Blog Archives

A simple faith by James Carroll~

1/29/2015

A simple faith, by James Carroll in Christ Actually: The Son of God for the Secular Age.

“Jesus, the Jew from Nazareth, is a living expression of the inexpressible God. He is the Christ, Son of Man, according to the Scriptures. He is present to the world the way meaning is present in the word. Just a word points not to itself, but to its meaning, so Jesus Christ, Son of God, points to One whom he calls Father. In that way, as one of us, he is the Word of God, whose Meaning comes clear. The Unknowable One, therefore, can be known. Because God is not an enemy, but a friend, we need not be afraid. Because God completes what God begins, death is not the end, but a beginning, wholly undefined. Because God is faithful, creation has a purpose, and its name is history. Imitators of Jesus Christ, we want mainly to be kind and true, taking heart from our dear companions on the way. And we say, with those who go before, and who come after, Amen. So may it be."

God doesn't pull strings~

1/27/2015

Here’s that cliché again: “Where does the time go?” Since I posted four days ago I have learned that the cottage isn’t available this year because the owner had a stroke and won’t be going south; and I have made plans to go to Florence (yes, Florence, Italy) from February 22-March 5.

   Here’s the theological challenge. The elation that I’m experiencing as I plan my Florence trip is only possible because of my cottage friend’s illness. Had plans gone as expected, he would be playing tennis is Florida and I would be shoveling in Maine. My time and money would be committed to the win-win situation that he and I have had for five years, and that would be fine with me. But personally, this winter plan is working out beautifully. I’ve loved being home with my husband all winter, and now I love the idea that I will be in Florence visiting my favorite spots and writing in my favorite libraries and cafes.

    I don’t feel guilty that I have this fabulous plan while my friend is struggling to heal; my good fortune hasn’t happened at the expense of my hia illness. That isn’t the way it works with God. God isn’t ‘up there’ pulling strings. Life happens, the good and the bad, the joys and concerns. We are called to pray and to respond in God’s way, which is the loving way.

    P. S. Also, since I posted we have had 18 inches of snow and it’s still coming down. To quote my mother, “We’re not in charge of the weather.”

Cup of salvation or cup of blessing~

1/23/2015

A small group of us meet at what is called The Well at church every Wednesday for a hour to discuss a topic and share communion. The other evening it was ‘Salvation’. I had suggested the topic after serving communion at the church the previous Sunday. As people came forward to dip their bread into the cup, I said, “The Cup of Salvation.” That’s just what came out of me and I thought nothing more about it until I was offered, “The cup of blessing.”

Why had I chosen to say salvation? Why hadn’t I said blessing, which is the usual term used in my church? As I explained to my little group at The Well, I always feel blessed, but I am continually searching for salvation. Not a one time salvation that is often aligned with evangelical Christian theology, but the little salvations that I obtain when I am right with God. I have to keep working for them, however, for it is very clear to me I that I can’t obtain salvation by myself. Try as I might to ‘be perfect as God is perfect’, I know and have come to believe that I need God’s saving grace to give me those moments.

Lent 2015 from SSJE~

1/19/2015

Ash Wednesday is just a month away, February 18th to be precise. The Brothers of Saint John the Evangelist are offering a Lenten on-line series about Time, which begins on that date. I recommend you look into and sign on. Here’s the information.

http://ssje.org/ssje/time/

     “So much of our stress and anxiety derives from our pollution of Time. God has given us the gift of time, and called it holy, yet we often experience time as a curse. In a series of short, daily videos over five weeks, the Brothers of SSJE invite us to recapture time as a gift. Join the Brothers as they wrestle with questions of time and discover how to experience the joy of the present moment.

     “This series starts on 5am local time Ash Wednesday: February 18, 2015 and is designed so that everyone in your community can participate. Everyone is busy. Time is at a premium. It is hard for all to come together to deepen our faith.

     “Each theme is introduced with a video of a Brother priming us for the week’s theme. The theme is then explored in depth in six short reflection videos (around 2 minutes each). A compilation video is also available each Sunday.

     “Each reflection video ends with a thought-provoking question for you to ponder over the course of the day, then answer on the worksheet.”

Get the accompanying workbook:

Download the free PDF booklet

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Maybe I'll stay sick~

1/15/2015

Maybe I’ll stay sick. I have a cough and fever, which makes me feel extremely logy but not so awful that I feel dying won’t be so bad after all. All I want to do is rest with my eyes closed, which immediately brings me to meditation--feel the breath, in and out. My mind is still, and so I’m grateful for this gift of God’s presence.

I am aware that with severe illness pain, fear and anger can take over and push God away. So let me cherish this moment, learn from it and carry it forward to whatever life brings.

Praying St. Patrick's Breastplate~

1/12/2015

Imaging when praying for people helps me. I have to figure it helps God since God and I are co-creators in this. Previously I’ve written about picturing Jesus walking away with the person for whom I’m praying. The two have left me because they don’t need me anymore. My work is done for that prayer time.

A variation on this is to surround the person with the St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Here’s the simple rendition from Celtic Daily Prayer that I say.

Christ as a light

Illumine and guide me.

Christ, as a shield

overshadow me.

Christ under me;

Christ over me:

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all powerful.

Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;

in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.

This day be within and without me,

lowly and meek, yet all powerful.

Christ as a light;

Christ as a shield;

Christ beside me

on my left and my right.

The meaning was God~

1/9/2015

“In the beginning was the Meaning, and the Meaning was with God, and the Meaning was God.”

     This interpretation of John 1:1 (by John Macquarrier, quoted by James Carroll in Christ Actually: The Son of God the Secular Age), which I read for the first time yesterday, is God response to one of my on-going questions: “How do we create meaning?”

     When I was raising my children, teaching, going to divinity school, and then working for hospice, the question appeared as an occasional, quiet wondering. I didn’t have time to ponder it, and besides, I knew I was doing meaningful work. But in the years since my retirement, I’ve found myself redefining my response to the question, asking what constitutes meaning in terms of life, not work.

     Only after we acknowledge that God is love, can we begin to consider meaning as synonymous with God. Life is meaningful when we live in God’s presence, when we express God’s love. Maybe it’s this simple: love and you will have meaning in your life. Or to put it another way, love is your life work.

Living as a prayerful practice~

1/7/2015

Cottage 2012

     What follows is what I just posted on acottagebythesea blog. I want to add a little more here on aprayerdiary.

     The spiritual practice I mention has really been a prayerful one. It hasn’t been easy giving up what I want, and I take no credit for any progress I have made in releasing control. With grace I have breathed in the Holy Spirit when feeling surrounded by an ‘all-about-me attitude’. I’ve failed miserably at times, but at other times I’ve considered the lilies of the field: I’ve recalled Jesus’ parable about the rich young man: I’ve remembered soldiers and citizens in Afghanistan: I’ve thought of the homeless on our freezing cold streets: I’ve prayed for my friend in the hospital. For me, living is more than a spiritual practice; it is a prayerful one.

    Here the update on the cottage. The owner is feeling better and hopes to get to Florida by early February. Hope is worth having; it helps us heal. I figure that at its best, the time I can count on at the cottage is from February 15 through March 31st. I will be grateful for that, but I am also grateful to stay home this winter. I will, however, miss those consecutive days of silence and solitude that one can only experience when completely alone.

    This wondering, this anticipating, this lack of control on my part has become an on-going spiritual practice. In practical terms I’ve had to give up certainty when looking at my calendar. Beyond that I’m trying to release the idea that all this planning and calendar works really is important. Day by day; Carpe Diem.

What do you want of me today, God?

1/3/2015

      During my morning prayer time I’ve been asking God what plans God has for me for the day: “What do you want of me today?” I ask.

    Lately I’ve heard some version of the following: write the book about you and your mother; spend time praying for people; whenever you find yourself thinking or saying negative thoughts, let them go.

     There are others, but these seem to be the one’s God wants me to work on right now. It is pretty clear that God is not suggesting that I become involved in any kind of he-said-she-said. Rather, it seems that I’m supposed to be rather quiet.

    I suggest you try this little prayer and see what God sends you.