"And I think that's the purpose of all of our prayer: not to prove ourselves to God or bend the arm of God but, quite simply, to be able to listen anew. The only way we can listen to the truth is to get ourselves out of the way our feelings, needs, compulsions, responses and everything else. God needs nothing, God asks and demands nothing. We pray only so that we may know God."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace p.245)
Back in November I led a workshop on spiritual practices. We walked a labyrinth, we did centering prayer, we made "Anglican Prayer Beads" and then used them. We did some lectio divina. All good.
What I began to realize about all of them, was the shared part of getting ourselves out of the way. This was not praying a long list of the things I wanted God to do, or the people I wanted God to do something for. It was just way of emptying the mind of its own clutter to begin to listen more attentively to what God wanted me to hear.
While I'm not saying that we shouldn't pray for others and ourselves, that part is not for God. God is already well aware of the situation. I've always seen it as a way to remind ourselves of what's going on within ourselves and with our neighbors.
God doesn't need anything Fr. Rohr wrote. Perhaps, but I believe God wants us, wouldn't be a jealous God otherwise. God may not demand, but I do believe there are expectations of the children of God. We do pray that we may know God and hear that still small voice. Fortunately God already knows us.
Blessings,
Ed
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Reflections for 7/10/10
"Often I feel like a juggler in this Church, trying to hold many truths together. I can't make the great issues of the Reformation key in my life. Especially when I see that so many of the questions were asked entirely by comfortable, white male clerics (on both sides) and, usually, were question of power and righteousness! If we had to divide, why couldn't we divide over who was doing a better joy of feeding widows and orphans."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p.244)
Open the Yellow pages anywhere and you'll find a veritable shmorgasborg of churches to choose from. Some with denominational labels, some without. All wanting you the consumer to believe that God is more present there than anywhere else.
That, like most marketing ploys is misleading. God is just as present in my church as in any other. What differs is in this day and age mostly about personal style of worship. There was of course a time when each of these denominations and even non-denominations had some deeper theological reason for being created. And of course the more you splinter the quicker you become fast burning kindling.
I'd love to see churches compete as to who was outdoing who in doing good. Who really had the compassionate care of Christ going strong. Of course what I'd really love to see is the churches cooperating with each other to follow the Matthew mandate of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and the those in prison. Boy wouldn't Jesus be really impressed by that, rather than the whose more orthodox nonsense that still goes on today.
Blessings,
Ed
Open the Yellow pages anywhere and you'll find a veritable shmorgasborg of churches to choose from. Some with denominational labels, some without. All wanting you the consumer to believe that God is more present there than anywhere else.
That, like most marketing ploys is misleading. God is just as present in my church as in any other. What differs is in this day and age mostly about personal style of worship. There was of course a time when each of these denominations and even non-denominations had some deeper theological reason for being created. And of course the more you splinter the quicker you become fast burning kindling.
I'd love to see churches compete as to who was outdoing who in doing good. Who really had the compassionate care of Christ going strong. Of course what I'd really love to see is the churches cooperating with each other to follow the Matthew mandate of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, drink to the thirsty, visiting the sick and the those in prison. Boy wouldn't Jesus be really impressed by that, rather than the whose more orthodox nonsense that still goes on today.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflections for 7/9/10
"There is a great Tradition that we must listen to and Scriptures that need to study. Without good theological teaching, faith becomes passing on feel-good idea. Intellect is not to be rejected."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 243)
In spite of my silly side, I actually do like to think. I majored in history so I have a healthy respect for the past. I do not believe the past is to be the end of the discussion, but needs to be included in any dialogue, religious or otherwise. You cannot know where you are going, if you don't know where you've been.
I also love to read and wrestle with Scripture. I don't have a whole lot of time for folks who just read and memorize it and then hurl it back as a weapon of mass destruction. But instead enjoy finding the continuing applications to my time and experience. It is excellent to know what scripture says, it is even deeper to know the why and to find the underlying spirit that permeates throughout it.
I hope I don't pass on a faith that's nothing more than a warm fuzzy kumbaya moment. But one where people are encouraged to use that God given resource between their ears. Never in isolation from Tradition and Scripture, but in an ongoing symphony of thought, word and deed.
Blessings,
Ed
In spite of my silly side, I actually do like to think. I majored in history so I have a healthy respect for the past. I do not believe the past is to be the end of the discussion, but needs to be included in any dialogue, religious or otherwise. You cannot know where you are going, if you don't know where you've been.
I also love to read and wrestle with Scripture. I don't have a whole lot of time for folks who just read and memorize it and then hurl it back as a weapon of mass destruction. But instead enjoy finding the continuing applications to my time and experience. It is excellent to know what scripture says, it is even deeper to know the why and to find the underlying spirit that permeates throughout it.
I hope I don't pass on a faith that's nothing more than a warm fuzzy kumbaya moment. But one where people are encouraged to use that God given resource between their ears. Never in isolation from Tradition and Scripture, but in an ongoing symphony of thought, word and deed.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Reflections for 7/8/10
"A pastor is one who feeds and guides the people. I guess if I had to associate one word with pastor, it would be growth. A pastor is one who understands how to grow people. A pastor must understand human relationships, family, communication-in short, what makes people tick and how they tick well together."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p.242)
The first thing a priest at their ordination is told the are called to is "to work as a pastor." I find this interesting, that the most important work I do as a priest is the pastoral work, not the priestly stuff, not the teaching, but the caring for other people.
I hope I've done this pretty well. I consider it one of my favorite parts of my vocation. Of course the only judges of it are those for whom I've pastored.
I hope in someways that even outside of my job as a priest, I've been someone who understands people and relationships. Who knows how to see and bring out the best in others. Again, I'm a lousy self judge.
I will say that I think the church does not value the pastoral component of the priesthood very much anymore, but they sure scream when it doesn't happen. Maybe it's assumed that all priests and ministers are pastoral by nature and that is their strongest gift. I know enough clergy to tell you it's not always the case.
Today faith communities talk about wanting administrators, and program developers, and there are people with great gifts in those areas. But for a church to really grow or at least to be healthy and living fully into being the compassionate body of Christ, if the pastoral function isn't working, the body is in big trouble.
And it is also true that even outside of the church, if we have not been blessed enough to ever have someone in our lives who understands how we tick and how to bring out the best in us, we too will wither on the vine.
Blessings,
Ed
The first thing a priest at their ordination is told the are called to is "to work as a pastor." I find this interesting, that the most important work I do as a priest is the pastoral work, not the priestly stuff, not the teaching, but the caring for other people.
I hope I've done this pretty well. I consider it one of my favorite parts of my vocation. Of course the only judges of it are those for whom I've pastored.
I hope in someways that even outside of my job as a priest, I've been someone who understands people and relationships. Who knows how to see and bring out the best in others. Again, I'm a lousy self judge.
I will say that I think the church does not value the pastoral component of the priesthood very much anymore, but they sure scream when it doesn't happen. Maybe it's assumed that all priests and ministers are pastoral by nature and that is their strongest gift. I know enough clergy to tell you it's not always the case.
Today faith communities talk about wanting administrators, and program developers, and there are people with great gifts in those areas. But for a church to really grow or at least to be healthy and living fully into being the compassionate body of Christ, if the pastoral function isn't working, the body is in big trouble.
And it is also true that even outside of the church, if we have not been blessed enough to ever have someone in our lives who understands how we tick and how to bring out the best in us, we too will wither on the vine.
Blessings,
Ed
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Reflections for 7/7/10
"Yet the Church desperately needs a new evangelism. And many of us need to be re-evangelized-or perhaps hear the Good News for the first time."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p.241)
Evangelism has always been a tricky word for me. When I hear the word my first impression is of some loud mouth huckster in a white suite attempting to fleece the unsuspecting, offering Jesus as a snake oil.
That is an incredibly superficial stereotyping on my part, and not entirely fair. There are in fact very good evangelists who through their actions speak volumes of how much the Good News has impacted their lives.
As someone whose journey with Christ began at a very young age, one month to be precise, I don't have an ah ha moment, when I truly found, knew etc. the Lord. That's not my faith language.
But I do believe that regardless of whether one sees themselves as "born again" or has always been there, we need continually to hear and reflect on the Good News and how it impacts our lives.
I do this through reading, attending seminars, getting to hear other preachers, but most especially with my daily encounters with others. Seeing the gospel lived out and faith bringing people through crisis moments tell me more of the Good News than any roving evangelist ever could.
There was once a Corn Flakes commercial that said "taste them again for the first time." And to me the same would apply to faith. I need to keep hearing the story again and again. And because each day is a new one, it should feel like the first time.
Blessings,
Ed
Evangelism has always been a tricky word for me. When I hear the word my first impression is of some loud mouth huckster in a white suite attempting to fleece the unsuspecting, offering Jesus as a snake oil.
That is an incredibly superficial stereotyping on my part, and not entirely fair. There are in fact very good evangelists who through their actions speak volumes of how much the Good News has impacted their lives.
As someone whose journey with Christ began at a very young age, one month to be precise, I don't have an ah ha moment, when I truly found, knew etc. the Lord. That's not my faith language.
But I do believe that regardless of whether one sees themselves as "born again" or has always been there, we need continually to hear and reflect on the Good News and how it impacts our lives.
I do this through reading, attending seminars, getting to hear other preachers, but most especially with my daily encounters with others. Seeing the gospel lived out and faith bringing people through crisis moments tell me more of the Good News than any roving evangelist ever could.
There was once a Corn Flakes commercial that said "taste them again for the first time." And to me the same would apply to faith. I need to keep hearing the story again and again. And because each day is a new one, it should feel like the first time.
Blessings,
Ed
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Reflections for 7/6/10
"The prophet could be compared to the court jester who keeps the king honest and on course. The prophet is the passion, the justice, the truth-speaker of God, especially to all forms of institutional idolatry. They are set up for conflict and rejection."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 240-241)
It is always a great argument as to when something is truly a prophetic voice. I often hear something called prophetic when the person claiming it agrees with what is being said.
The only thing that I am sure of is that a prophet can only be taken seriously who is engaged in the life of the community in which they are prophesying. Prophetic utterances from without are critiques, and while having a role, should not have too big an influence.
As I stated in the opening I have heard and read claims of prophesy from both sides of the aisles. As long as they are still engaged with the group, I'll give them their due.
Blessings,
Ed
It is always a great argument as to when something is truly a prophetic voice. I often hear something called prophetic when the person claiming it agrees with what is being said.
The only thing that I am sure of is that a prophet can only be taken seriously who is engaged in the life of the community in which they are prophesying. Prophetic utterances from without are critiques, and while having a role, should not have too big an influence.
As I stated in the opening I have heard and read claims of prophesy from both sides of the aisles. As long as they are still engaged with the group, I'll give them their due.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflections for 7/5/10
"We have today a lot of roving evangelists and prophets who are in no way accountable. They're not being sent from any spot. The private self decides everything. No community sends them, they just 'go.' But an apostle is always sent. Apostles are free to go because they are not their own center, the gospel is."(R. Rohr "Radical Grace" p. 240)
One of the blessings/curses of being part of a denomination is the fact that I am accountable. I have to answer to the Bishop should I mess something up. There are limits to what I can say on behalf of the church. I have a certain amount of freedom, but I do need to remember the difference between "IMHO" and the truth.
In our world we have a similar problem with secular "apostles and prophets." They can spout off whatever they want, and hide behind "freedom of speech." Or claim to be victims when challenged.
When I hear or read something I want to know who is supporting them. What are the lenses they're viewing the world through.
It then becomes my responsibility to decide who is a true apostle, and one who marches to their own orders.
Blessings,
Ed
One of the blessings/curses of being part of a denomination is the fact that I am accountable. I have to answer to the Bishop should I mess something up. There are limits to what I can say on behalf of the church. I have a certain amount of freedom, but I do need to remember the difference between "IMHO" and the truth.
In our world we have a similar problem with secular "apostles and prophets." They can spout off whatever they want, and hide behind "freedom of speech." Or claim to be victims when challenged.
When I hear or read something I want to know who is supporting them. What are the lenses they're viewing the world through.
It then becomes my responsibility to decide who is a true apostle, and one who marches to their own orders.
Blessings,
Ed
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
