Counting the cost

Too often people see the church as an emergency help organization or another agency to work among the poor or marginalized.  In one sense, this is true, however, if that is all she is, there is a great bit of truth missing.  The cross, suffering, sin, and the whole idea of God's Kingdom and eternity.  I read these words this morning related to this:

Flannery O’Connor said, “I think there is no suffering greater than what is caused by the doubts of those who want to believe. I know what torment this is, but I can only see it, in myself anyway, as the process by which faith is deepened. What -people don’t realize is how much religion costs. They think faith is a big electric blanket, when of course it is the cross.”

I would walk...15,000 miles???

I was doing some research on the walking situation that would have been the norm for travel in the first century and I ran across this article in Christianity Today:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-59/on-road.html


The article points out that Jesus likely logged 15,000 miles of walking in His short life.  Wow!

Those early followers of Christ walked!  Jesus walked.  People did some serious walking.  It makes me think that in our world, walking might just need a resurgence!  When we walk or hike, we're talking, observing, connecting with each other, with nature, with God's presence.  We are experiencing the natural world and our senses are engaged.

Maybe the most spiritual thing we might do this new year is endeavor to WALK more!  I know I am!

J.D. Salinger and The Jesus Prayer

Most know Salinger's book The Catcher in Rye but I'd never read anything else of his until his book Franny & Zooey was recommended.  I was pleasantly surprised that the main content of the book involves a brother and sister's wrestling with the place of the Jesus Prayer in life and the Spiritual journey.  Today I reread this phrase by the brother to his sister Franny:

"Jesus...in the New Testament...He's only the most intelligent man in the Bible...Jesus realized there is no separation from God...Jesus knew - KNEW - that we're carrying the Kingdom of Heaven around with us...

I wonder if the early church leadership would say the same?  Sounds like Jesus' teaching on prayer doesn't it?  "May your kingdom come, your will be done..."

Ben

Charming the muse...

In an effort to jump-start my own creative work this new year, I read the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield today.  He mentions praying / mediating on this invocation before he starts his writing work each day.  It at least provides an insight into some of the mystery of the creative world that artists occupy...sort of odd, but, hey, I'd never heard of anyone going through such a routine!

The Odyssey of Homer

translated from the Greek by T. E. Lawrence

INVOCATION

---

O DIVINE POESY
GODDESS-DAUGHTER OF ZEUS
SUSTAIN FOR ME
THIS SONG OF THE VARIOUS-MINDED MAN
WHO AFTER HE HAD PLUNDERED
THE INNERMOST CITADEL OF HALLOWED TROY
WAS MADE TO STRAY GRIEVOUSLY
ABOUT THE COASTS OF MEN
THE SPORT OF THEIR CUSTOMS GOOD OR BAD
WHILE HIS HEART
THROUGH ALL THE SEA-FARING
ACHED IN AN AGONY TO REDEEM HIMSELF
AND BRING HIS COMPANY SAFE HOME

VAIN HOPE—FOR THEM
FOR HIS FELLOWS HE STROVE IN VAIN
THEIR OWN WITLESSNESS CAST THEM AWAY
THE FOOLS
TO DESTROY FOR MEAT
THE OXEN OF THE MOST EXALTED SUN
WHEREFORE THE SUN-GOD BLOTTED OUT
THE DAY OF THEIR RETURN

MAKE THE TALE LIVE FOR US
IN ALL ITS MANY BEARINGS
O MUSE

Stay-cation

From Christmas through New Years my family took a break from our normal routine of work and spent time resting.  During that time I was able to read 3 books - one of which I took several notes on called What God You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith.  A few notes I made were:

p82 We can’t see in ourselves what we can see so clearly in others.

p90 I won’t learn less (by hearing people out)

p154 There’s no on/off switch for caring, empathy and showing respect.  it’s always on.

p174  Helping people be right is more productive than proving them wrong!

p221 The great Western Culture disease lies in the phrase, “I will be happy when…"

Some good stuff to ponder here and some sound very familiar to the Biblical texts like...

Matthew 7:1-4  "Plank in your own eye first..."

James 1:19 "Be quick to listen..."

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good..."

Matthew 20:16 "So the last will be first and the first will be last..."

John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and life to the full!"