"God, this is too big for me. Take over. Take over all the way. I give myself to your strong heart. Lift me, pray for me, endfold me."
(Flora Wuellner)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Practicing God's Presence
Not too long ago, author John Ortberg wrote a book entitled God Is Closer Than You Think. It was a book about how to recognize God in the everyday...in our ordinary existence. Early on in his book, Ortberg offers this definition of spiritual growth: "Spiritual growth...is simply increasing our capacity to experience the presence of God." This definition is so much different then how folks so often define spiritual growth today. We often define spiritual growth in an "event" type of way...in other words...the more "events" you show up to the more spiritual you are. So, if I attend all sorts of religious events and spiritual activities then I must be a spiritual person. The issue is we can become so busy in spiritual activities but yet have no inward change occuring. Our capacity to experience God's presence has not increased.
In his book, Ortberg offers some "foundational truths" to guide us in increasing our capacity to experience God...
1) God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see God.
2) Coming to recognize and experience god's presence is learned behavior; I can cultivate it.
3) My task is to meet God in this moment.
4) I am always tempted to live "outside" this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God's presence.
5) Sometimes God seems far away for reasons I do not understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn.
6) Whenever I fail, I can always start again right away.
7) No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God's presence.
8) My desire for God ebbs and flows, but God's desire for me is constant.
9) Every thought carries a "spiritual charge" that moves me a little closer to or a little farther from God.
10) Every aspect of my life - work, relationships, hobbies, errands - is of immense and genuine interest to God.
11) My path to experiencing God's presence will not look quite like anyone else's.
12) Straining and trying harder do not help.
Orberg recommends reviewing these truth's once a day for two weeks in order to cultivate the practice of God's presence. Whether you do that or not, I think it's important to realize that increasing my capacity to experience God's presence is something I can cultivate. It doesn't "just happen" - there can and needs to be some intention on my part.
In his book, Ortberg offers some "foundational truths" to guide us in increasing our capacity to experience God...
1) God is always present and active in my life, whether or not I see God.
2) Coming to recognize and experience god's presence is learned behavior; I can cultivate it.
3) My task is to meet God in this moment.
4) I am always tempted to live "outside" this moment. When I do that, I lose my sense of God's presence.
5) Sometimes God seems far away for reasons I do not understand. Those moments, too, are opportunities to learn.
6) Whenever I fail, I can always start again right away.
7) No one knows the full extent to which a human being can experience God's presence.
8) My desire for God ebbs and flows, but God's desire for me is constant.
9) Every thought carries a "spiritual charge" that moves me a little closer to or a little farther from God.
10) Every aspect of my life - work, relationships, hobbies, errands - is of immense and genuine interest to God.
11) My path to experiencing God's presence will not look quite like anyone else's.
12) Straining and trying harder do not help.
Orberg recommends reviewing these truth's once a day for two weeks in order to cultivate the practice of God's presence. Whether you do that or not, I think it's important to realize that increasing my capacity to experience God's presence is something I can cultivate. It doesn't "just happen" - there can and needs to be some intention on my part.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Slivers of Truth
"The real truth is that God is too great to be lost in the smallness of any single sliver of life. Truth is One, yes, but truth is many at the same time.The greatest danger of them all may be in buying into too small a part of the truth. When that happens, change, growth, repentance, and development are impossible. We find ourselves frozen in the shards of yesterday.Truth is not any one truth, not any one institution, not any one way. Nor can we truly bend ourselves to all of them. Instead, each of us must live our own singular piece of the truth with love. What else can possibly be the final test of what is truly true? "
(Joan Chittister, Welcome to the Wisdom of the World)
(Joan Chittister, Welcome to the Wisdom of the World)
Making Mistakes In Our Spiritual Evolution
One of my favorite authors / bloggers is Jim Palmer out of Nashville, Tennessee. He has written two very good books..."Divine Nobodies" and "Wide Open Spaces." In these books he more or less chronicles his spiritual growth and his spiritual journey from who was all caught up in religion to one who is now "shedding religion." He blogs regularly at www.divinenobodies.com I decided to include this whole post because of the good things Jim has to say about making mistakes in our spiritual evolution and journey. Read...and enjoy!
"What follows are a few mistakes I’ve made in my spiritual evolution and lived to tell about it. Referring to these as “mistakes” may be unfair. What I’m about to describe is fairly normal, probably unavoidable, and perhaps even necessary at the time. I own these choices as part of my journey these past few years. As it turns out, these choices didn’t defeat me. I refer to them as “mistakes” because they don’t seem to be very productive as a regular practice, and I would not intentionally repeat them again.
1) Fundamentalism
The term “fundamentalism” is probably most associated with ultra-conservative, legalistic Christians. However, I’ve discovered there are progressive/liberal Christian fundamentalists, Atheist, Agnostic, and Humanistic fundamentalists, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish fundamentalists, and New Age fundamentalists. What I mean by “fundamentalist” is postulating your belief system, philosophy, understandings or experiences as superior to others, which means others with different beliefs, understandings or experiences are either wrong or deceived.
In my case, I left Christian fundamentalism behind but managed to create a different fundamentalism around whatever my new understanding, concept, experience, or discovery was at the time. In other words, each step of enlightenment became the new “it” or standard that I judged others by. I wasn’t necessarily nasty or belligerent about it but there was a certain silent pride and arrogance to it.
2) Over-correction
You are driving down the street and notice you are about to go off the road into a ditch. Your reaction is to grab the wheel and by over-correcting, you fly across the road and off into the ditch on the other side. By avoiding one ditch, you managed to steer right into another. It’s no secret that any person who feels led astray and betrayed by their religion is likely to become it’s biggest critic. It’s not uncommon that in such cases the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. For example, a person lives many years under the oppression of religion. In reaction to this, they over-correct and become an Atheist. There are lots of options between a hideous concept of God and concluding there is no God at all, but when you over-correct you skid by all the stuff in the middle and just go into the ditch on the side.
By the way, please don’t hear me saying that every person’s beliefs are the result of over-correction. I know Atheists who are not guilty of over-correction - they are Atheists because they have done their due diligence and have genuinely concluded that the existence of God is neither possible nor useful. Another example may be someone who concludes that the Bible isn’t a “supernatural” book and over-corrects to the view that the Bible has no value at all. For me, I have had some instances of over-correction. For example, organized church and religious rituals were not meaningful for me, and as a reaction I concluded all organized church and religious rituals are intrinsically meaningless and has no real objective value for anyone.
3) Insecurity
Insecurity can express itself in a strong need for your beliefs and experiences to be validated by others. How do others validate your beliefs and experiences? By agreeing with or sharing your beliefs and experiences. And so it’s not brain surgery to see that people who don’t agree or share in your beliefs and experiences are a threat to your sense of identity. You feel invalidated. It’s very difficult to truly accept and learn from another as long as your need for validation is running the show. What happens is that you begin dividing people up on sides. You want people on “your side” because that makes you feel secure and validated. People on the “other side” are seen as the enemy. Needing to be “right” is often a issue of insecurity and needing validation from others. Trust me, I made a fine art out of this.
4) Laziness
I don’t mean for the word to sound as harsh as it might seem. Here’s my point. Most people want a formula or magic bullet. They are not truly willing to do their own due diligence at a soul level, and would prefer someone just give them the answer. They are hoping for a formula that promises that if you do ‘A’ then ‘B’ will happen. Paradox, mystery, ambiguity, abstraction, self-honesty, vulnerability, humility are but a few of the things many people would like to avoid if possible, and would rather just have someone figure things out for them.
So, what mistakes have you made? In other words, what things have you discovered along the way that you’ve recognized as a hindrance in your journey? I guess it might require a dose of humility to share this sort of thing. I sometimes wonder if these kinds of issues hinder our truly learning from each other, and even accepting each other.
Consider this post to be the kind of thing where I’m asking you to draw upon your experience and wisdom from your journey. What have you learned? What would you have done different? Looking back, what mistakes have you made? Where do you see that you might have spared yourself or others a lot of difficulty? What is the wisdom you would share that we could all learn from? Every voice is welcomed regardless of where you are right now on your journey. People may be on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. Fine! I really hope we get responses from people who represent the entire spectrum."
So, what mistakes have you made?
"What follows are a few mistakes I’ve made in my spiritual evolution and lived to tell about it. Referring to these as “mistakes” may be unfair. What I’m about to describe is fairly normal, probably unavoidable, and perhaps even necessary at the time. I own these choices as part of my journey these past few years. As it turns out, these choices didn’t defeat me. I refer to them as “mistakes” because they don’t seem to be very productive as a regular practice, and I would not intentionally repeat them again.
1) Fundamentalism
The term “fundamentalism” is probably most associated with ultra-conservative, legalistic Christians. However, I’ve discovered there are progressive/liberal Christian fundamentalists, Atheist, Agnostic, and Humanistic fundamentalists, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish fundamentalists, and New Age fundamentalists. What I mean by “fundamentalist” is postulating your belief system, philosophy, understandings or experiences as superior to others, which means others with different beliefs, understandings or experiences are either wrong or deceived.
In my case, I left Christian fundamentalism behind but managed to create a different fundamentalism around whatever my new understanding, concept, experience, or discovery was at the time. In other words, each step of enlightenment became the new “it” or standard that I judged others by. I wasn’t necessarily nasty or belligerent about it but there was a certain silent pride and arrogance to it.
2) Over-correction
You are driving down the street and notice you are about to go off the road into a ditch. Your reaction is to grab the wheel and by over-correcting, you fly across the road and off into the ditch on the other side. By avoiding one ditch, you managed to steer right into another. It’s no secret that any person who feels led astray and betrayed by their religion is likely to become it’s biggest critic. It’s not uncommon that in such cases the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. For example, a person lives many years under the oppression of religion. In reaction to this, they over-correct and become an Atheist. There are lots of options between a hideous concept of God and concluding there is no God at all, but when you over-correct you skid by all the stuff in the middle and just go into the ditch on the side.
By the way, please don’t hear me saying that every person’s beliefs are the result of over-correction. I know Atheists who are not guilty of over-correction - they are Atheists because they have done their due diligence and have genuinely concluded that the existence of God is neither possible nor useful. Another example may be someone who concludes that the Bible isn’t a “supernatural” book and over-corrects to the view that the Bible has no value at all. For me, I have had some instances of over-correction. For example, organized church and religious rituals were not meaningful for me, and as a reaction I concluded all organized church and religious rituals are intrinsically meaningless and has no real objective value for anyone.
3) Insecurity
Insecurity can express itself in a strong need for your beliefs and experiences to be validated by others. How do others validate your beliefs and experiences? By agreeing with or sharing your beliefs and experiences. And so it’s not brain surgery to see that people who don’t agree or share in your beliefs and experiences are a threat to your sense of identity. You feel invalidated. It’s very difficult to truly accept and learn from another as long as your need for validation is running the show. What happens is that you begin dividing people up on sides. You want people on “your side” because that makes you feel secure and validated. People on the “other side” are seen as the enemy. Needing to be “right” is often a issue of insecurity and needing validation from others. Trust me, I made a fine art out of this.
4) Laziness
I don’t mean for the word to sound as harsh as it might seem. Here’s my point. Most people want a formula or magic bullet. They are not truly willing to do their own due diligence at a soul level, and would prefer someone just give them the answer. They are hoping for a formula that promises that if you do ‘A’ then ‘B’ will happen. Paradox, mystery, ambiguity, abstraction, self-honesty, vulnerability, humility are but a few of the things many people would like to avoid if possible, and would rather just have someone figure things out for them.
So, what mistakes have you made? In other words, what things have you discovered along the way that you’ve recognized as a hindrance in your journey? I guess it might require a dose of humility to share this sort of thing. I sometimes wonder if these kinds of issues hinder our truly learning from each other, and even accepting each other.
Consider this post to be the kind of thing where I’m asking you to draw upon your experience and wisdom from your journey. What have you learned? What would you have done different? Looking back, what mistakes have you made? Where do you see that you might have spared yourself or others a lot of difficulty? What is the wisdom you would share that we could all learn from? Every voice is welcomed regardless of where you are right now on your journey. People may be on totally opposite sides of the spectrum. Fine! I really hope we get responses from people who represent the entire spectrum."
So, what mistakes have you made?
Friday, June 19, 2009
Help Me Now to Unclutter My Life - Celtic Daily Prayer
Lord, help me now to unclutter my life,
to organize myself in the direction of simplicity.
Lord, teach me to listen to my heart;
teach me to welcome change, instead of fearing it.
Lord, I give You these stirrings inside me,
I give you my discontent,
I give you my restlessness,
I give you my doubt,I give you my despair,
I give you all the longings I hold inside.
Help me to listen to these signs of change, of growth;
to listen seriously and follow where they lead
through the breathtaking empty space of an open door
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Making Up There Come Down Here...Thine Kingdom Come
One of my favorite authors is John Ortberg. In his book, God Is Closer Than You Think, he gives a great description of what it looks like to truly bring God's kingdom closer to where we live:
"God, make up there come down here.
It can happen. Every time you are in conflict with someone, want to hurt them, gossip about them, or avoid them, but instead go to them and seek reconciliation and forgiveness - The kingdom is breaking into this world.
Every time you have a chunk of money and decide to give sacrificially to somebody who is hungry or homeless or poor - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Anytime someone has an addiction and wants to partner with God so much they're willing to stop hiding, acknowledge the truth, and get help from a loving community - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Every time a workaholic parent decides to stop idolizing their job, rearranges their life to being to love and care for the little children entrusted to them - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Every time you love, every time you include someone who's lonely, ever time you encourage someone who's defeated, every time you challenge somebody who's wandering off the path, every time you serve the under-resourced - it is a sign the kingdom is once more breaking into the world."
We often think in terms of big ideas, big events, and big plans when it comes to bringing God's kingdom and presence to bear on this world. What we often miss, though, are the small and ordinary ways we can incarnate God's presence in our world and the places we exist. To pray, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done" is not a wish...it is a call to action! We are called to put into action God's presence and make real God's reign...God's kingdom.
"God, make up there come down here.
It can happen. Every time you are in conflict with someone, want to hurt them, gossip about them, or avoid them, but instead go to them and seek reconciliation and forgiveness - The kingdom is breaking into this world.
Every time you have a chunk of money and decide to give sacrificially to somebody who is hungry or homeless or poor - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Anytime someone has an addiction and wants to partner with God so much they're willing to stop hiding, acknowledge the truth, and get help from a loving community - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Every time a workaholic parent decides to stop idolizing their job, rearranges their life to being to love and care for the little children entrusted to them - The kingdom is breaking into the world.
Every time you love, every time you include someone who's lonely, ever time you encourage someone who's defeated, every time you challenge somebody who's wandering off the path, every time you serve the under-resourced - it is a sign the kingdom is once more breaking into the world."
We often think in terms of big ideas, big events, and big plans when it comes to bringing God's kingdom and presence to bear on this world. What we often miss, though, are the small and ordinary ways we can incarnate God's presence in our world and the places we exist. To pray, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done" is not a wish...it is a call to action! We are called to put into action God's presence and make real God's reign...God's kingdom.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Living In The House of Fear or the House of Love
“There are two houses in this world: the house of fear, and the house of love…
“When Jesus says, “Make your home in me as I make mine in you” (Jn.15) he offers us an intimate place that we can call home. Home is that place or space where we do not have to be afraid but can let go of our defenses and be free, free from worries, free from tensions, free from pressures. Home is where we can laugh and cry, embarce and dance, sleep long and dream quietly, eat, read, play, watch the fire, listen to music, and be with a friend. Home is where we can rest and be healed.. a good place to be, it is the house of love.
“But in this world millions of people are homeless. Some are homeless because of their inner anguish, while others are homeless because they have been driven from their own towns and countries. In prisons, mental hosptials, refugee camps, in hidden-away apartments, in nursing homes and overnight shelters we get a glimpse of homelessness.
“Speaking of himself as the vine and of his disciples as the branches, Jesus says: “Make your home in me.” This is an invitation to intimacy. Then he adds: “Those who remain in me with me in them, bear fruit in plenty.” This is an invitation to fecundity. Finally, when he says, “I have told you this so that your joy may be full,” he promises ecstasy.”
“When Jesus says, “Make your home in me as I make mine in you” (Jn.15) he offers us an intimate place that we can call home. Home is that place or space where we do not have to be afraid but can let go of our defenses and be free, free from worries, free from tensions, free from pressures. Home is where we can laugh and cry, embarce and dance, sleep long and dream quietly, eat, read, play, watch the fire, listen to music, and be with a friend. Home is where we can rest and be healed.. a good place to be, it is the house of love.
“But in this world millions of people are homeless. Some are homeless because of their inner anguish, while others are homeless because they have been driven from their own towns and countries. In prisons, mental hosptials, refugee camps, in hidden-away apartments, in nursing homes and overnight shelters we get a glimpse of homelessness.
“Speaking of himself as the vine and of his disciples as the branches, Jesus says: “Make your home in me.” This is an invitation to intimacy. Then he adds: “Those who remain in me with me in them, bear fruit in plenty.” This is an invitation to fecundity. Finally, when he says, “I have told you this so that your joy may be full,” he promises ecstasy.”
Henri Nouwen, Lifesigns
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