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” (PS 95:8) Macrina Wiederkehr expands on the line by giving examples of what that might entail for us. There are mornings, she says, when I simply sit in silence trying to remember some of the things that need to rise in me: a tolerance for those who don’t agree with me, a refusal to judge others, a willingness to forgive, greater effort to live with a non-violent heart, loving thoughts toward those who don’t exactly dote on me, a calm and hopeful spirit in the midst of my anxieties, discipline in my daily personal prayer, attention and faithfulness in my daily work, a holy anger for injustice in our world. As I remember these necessary risings in my life, the wings of my heart slowly begin to unfold. All praise to you, Giver of the Morning! (Seven Sacred Pauses, p. 61-2)

Sometimes I awaken from sleep ready to accept all those challenges. Today, I think I’ll start with one and see how far I can go from there.

Sabbath Praise

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church, Earth, faith formation, full of song, God's artistry, God's presence, listen, mosque, praise God, Psalm 95, Sabbath, shepherd, shout with joy, synagogue, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, the voice of God

As I read Psalm 95 this morning I had images of families bustling about getting ready for Church. The subtitle of this psalm in one of my favorite translations names it Remembering the Past, Holding the Present and it got me thinking about how we celebrate the Sabbath. For some of those bustling families it’s about making sure their children participate in the faith formation classes that accompany the Sunday morning ritual, but the words of the psalm call me to reflect on the dispositions with which people come to those rituals.

Come, let us go into God’s presence full of song, and standing on the rock of our salvation, shout with joy. And in that presence let praise and thankfulness be offered there, for our God is greater far than any gods we claim to know or understand. God holds in care the earth we walk upon, from its deep caverns to mountain summits which meet the sky. For the waters of the oceans deep and the lands which stand above the seas, all these are God’s own finest act of artistry. So come, then, let us bow before this God of ours, and offer up our beings to the Lord. Listen deep within yourself to hear the voice of God who shepherds you and leads you forth to life.

So whether in church or mosque or synagogue, in a tiny cell or great cathedral or out in nature among the praising trees, let us come with all our hearts to a Sabbath day praising the God who holds us dear in life and love.