Vacation

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being together, family, heart, joy, rejoice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vacation, wonderful

Today I anticipate joy in abundance. If you read yesterday’s post you’re probably thinking I’m referencing the acclamation: This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it! I must admit I was relieved that I remembered to say it to myself when I got out of bed this morning. If nothing else, I ought to practice what I preach! But I digress!

In an hour or two I will get in my car and drive to Massachusetts with the goal of arriving in no more than six hours – maybe less if conditions are right – at the neighborhood of my childhood memories. My young, beautiful cousin, Molly, is to be married today to Dan, who seems the perfect addition to our family. In itself, that event will certainly be a joy but add to it the opportunity to spend time with cousins of three generations and I can imagine nothing better. There is lots of love that binds us and surely the spirits of our parents will be with us. I heard recently that Molly’s wish was to be married ‘in Grandmother’s church” and so it shall happen!

The added bonus to all this comes at its conclusion, however. Because my brother and sister-in-law will be here, my sister has engineered a plan for us to spend the week together – something that hasn’t happened for the past five years! It is a fact of life now that siblings routinely live at a distance from each other – 3,000 miles of distance for us: Cape Cod, MA to San Diego, CA! It is quite difficult in our case so I am sure today that the saying “what’s seldom is wonderful” will be our experience this week. The plan is simple: just being together!

In the spirit of being “all in” to the experience, I am planning to be as present as possible with little interference. Thus, in a rare moment of self-care, I plan to take a vacation from writing this blog until Monday, April 16th. Wish me luck in letting it go, if you will. Perhaps there is something that you ought to take a vacation from…or maybe you simply ought to ask the question today of what you have not done in awhile that gives you the kind of joy that makes your heart sing. That’s where you’ll find me this week!

 

 

 

 

 

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Be Safe!

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God, grace, love of God, rooted in God, safe, safe travels, safety, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vacation

I received many messages over the past two weeks, mostly around the days of my going to and coming back from vacation. The majority of them encouraged me to be safe, stay safe or wished me safe travels. I presume that when we use those terms we’re speaking generally about our method of travel, although unless we’re driving a car we have little control – of the safety of the train, boat or plane. We have to fall back on the virtue of trust that I spoke about recently. Maybe people just want us to watch out for places where we might fall – like stepping off a curb that we misjudge.

Dictionary definitions for the adjective safe suggest that we will be uninjured with no harm done, or that we are protected from or not exposed to danger or risk. That last goes against what a growing population of sports people consider the best activities: “extreme sports” – and one might wonder if the resultant exhilaration is worth the risk.

The point of all this? Today’s psalm response in the lectionary. The refrain calls out: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope! This line resonated inside me as a warm feeling which led to all the meanderings above. Ultimately I came to the conclusion that even if something disastrous had befallen me over the past two weeks, I would still know safety if I am rooted in God. I recognize that as a great grace and wonder if I am sounding a bit naïve. I don’t think so. I don’t mean to say that I would not be disturbed at some serious and negative turn of events or that I do not mourn losses – particularly of beloved persons. What I will continue to ponder today is my relationship with God vis-à-vis my response to situations. Can anything separate me from the love of God? What can shake my hope, my trust? What about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Vacation

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Daniel Ladinsky, freedom, Hafiz, heart, joy, light, love, play, rejuvenate, spirits, Sufi, surrender, The Gift, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vacation, wings

The fireworks have stopped booming in the nearby locations – and probably everywhere for now – after yesterday’s celebration of Independence Day. Today most of us will be heading back to work or at least to responsibilities that were suspended in many cases for the long holiday weekend. But school is out and the atmosphere is warmer and slower, portending vacation for many during these next two months – an ocean beach, a mountain lake or a pool, at least, for the lucky ones. For all of us – especially those of us who have trouble taking time to rejuvenate because there is always so much to accomplish – I just found some advice from Hafiz, a 14th century Sufi poet, in a book called The Gift by Daniel Ladinsky. I hope to follow it, at least for today.

         WE HAVE NOT COME TO TAKE PRISONERS

We have not come here to take prisoners, but to surrender ever more deeply to freedom and joy.

We have not come into this exquisite world to hold ourselves hostage from love.

Run my dear, from anything that may not strengthen your precious budding wings. Run like hell my dear, from anyone likely to put a sharp knife into the sacred, tender vision of your beautiful heart.

We have a duty to befriend those aspects of obedience that stand outside of our house and shout  to our reason “O please, O please, come out and play.”

For we have not come here to take prisoners or to confine our wonderful spirits, but to experience ever and ever more deeply our divine courage, freedom and Light!

Weekend Advice

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intense, John, love, Peter, summer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, travels, vacation, weekend

It’s Friday again already! On this particular Friday, millions of people in the US are gearing up – or have already taken to the road or the skies – to celebrate on this long weekend not only Memorial Day on Monday but the beginning of summer all weekend long. The weather promises that even though the calendar tells us the real summer season is still almost a month away, the temperatures will convince us it has already arrived. There’s a happy feeling rising – a vacation attitude – that is expansive, perhaps because our houses cannot contain us; we are called outside to play!

Once again I turn to Peter for direct and clear instructions of how we are to be in order to enjoy the summer season – especially as we gather with relatives and friends on holidays and vacation times. Today he says: Above all let your love for one another be intense (there it is again), because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to another without complaining. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1PT 4: 7-13) Jesus is equally exhortative in the gospel acclamation (JN 15:16) where he says: I chose you from the world to go and bear fruit. And I want to add: So get out there and do it! (because we’re all chosen, you see.)

Safe travels! Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Priceless!

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childlike, chlidren, conversion, family, Jesus, Matthew, simpler, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, turn, turning, vacation, wiser

There’s a new MasterCard commercial on TV – the kind that ends by naming something “priceless” –  something that – ironically – can’t be bought with a credit card or money but is an experience. This one has several children, all appearing to be under 6 years of age, talking about vacation and how many millions of vacation days are lost each year because adults can’t find the time to take the time due to them off from work. They stress how ridiculous this is, since not only is vacation good (for whole families even) but it’s time for which the worker is paid! I find it the least offensive and the wisest advice of any commercial in recent memory. The message is important, of course, but it is the fact that it comes “out of the mouths of babes” that creates the impact.

When Jesus is asked this morning, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” he calls a child over, places her/him in their midst and says, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me.” (MT 18:1-5) Everyone is quick to warn that Jesus does not call us to be childish but rather child-like. I’m interested this morning, however, in the word turn in the instruction of how we will prepare to come into the Kingdom. In this culture we definitely need conversion – a turning from something to something else – which implies letting go of that which impedes us from seeing what is important.

Today, I think I’ll try to spend some time reflecting on the ways in which children are simpler, wiser and less encumbered than I am. Evaluating what mental constructs I would be able to shed in the quest to be “childlike” might offer me the possibility for a few more “priceless” moments in my day.