Friday 26 October 2007

Okay the week ends with a longer quote from Richard Rohr in "The Enneagram."

The voices of the ego will always be totally for or totally against because they are tine and insecure voices. The voices of the superego will always sound like Mom, Dad, teachers, and church because they are archetypal, too large voices. But the sound of the Indwelling Voice, which many of us call the Holy Spirit, will invariably sound different, unpredictable, scarily new, and often with unexpected demands. To hear this Voice often feels like an obedience to another (obedio, to give ear to). If we are not trained in responding to others, if we are trapped inside of our own control issues, we will seldom be able to hear this Voice. Our supposed sense of conscience will be largely self-serving, and our sense of duty and religion will be the carping voice of the critical superego. Our hearing must get better, and there is much historical evidence that it is getting better: Human rights seem to finally have a chance on this earth. Human dignity has its protectors in every culture. But the protecting of human life, or any life, has not been impressive up to now, even in the church.

Again, I know that this Indwelling Voice must be heard around the room of the faithful. By that, I mean that I cannot simply say...I heard it...this is a divine word. Rather, I must be willing to engage in the risk-taking discipline of conversation. Damn that can be hard! And yet, it is so necessary. The greatest gift we give to one another is to help us listen and help us act when this Spirited voice begins to move us within our lives. Our hearing gets better when there are more of us sharing the task of listening and interpreting. This doesn't mean we are given the task of coming up with a word that is a compromise. That kind of word is rarely the way that brings forth the truly new life. Sharing the listening and interpreting means there will and must be challenge and encouragement. Challenge serves to clarify. Encouragement serves to move us into life. When we are able to help one another hear that "Indwelling Voice" it seems apparent to me that the indwelling of God begins to walk with us along the way of the cross.

Connection: Practice obedience...giving ear to others...and lifting a voice for others.

Spirit of Life, we give you thanks for lifting us up to hear and see more of the way of our Lord and the life into which we are invited to walk. By your power you take us out beyond our ways and drop us down in the midst of life that is now residing in the possibility of your Reign among us. Amen.