Walking Together

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brothers, doggedness, faith, James, joy, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, persistence, sisters, steadfastness, success, tenacity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The beginning of the Letter of James says this today:

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (JAS 1:1-2)

These are days when it seems that our perseverance is being tested in many ways. Meg Wheatley, who wrote a book of that title, speaks of a persevering person as “one who sees through to the end,” or “one who does not yield.” It includes notions of maintaining our activity in spite of difficulties and is synonymous with tenacity, steadfastness, persistence, doggedness…My favorite notion in Wheatley’s introductory remarks is this: In Chinese, the character for perseverance is often the same as the need for patience.

On a mundane level – which is where most of us live all the time – I see perseverance as simply putting one foot in front of the other to “keep on keeping on.” But here is the key to success, I think. We cannot do it alone. Regardless of how strong we think we are or how capable of achieving success on our own, we need each other in order to survive. Once we conquer resistance to that reality, we are at least half-way there.

 

 

 

 

 

A Fitting Name

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birthday, Ephesians, generosity, Jesus, Jude, patron saints, praise God, Simon, sister, sisters, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today our Church remembers Simon and Jude, both apostles who are only known by their names or titles. Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) is mentioned in the gospel with the others chosen by Jesus as his close followers. Simon, known as the Zealot, was one of a sect of extreme Jewish nationalists who believed in the Old Testament concept that God alone was their king so that they were not to be subject to the Romans. Simon was converted by Jesus to a new and gentler way of living, it seems, but that is all we know of him. I didn’t know of him at all in my youth. As far as I knew October 28th was the feast of St. Jude alone, and I knew that much because it was – is – my sister’s birthday. By custom (way back then) she might have been named Judith but circumstances and the fact that we already had a close cousin with that name resulted in the fact that she is Paula.

Patron saints were a big deal in those days and I was proud to have Ann as my middle name so I could call the grandmother of Jesus my patron. I would have felt sorry for Paula if Jude was hers since Jude is the designated patron of those in “desperate situations” (http://www.franciscanmedia.org) We used to know that as “hopeless cases” and actually kidded my sister about that around her birthday on occasion.

I felt a lift this morning when I consulted the lectionary readings for the day. In contrast to some of the recent texts that seemed so serious and dark, today’s are filled with energy and motivation in the spirit of St. Paul. First, Paul announces to the Ephesians: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God! (EPH 2:19) Then we hear the psalmist sing: Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the end of the world, their message – a tribute to the work of Paul and the other early voices as well as creation itself (PS 19:5). Finally, the gospel reminds us of those called by Jesus as his first disciples (LK 6: 12-16) among whom we find Simon and Jude.

I was happy to hear these words – a birthday gift to my sister who has been in her life one who has always labored for the good of the whole, in both personal and professional relationships. Steadiness and generosity of self have clearly defined Paula’s life and blessed all of us who live within her sphere of influence. So today I honor my elder sister (my one and only!) and give praise to God for her life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Close Call

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alertness, brothers, calmed, fears, gratitude, Jan Phillips, lightning, safety, sisters, solidarity, storms, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thunder, tornado, weather, wind

I often speak about the beauty and my good fortune of living in the Northeast region of the United States. Over the past few years my appreciation for this gift has grown as has my compassion for those who live in increasingly dangerous weather climates. Whether it be tornado, mud slide, forest fire or other damaging condition, we have seemed untouched, except for two floods in the last 43 years that caused damage but no loss of life. Last evening we got a taste of what it feels like to experience the likely possibility of a tornado.

It began in the afternoon when the warnings were announced on the media and in the palpable sense of danger when I stepped outside. I understand a little now how the animals feel when the impulse to move to higher or otherwise safer ground embedded in their being clicks on. It was as if a subtle pressure was leaning against my body and an alertness took over my mind. Then there was the inner call to get home, the place of safety, to ride out the storm together. Reports kept coming of damages in places to our south and west as we closed windows, moved outside furniture from the deck to the ground, turned off computers and unplugged everything else in the house. Then we waited.

I had worried in anticipation about two things: first that the roof would blow off the house and secondly that a branch of our huge, ancient maple trees would crash into the house. As soon as we made the preparations, however, my fears were calmed, as if being together was enough to remind me that we would be able to withstand anything the storm could do.

Most of our area is still without power this morning. Thunder, lightning and wind were certainly fierce but I have not heard if an actual tornado touched down. Once again I sit in gratitude for my life. Having experienced all the feelings of yesterday gives me a greater felt sense of solidarity for others whom I am more and more aware of naming my sisters and brothers. And again I hear Jan Phillips singing inside: Because the One I love lives inside you, I lean as close to you as I can…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Brief Respite

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apostles, Jesus, Mark, retreat, sisters, the mystery of love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I was tired last night after I drove home from co-leading an overnight retreat at our Motherhouse over two hours away. The house was silent when I arrived; my housemates were working with the cooks over in our conference hall to clean up from dinner at the workshop in progress here this weekend. Not having the energy to engage with another group at that moment, I made a sandwich and sat down to wait for the Sisters to come over to the house. It was not long before they arrived and we sat down to share our experiences of Friday evening and yesterday. No matter the group or the topic, it is always a wonder to us to experience the energy and happenings of a group that gathers for spiritual purposes. We are able to observe the deep desires and enthusiasm in the arrival, the expectation as programs begin, the gamut of responses to what is shared and the moments of insight – and sometimes confusion – as the process continues. Whether or not each person goes away changed by the information and interaction, we always try to assure that everyone leaves having experienced the love of God manifest in the gratitude of our lives for the ministry to which we are called. That gratitude is always shared in wonder when we sit, as we did last evening, recounting the day’s events.

All of this was brought to mind by the gospel for this morning (MK 6:30-34) that begins: “The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile.'” Just as the apostles and Jesus only had a little time off before the crowds found them again, so we begin again this morning to serve up an experience of love to retreatants before they leave for home after lunch. My hunch is that the apostles had a conversation with Jesus much like ours, not so much what we had done with each of the groups we’ve encountered but rather what God had accomplished through us and through the shared energy of the group gathered. It is that confidence and with the support of one another that we go forward into this new day, moving ever deeper into the mystery of Love.