Filed under: My poetry | Tags: christian spirituality, Christianity, Emerging Church, Evangelicalism, Jesus, Poems, Poetry, Religion, spirituality
Here’s two thousand dollars, just for pretend
And here are the dice for us to roll
You’ve got to get this into your head
It’s simple business you see
Just flick your wrist and roll your dice
Buy it up and knock ‘em down
With the luck of a buck and a sinister eye
I was the first to land on Pennsylvania Avenue
I was given two thousand dollars you see, and this was just business
You were the last to land on Pennsylvania and I own the whole block
Sorry if that ends your game of monopoly
Maybe you should go back to selling home made furniture
Since you just went bankrupt in a free society
Hey, it was your choice to play the game
It wasn’t my fault that you landed on Go Directly To Jail
Three times and couldn’t roll doubles to save your life
Now your two thousand is gone and mine has doubled
Free Market’s a bitch, isn’t it?
Blessed are the Capitalists my son
Quick, lets reset the board and play it again
You’ve got to get this into your head
It’s simple business you see
Just flick your wrist and roll your dice
Buy it up and knock ‘em down
Filed under: Evolution, Fr. Thomas Keating | Tags: spirituality, Mysticism, Christianity, Religion, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, Evolution, Thomas Keating, Darwin
Have you seen this icon on a bumper sticker lately? In the past, I found it to be totally offensive. I saw it as a desecration of an ancient Christian symbol and the breastplate for the “liberal agenda”. I’ve since changed most of these viewpoints and interestingly enough, Christians may be on the way to embracing this symbol as a whole. Convincing scientific evidence, logic, and a holistic approach to Biblical interpretation have been shedding new light on the way we understand the Theory of Evolution as people of faith.
Lately I’ve began to study those who have integrated Evolution into their spirituality. Growing up with a strict and literal seven day creation approach, this has been a challenging task for me. A few weeks ago, I heard Fr. Thomas Keating speak and he was incredibly fluent on the topic. He talked about how consciousness is a new thing in the mammal species, and since thought is seen as light or a spark of the divine in spiritual/philosophical terms, evolution can be seen as one long process which is bringing creation closer and closer to divinity. Anyhow, it’s a challenging paradigm to shift so if anyone knows of any solid resources on the subject, please let me know.
Filed under: Wendell Berry | Tags: christian spirituality, Christianity, economy, Evangelicalism, Mysticism, Politics, Religion, Some Further Words, spirituality, Wendell Berry
JS favorite Wendell Berry is having some of his poems put on stage! Here’s the story and below is an excerpt from the poem, Some Further Words. Berry’s critique of western progress is staggering. As always, he procures incredible insight with a sort of blunt wisdom that reaches beyond rhetoric and our flimsy presuppositions.
The world is babbled to pieces after
the divorce of things from their names.
Ceaseless preparation for war
is not peace. Health is not procured
by sale of medication, or purity
by the addition of poison. Science
at the bidding of the corporations
is knowledge reduced to merchandise;
it is a whoredom of the mind,
and so is the art that calls this “progress.”
So is the cowardice that calls it “inevitable.”
Written decades ago, the poem is incredibly poignant, mystical, and even prophetic:
When I hear the stock market has fallen,
I say, “Long live gravity! Long live
stupidity, error and greed in the palaces
of fantasy capitalism!” I think
an economy should be based on thrift,
on taking care of things, not on theft,
usury, seduction, waste, and ruin.
My purpose is a language that can make us whole,
Though mortal, ignorant, and small.
The world is whole beyond human knowing.
(Painting by Robert Shetterly)
Filed under: Richard Rohr, Robert Bly | Tags: christian spirituality, Christianity, Emerging Church, Evangelicalism, Mysticism, Mystics, Richard Rohr, Robert Bly, spirituality, The Soulful Journey
As the two sat side by side on stage at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul MN, it was obvious there was a little more than just good chemistry happening. Renowned poet Robert Bly was playful, inquisitive, and witty; often offering poetry from various authors, reading each poem a couple times. Franciscan Priest Richard Rohr was thoughtful, tender, and intent about communicating clearly the intricacies of the soul. Together they were a magical duo. They packed the auditorium, often taking input and questions from the crowd. Anyhow, if you are interested, here are some highlights from the notes I took:
Rohr: Wherever you find the place where you realize there is more than your ego- that is the soul’s initiation. Our soul’s journey will not begin until our first world has fallen apart.
The Soul knows not by knowing, but by presence, naked presence. Pure presence is wisdom.
Quoting Emily Dickenson: “Tell the truth, but tell it slants.” You understand truth on its edges, or not at all.
Responding to a question where someone wondered how a person prevents from getting stuck on the “decent”, Rohr pointed out that any authentic decent innately includes the essential elements needed for authentic ascent. They are interconnected- during a real decent, the spirit is already conspiring for a real ascent. We find these principles in the resurrection story.
Everything that happened to Jesus must happen to the soul.
Rohr spent some time talking about “liminal space” as this place in between rooms, where all transformation happens. Speaking of spiritual direction: What you do as a spiritual director is teach people to stay in the new room. Faith is not about believing in propositional truths, it is about learning to stay on the threshold and being patient with mystery.
At one point Bly asked Rohr to talk about the differences between soul and spirit. This made for a lively discussion with lots of participation from the audience. Rohr spoke of the soul as the decent, and the spirit as the ascent. Many times the soul is forged out of suffering and sorrow. It is very individual to us, our specific blueprint or DNA. The spirit connects us to the big picture- God, humanity, and earth. Here we find universal truth, clarity, and expression. Here are some metaphors that were give by both the crowd and the speakers:
Soul is inhale, spirit is exhale.
Soul is receptor, spirit is animator.
Soul is crucifixion, spirit is resurrection.
Sorry for the randomness of the notes, there was a lot to take in during the two-hour session. All in all, it was an amazing time to learn more about the journey of the soul from two articulate and incredibly spiritually attuned people.
Also, I personally haven’t read much of Bly in the past and I would love some recommendations to get me started!
Filed under: Richard Rohr | Tags: Christianity, Emerging Church, Evangelicalism, Richard Rohr, spiritual formation
For those of you following the recent “Why I’m An Evangelical” posts on JS, here are some interesting thoughts from Fr. Richard Rohr on the characteristics of the Emerging Church movement. A friend spotted this video on emergentvillage.com today and I thought it was very relevant to some of our recent discussions, especially his point that the “new community mechanisms can make this [new reformation] possible, because we don’t want to form a new denomination”. It seems to be a strategy for spiritual formation for the religious institutions themselves.
Filed under: Evangelicalism | Tags: Christianity, Church, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, God, Gospel, Jesus, Religion, spiritual formation, spirituality, Theology
As Americans, we have countless and endless choices in front of us. We love to talk about freedom and opportunity. We have the “right” to choose whatever we want, when we want it. But how has this so called freedom impacted our religious institutions? I wonder if it has in fact stunted the spiritual development of the institutions themselves. I think this is especially true for the Evangelical Church.
Most Evangelicals are very particular about the community in which they choose to worship. They need to hear the right music, be in the right building, have an entertaining sermon, and agree with every little bit of theology. Enter one or two people that you just can’t seem to get along with and its over. I along with many others have been guilty of finding one little fault in a church and using it as an excuse to leave and find a new one. Generally I think this turns into a dysfunctional pattern which continuously repeats itself. Pretty soon our churches become revolving doors where everyone is either coming or going and nobody really knows each other. I can’t imagine a more futile place to experience spiritual formation or authentic worship.
What if church was so much more than having all of the ducks in a row? And what happens when people (like you and me) get frustrated and leave our congregations? What would it look like for you to stay at a church where you hated the music but you loved the people? What would it look like for you to stay at a church where you hated the people and you realized that was actually in direct contrast to the Gospel? What would it look like to stop pointing fingers and practice some introspection?
One of the pastors at my church says that any two people can make a marriage work– as long as they refuse to quit. That doesn’t mean passively and mindlessly continuing a dead marriage with dead patterns and a loss of love. I think it means professional counseling, painful conversations, confrontation, tenderness, compromise, and change. It means actual hard work.
I wonder if the same could be true with our relationship to church. If we just keep church hopping and denomination swapping then no one experiences transformation. We aren’t talking about our favorite restaurant or department store here; we are talking about real communities with real people who live real lives.
With a resolute commitment to being an active and loving presence, doing our best to embody the character of Jesus, we need renew our dedication to the communities in which we worship. This will not only change the character of our religious institutions, but as with most things in the kingdom, it will be the best place for us to grow as well.
Filed under: Evangelicalism | Tags: Christianity, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, God, Religion, Theology
Over the past few years I’ve toyed with the idea of converting to a different Christian denomination. There are a lot of obvious reasons which prompted this desire: watching friends/family convert and having transformative experiences, resonating with other theological views (i.e. Liberation Theology), wanting a connection to ancient spiritual practices and liturgy (as found in Eastern Orthodoxy), and most importantly– searching for a place where I could raise my daughter around people who really knew how to love each other and the world around them.
If you’re like me and have considered such a move, here’s a few good reasons to stick around:
1. The Evangelical Church seems to be on a threshold. Older right wing and conservative leaders are either dying or retiring. Focus on the Family is a great example of an organization that seems to be on the decline and garnering less influence (as evidenced by the last presidential election), while groups like Sojourners seems to be on the rise. Individuals such as Shane Claiborne and Richard Rohr are gaining more and more of a voice– emphasizing ecumenism, contemplation, and social action.
2. The Evangelical’s spirituality is deepening. We are learning and practicing exercises such as lectio divina, centering prayer, and even how to walk a labyrinth. Our spirituality is becoming more than just praying for a parking spot. Thanks to Parker Palmer, Henri Nouwen, Eugene Peterson, and others, we are developing a language to articulate the ways of the soul. Its no longer about whether or not your going to hell. Its no longer some flimsy how-to guide on getting into heaven. We’re starting to care about real spiritual growth.
3. We are becoming less evangelical, or better said, we are proselytizing less. We are trying harder to love people without an agenda (as Rob Bell would say) and are less concerned with trying to fix people through religious conversion. We are developing a greater respect for other religions and are seeing how they can also be followers of Jesus.
4. Two of the biggest issues that need attention in the Evangelical Church are the acceptance of the homosexual identity and feminine equality. Holy smokes there’s a lot of work ahead of us here, but there are quite a few younger Evangelicals who have a lot of energy around these issues and there seems to be some possibility for positive change in the coming years.
5. There is a new connection to poverty. Evangelicals are beginning to see the need to be in relationship with under-resourced and oppressed people and how it’s intimately connected to our own spirituality. The ministry at City House is a perfect example; where people with labels like “rich” and “poor” are brought into relationship with each other for mutual spiritual growth.
6. The music is improving. The likes of Michael W. Smith, Third Day, and Mercy Me are giving way to folks like Derek Webb, Jon Forman and Robbie Seay. The theology of the music is much more grounded and easier on the ears (for instance, check out the lyrics to Foreman’s “Instead of a Show”). It is sometimes raw and uncomfortably real, just as God intended artistic expression in my opinion.
7. We can wear t-shirts to church. One of the pastors at my church once joked, “What do you call someone with a shirt and tie on Sunday morning? A VISITOR!” We’re starting to care more about the condition of our hearts rather than our appearance and social standing.
8. Lastly, this is my heritage. It is what I was given, and what I was born into. When I take communion, I feel an intense connection to my Evangelical brothers and sisters and the Jesus who unites us (both to himself and the larger body of Christ). There is a mysterious love that sustains me and gives me hope in the midst of my frustration and our dysfunction.
A lot of the above is unique to my experience with a few people at my church. Some of it is probably trendiness and capitalism capitalizing on whatever it can get its hands on. But something is definitely happening. It’s slow change– which is hopefully a sign of some authentic growth. If the greater trends continue, and if it is Spirit-inspired, I want to be a part of this clumsy group as we figure out what it means to really be “Christian” in the Evangelical tradition. It could possibly be the greatest redemptive work since the stone was rolled away.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Celtic Christianity, christian spirituality, Christianity, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, Mysticism, prayer, Prayer of Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick's Breastplate, spirituality
“The Prayer of Saint Patrick”
I arise today
Through the strength of heaven;
Light of the sun,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of the wind,
Depth of the sea,
Stability of the earth,
Firmness of the rock.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a mulitude.
Christ shield me today
Against wounding
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.
I arise today
Through the mighty strength
Of the Lord of creation
Thanks to lightparty.com for archiving this poem.
Filed under: Celtic Verse | Tags: Book of Celtic Verse, Celtic Christianity, Celtic Spirituality, christian spirituality, Christianity, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, Mysticism, prayer, Song of a Winter Day
A morning clear, with frosty light
From sunbeams late and low;
They shine upon the snow so white,
And shine back from the snow.
Down tusks of ice one drop will go,
Nor fall: at sunny noon
‘Twill hang a diamond-fade, and grow
An opal for the moon.
And when the bright sad sun is low
Behind the mountain-dome,
A twilight wind will come and blow
All round the children’s home.
And puff and waft the powdery snow,
As feet unseen did pass.
But waiting in its bed below
Green lies the summer grass.
George McDonald, Book of Celtic Verse edited by John Mathews (New York: Sterling Publishing Co.) 60.
Filed under: Salvation | Tags: christian spirituality, Christianity, contemplative prayer, Evangelicalism, Mysticism, Salvation, spiritual disciplines, spirituality, Theology
I am three whole weeks into my training for Grandma’s Marathon. I’ve never ran more than seven miles before, so it’s a bit daunting. Actually it’s more than daunting, it seems totally impossible. I ran five miles yesterday and felt like I wanted to throw up. How am I possibly going to run 26.2 miles? How am I going to run for four (or more) hours straight?
In many ways, I think you have to be a little insane to run a marathon. Insane, that is, in comparison with the “sanity” of American culture. We like our fitness in the same way we like our Big Macs: ready in an instant. It appears to me that a marathoner must cultivate a deeper understanding of the way life works. There are certain laws and processes set in place that yield very specific outcomes. Part of training for a marathon, especially on the difficult days, is trusting the process. This week I will run 22 miles and I’ll trust my body’s ability to build upon that the week after, and henceforth. Even though I want to be able to run 26.2 miles without breaking a sweat today, that’s not how it works (there are those who try to run a marathon without proper training, resulting in injury most of the time). I was amazed at the need to slowly work up to the marathon distance. On a few days when I was actually feeling really good, I wanted to keep running and up my mileage. But I had to stop myself– a runner should only increase their distance by 10% a week. Anything beyond that can also result in injury. It is hard and slow work and there’s no way around it.
Matt Ralph over at Tangzine recently posted a quote from a blog which told of a pastor giving an alter call by inviting a concert audience to text (with their cell phones) if they wanted to commit to the Christian faith. This seems to be a far cry from the way Jesus called people into the Christian life. It reminds me a little more of an experience at McDonalds or Starbucks.
Whether we are talking salvation or spiritual formation, I think we can learn a lot from a marathon runner. My friend Al told me that he usually overestimates how much he can change in a day, but he totally underestimates how much he can change over the course of a year. Salvation is a slow process, and for some reason, I think it is meant to be that way. As with many other things, it’s not about the destination, but the journey. It’s about what happens along the way. It’s about trusting the disciplines and being patient with the process. Anything else is imitation spirituality, and God is not in it.
Filed under: John O'Donohue, Uncategorized | Tags: Anam Cara, christian spirituality, Christianity, contemplative prayer, Facebook, Facebook in Real Life, Facebook in Reality, God, John O'Donohue, spirituality
Last November, I spontaneously and abruptly deleted my Facebook account. I had become quite obsessed, checking the news feed and looking for recent comments several times a day. At times, I even noticed that I would pull myself out of real live human conversations to see what was going on in my cyberworld. So with the click of a button, I vanished.
In some ways, I think it became my second life. It was this place where I was in almost total control of the image that I was projecting to the world. I only needed to post the pictures of myself that were exciting, adventurous, and flattering. And my status updates were usually spiritual/intellectual (“Ben is reading his latest crush Dorothy Day”), for bragging (“Ben is off to San Francisco for a week!”), or for shock (“Ben is protesting the RNC”). I could take my time with my commenting and make myself seem insightful and wise. I wouldn’t comment too often though, since I didn’t want people to think I was on Facebook all the time. I had a “real” life of course. But did I?
In his book, Anam Cara, John O’Donohue says that technology and media “pretend to provide a world that is internetted, but in reality, all they deliver is a simulated world of shadows. Accordingly, they make the human world more anonymous and lonely (17).” Hopefully you can understand that I’m not against technology, media, or even Facebook. But last November I was driven to ask myself some tough questions: why do I need to check my Facebook so often? Am I lonely? Is it okay to be lonely? Why would I be lonely? All of these questions turned out to be incredibly spiritually formative, and I think I’ve learned a lot about myself in the past few months… things that I would have totally missed had I been checking for comments on my most recently posted photographs.
Nevertheless, I’m considering a return to cyberworld, via Facebook. There are certain people with whom I can only communicate with through this account. Its also a great way to share photos with family and friends who live far away. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. So here are some guidelines for “online networking websites”: be brief, be present, be intentional, don’t spy, don’t try to be a celebrity or guru, be sure to make the real life with real people the priority. I’m hoping it will simply be the means to relational connection, rather than the end all. We’ll see how it works.
Now for some laughs, check out this hilarious video highlighting some of the ironies and snafus of Facebook:
Filed under: Parker J. Palmer | Tags: A Hidden Wholeness, christian spirituality, Circles of Trust, Community, Mysticism, Parker J. Palmer, solitude, spirituality
“If we are to hold solitude and community together as a true paradox, we need to deepen our understanding of both poles. Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather it means never living apart from one’s self. It is not about the absence of other people—it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other. It is not about the presence of other people— it is about being fully open to the reality of relationship, whether or not we are alone.”
Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness (San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons) 55.
Filed under: Elizabeth Gilbert | Tags: christian spirituality, Creativity, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sprituality, TED talks
Have you watched a TED Talk yet? TED (technology, entertainment, design) “brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).” I’m new to all this and pretty excited about it.
My wife recently recommended that I watch Elizabeth Gilbert’s speech on Nurturing Creativity. It’s basically brilliant and I would highly recommend it as well. Gilbert, author of the recent smash hit, “Eat, Pray, Love” reflects on the possibility of having her most successful creative work behind her saying, “that’s the sort of thought that makes you want to start drinking gin… at nine o’clock in the morning.” She presents a different, ancient paradigm for thinking about creative genius.
(WordPress blocks TED videos so I had to post this from TED’s Youtube channel.)
