Torah of the Heart

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, conversation with God, covenant, joy, love, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Yesterday our Sophia Center gathering for “Lunch With the Psalms” was so deep and meaningful I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to share in the reflections on Psalm 119: 41-48. I invite you to find a friend and have that conversation. If you prefer, call on our Divine Friend and have the conversation with God.

For the sake of the covenant we keep between us, Lord, let your love descend and hold me fast. And let your word be that which speaks to all who taunt and follow after me. Allow my mouth to utter words of truth, this Torah of the heart, which I shall trust and keep forever. And then in freedom I will walk upon your path and know these precepts are yours alone. I’ll speak them as an overwhelming power to all the rulers of the earth and unashamed. I’ll bind them to my heart with deepest joy. For I love and worship all you love, my Lord; I meditate upon this inner bread. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 303)

I strongly suggest reading the text aloud as the words shimmer with a beauty that is deeper than words and approached only by heart-language heard in our own voice.

The Flowering Root

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Come O God, God's plan, Isaiah, Jesus, Joseph, King David, Mary, Micah, O Antiphons, Root of Jesse, sign, synchronicity, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

The O Antiphon for today comes from a prophecy in chapter 11 of the Book of Isaiah in the Hebrew Scriptures which says: “A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (Vs. 1) “And on that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (Vs. 10) One would have to know that Jesse was the father of King David and that the prophet Micah, in chapter 5 of his prophecy, had written that the Messiah would be born “of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem.” And one more thing leads to Jesus being recognized as Messiah. Although they lived in Nazareth, Mary and Joseph were required to travel to Bethlehem, as members of the lineage of Jesse, to enroll there in the census at the end of Mary’s pregnancy.

We can look at many important happenings of our lives as “synchronicity” (meaningful coincidences). Some people would describe the above circumstances as such. Believers the world over would have another explanation, however. They would call it “God’s plan.” Today’s O Antiphon cries out in that belief.

O Root of Jesse (or Flower of Jesse’s stem), you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

Virtual Travel

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Cynthia Bourgeault, music, praise, song, Stonington Maine, taize, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Sometimes virtual travel is almost as good as being there. So it was last evening when a large rowdy band of Christians walked up a hill in Stonington, Maine and was transported from St. Mary’s Church to the chapel at Taizé, France to worship God in song. Not unlike Stonington, Taizé is a tiny town with a stable population of just under 200 people. in the summer, however, over 100,000 people, most of them young pilgrims, descend on Taizé to sing and serve in what becomes for them a spiritual homecoming.

We were lots more than half a hundred, spilling out of pews and finding our places around the sanctuary to sing those same melodies with gusto and devotion – none more devoted and joyous than our “maestro,” Cynthia Bourgeault. It was a glorious session accompanied with piano, harp and base viol.

I thought of how music is often able touch us in places where nothing else can. Last evening was one of those times when community was clearly deepened among us. I was aware also, however, of our monthly gatherings at the Sophia Center in Binghamton, NY where we also pray in the manner of Taizé. We are sometimes only three or four souls singing to recorded music or even just with our own voices. While not as spectacular, we are certainly as fervent in our praise and live by the motto that “Those who sing, pray twice.” I recommend it highly – even if it is a solo song, a simple song, to God.

 

 

 

 

 

Metaphoric Vision

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, blessed, city of God, hallowed space, heart, inner ear, inner eye, inner geography, interior reality, Lectionary, Peace, pray, Psalm 122, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

After reading a traditional translation of Psalm 122 in today’s lectionary, I came upon what the author called a “metaphoric” rendering wherein “one can experience the peace of the city of God and the kingdom of God as an interior reality…where the sacred geography of the Middle East becomes a reality in the heart.” Listen with your “inner ear” and see with your “inner eye” the vision presented, and then consider the author’s call to go deeper by reflecting upon “the inner geography of your own heart and being” and answer how you are that city, that temple, that kingdom.

With joy I arose and went into your house when called to the worship of your name. I entered and now stand singing at your gates with all those gathered to worship and adore you. Your holy name becomes for us a blessed city, a place of peace that draws us deeper in, where people of every tongue and race rise up before the presence of your face to know and love the God of peace as one. So in this hallowed space and ground, your judgment and your rule of love, becomes for us a kingdom. And may that kingdom come, your peace be done over all the earth, we pray. Within the inner walls of heart and soul, and on the outer towers of human being, may peace descend and be for everyone a fortress and a keep where nothing evil enters in. And this we pray now for the good of all – for all who are your house, your dwelling place forever. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 318-319)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Praise of Sabbath

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Catholic Church, conscious work, Genesis, keep holy the Sabbath day, praise God, Psalm 145, Sabbath, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

This morning I am thinking of the notion of “Sabbath” and how the busyness of our lives has squeezed the practice that originated in the book of Genesis (God resting on “the seventh day” from all the work of creation) into a religious service that may last an hour at most. I speak of Catholic practice, which is what I know best, and am pushing aside any sense of commitment and feeling of the difference that accompanies this most important day of the week for many people, in order to shine a spotlight on how things “used to be.” I would wager that “no unnecessary servile work on Sunday” is a concept unknown to most Catholics under the age of 40 years.

My point is not to return to an understanding of the call to worship as a statute that, if broken, has dire consequences. It is simply a sadness that we seem, as a people, to have lost a sense of wonder and awe about creation and the Creator that – in and of itself – calls us to stop and give praise on a regular basis. Were we to understand the depth of what we have been given as possibility for conscious living, we would likely have little time for anything but praise! The paradox about that, however, would be our ability to do everything we are doing with more ease and success if we were acting consciously all the time. Let us, then, begin this morning with Psalm 145, as does the lectionary. The psalmist reminds us of the duty and privilege of praise so let us also raise our voices in like manner.

O sovereign God, all-powerful, your name I praise above all else. Each day that comes I add another note of song that I shall never cease to sing, for you, Almighty One, are great beyond my telling. Of you there is no limit and no end.

Strong Roots

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blessing, Jesse, Jesus, King David, lift your mind, Magnificat, Maranta, Messiah, miraculous, O Antiphons, prayer plant, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

There are days when, if I stop to think about it, the capacities of the internet for understanding what I’m looking for are quite astounding. I had little hope of finding the answer to the rightful name of my “prayer plant” when I went searching this morning, but there it was, almost immediately – the name with a picture so I would know it was the one I was looking for: Maranta leuconeura. There was even a short video to illustrate the miraculous nature and reason why this plant got its “nickname.” Every night while I’m sleeping my friend, Maranta, is deep in prayer. All her leaves are raised to a vertical position, just as some of us raise our arms to heaven in worship, singing. In the morning, if I rise before dawn, I catch her in her concluding prayer and am reminded that it is now my turn to lift my mind and heart to God during the day as she lowers her arms. (A caution: The video never captures the fullness of her stretch as I do.)

It was so surprising when I found the description of my plant; I had never searched before, thinking the name I had was just made up by someone who didn’t know the real name and coined what seemed appropriate because of function. I learned how extraordinary my Maranta was when I read that these plants are rarely grown inside! She has been with me in my bedroom for at least a decade, a gift of one leaf on a stem in a tiny earthen pot for my birthday one year. I have thought several times that her days were numbered but I learned today that this is a seasonal happening. The best thing of all (next to the consistent prayer life that I have been taught) is her willingness to share herself. I have separated and given away shoots over the years, gifts of prayer for birthdays and other special events to at least seven people, with little or no distress to the main plant.

The miraculous nature of this plant is certainly worthy of a place in this blog but why today? Of course (she says, assuming everyone would know!), it’s because of the O Antiphons. At Vespers (the evening prayer of the Church liturgy) on each of the seven days before the celebration of Christmas, a different prophetic title attributed to Christ introduces the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise. Today we remember the lineage of Jesus. Jesse was the father of King David. The prophets had foretold that the Messiah would be of the house and family of David and born in Bethlehem. Thus, today’s antiphon this evening will be: O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the people, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer. So in addition to considering my family lineage and our religious lineage, I think about the strong roots of my Maranta and how she has grown and been transplanted in different homes – perhaps to some I don’t even know – as those I have gifted pass on the gift. From a tiny root has come great beauty and instruction in prayer. What a blessing!

Which Instrument Are You?

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divine, instrument of praise, joy, justice, light, music, praise, pray, psalm 67, song, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Psalm 67 may be considered, says one commentary, “an international hymn of praise because it calls all nations and peoples of the earth to enter into the worship of God…” In speaking of the Psalms as they appear in the Hebrew Scriptures, this commentary continues: “In many of the Psalms there is a ‘we’ versus ‘they’ mentality. This sentiment has been overcome in this Psalm, and thus speaks, perhaps, of an unusual development in the religious ideals of the Hebrew people. They have moved from a narrow conception of the divine to one that is shared by all peoples of the earth…Our task as contemporary creatures is not simply to pray for ourselves, or narrowly for those around us who are dear to us, but to give voice for the whole earth…Imagine yourself as creation’s voice, as an instrument through which those without a voice can enter with praise the presence of God…There is often a wide gap between the vision of beauty held out for the world and the experience of pain and ugliness we find in it. Those who pray hold these two regions together, and will not let them fall apart.”

I was heartened by these words and so would like to suggest that each of us choose our favorite music-making instrument, visualize ourselves at our place in the great orchestra of the nations and play – pray – (singing?) this version of Psalm 67 (aloud!) for the reconciliation of the whole world. Ready? Begin:

O God, have mercy upon us and bless us with the light streaming from your face. And so that here on earth we know and walk in your ways, restore us back to health again. May every person, every creature become an instrument of praise to you and may you be the song that makes us glad and every nation sings with joy, for your pure justice reigns and rules, guiding all with equal hand. May every creature, every person, then, be an instrument of praise, and earth itself abound with a fullness yet unknown, as you alone become “our God” for everyone. Your blessings fill us full, and cover us and earth with awe from edge to edge. (translation and commentary by Lynn Bauman)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fullness of God

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God, Holy Spirit, prayer, retreat, silence, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

It’s always difficult to explain what happens on a retreat. There are the facts, of course: the make-up of the group (here at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, Massachusetts from all across the USA, with one person from Canada and one from England), the texts or topics covered, the prayer and worship services…but it is the deepening interactions and the silence that are bring the fruit of the experience to those gathered.

The first reading in today’s lectionary speaks to my desire as I sit this morning trying to put anything of value into words. I’m fairly certain that Paul was feeling as I do now when he wrote the following:

Brothers and Sisters: I kneel before the Father, from whom every family on earth is named, that God may grant you in accord with the riches of his glory to be strengthened with power through the Spirit in the inner self…so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (EPH 3:14-21)

I say AMEN and pray that we all may be so blessed on this day.

Living in God

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Acts of the Apostles, interfaith, offspring of the Divine, oneness, radical empathy, religious, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, world cultures, worship

St. Paul often shows himself as a gifted preacher. Nowhere, in my opinion, is this as apparent as in chapter 17 of the Acts of the Apostles when he is speaking in Athens. I can almost hear him this morning proclaiming – quite loudly, I suspect, since the only “sound system” came from the walls of the Areopagus:

You Athenians, I see that in every respect you are very religious. For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed ‘To an Unknown God.’ What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all that is in it, the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything. Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything. He made from one the whole human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions, so that people might seek God, even perhaps grope for God and find him, though indeed God is not far from any one of us. For ‘in him we live and move and have our being,’ even as some of your poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’

As I try to live every day out of the realization that I live and move and have my being in God, occasionally I am struck in a deeper way by that reality, as last evening when I joined over 600 people to celebrate a group of extraordinary men and women who personify the theme of “Radical Empathy” in their lives and ministry. Coming from all walks of life and faith traditions, these five individuals and two married couples have given themselves to service to “the neighbor” wherever and in whatever ways they experienced the inner movement toward the love that is the foundation of the world. I am grateful to have been in the company, not only of those individuals, but also in a room that was a microcosm of world cultures where radical empathy is seen each day in those who give and receive under the umbrella of Interfaith Works, the sponsoring organization of last evening’s event. Moments like that remind me that God “made from one the whole human race” and that it is our responsibility and privilege to recognize our oneness, living as “offspring” of the Divine. And what could be better than that!

What Are You Wearing?

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body of Christ, Corinthians, diversity, dress, holy attire, judge, psalm 96, St. Paul, Sunday best, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians contains lines that are quite familiar to most Christians, some recognizable even by a few words, like “Love is patient…” or today’s section, “There are many gifts, but the same spirit…” Paul is talking about spiritual gifts and the value of diversity for the benefit of the community (1COR 12:4-11). My attention was diverted from reflection on that topic, however, by a line in the psalm that preceded Paul’s words. It sounds rather silly but may make sense in the end. Let’s see.

The line in Psalm 96 says: “Worship the Lord in holy attire.” It’s a praise psalm with all sorts of images and imperatives for the ways we ought to worship God but that line reminded me of how we always got dressed up on Sundays to go to Church. Some of us still do and others complain about the “attire” – generally of young people – who appear in all sorts of what their elders consider as totally improper dress. I always say to those who offer that opinion that “at least they’re here.”

My point that arose from the line in the psalm juxtaposed with Paul’s words is not about what’s right or wrong but rather how we judge people by the clothes they wear. Teens are judged by the brand of their jeans (now best if they look like they’ve been through a paper shredder), adults by the name on their exercise outfits, women celebrities by the peepholes in their gowns and the rest of us by any number of regional or other fads that appear and disappear somehow that is beyond my comprehension. Paul doesn’t speak of the ability to intuit what is correct attire; he’s more interested in spiritual gifts. What he does add to this stream of thought, however, is that diversity is a good thing and we need it to broaden the consciousness of the community.

So hurrah for those unfazed by fads, people who wear what they wear either to be comfortable or to make a statement. Blessings on those who wear what they wear with dignity even if their lot is necessity and their clothes are well-worn and not of their choosing. May we never judge by what we see but always look deeper for “the manifestation of the Spirit…given for some benefit” and may we always celebrate the diversity of all the members in the body of Christ.