The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Understanding God is not attained by calling into session all arguments for and against (God), in order to debate whether (God) is a reality or a figment of the mind. God cannot be sensed as a second thought, as an explanation of the origin of the universe. (God) is either the first and the last, or just another concept.
Speculation does not precede faith. The antecedents of faith are the premise of wonder and the premise of praise. Worship of God precedes affirmation of (God’s) realness. We praise before we prove. We respond before we question.
Proofs for the existence of God may add strength to our beliefs; they do not generate it.
In some ways you could say that when we ask people to come to worship with us, we are asking them to come and be caught up in the wonder of God. They don’t have to buy into all that is said…they need only come and enter the experience. Within the adventure of praising God…and seeing and hearing others praise God…we are lifted beyond our own view of the world and begin to touch the realm of God that is forever and ever….with or without our belief. And yet, in the act of praise, we begin to be tickled by the possibility of God’s existence and God’s gift of life that is much more than we can generate on our own.
Connection: Sometime, simply inviting people in the realm of wonder is all we can do to guide someone onto the path of trusting in God. We are only called to praise God…not to be the ones who can come up with a list of the proofs of God. The question is: how do we help someone begin to wonder about the One who is, and was, and will always be?
Lord God, you are the first and the last, the power for new life in any and every age and no matter what might be the circumstances of the day. We praise you for stirring up our hearts and our minds so that we may see you hand guiding us along the way of your gracious reign. Amen.
Friday, May 30, 2003
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Thursday, May 29, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
(Humanity’s) physical and mental reality is beyond dispute; (humanity’s) meaning, (humanity’s) spiritual relevance, is a question that cries for an answer. And worship is the answer. For worship is an act of (humanity) relating (humanity) to ultimate meaning. Unless (humanity) is capable of entering a relation to ultimate meaning, worship is an illusion. And if worship is meaningless, human existence is an absurdity.
In worship we are drawn out…we go beyond what we can conquer and touch and see…we take a journey that is both inward and outward. We are invited to look at ourselves and investigate what is at the very center, the core, of our individual life…what is ultimately leading and guiding us. Also, we are invited to see our part in the grand scheme of all that is…society…the world…the human race…that order and creativity of all that is. Practically speaking, we may have other things within our lives that could take the place of worship. But, in worship, we do not stay within the lines of practicality…we are invited to soar…we are invited to trust in the God about whom the psalmist and prophets write. And there…in the mix of worship…new life is always a possibility.
Connection: Individual devotions go one step in our journey of finding the fullness of our self. Small gatherings of people who share a common faith journey also can do that. And yet, Heschel is holding up worship – a gathering of strangers made friends and companions through nothing more than the fact that we share words of praise and prayer and singing together…lifting ourselves beyond ourselves. Think about worship in the place of your life.
Lord God, you lift up the horizon of what is to be and you call us forward to enter into its many possibilities. Within that journey, continue to set us on fire with the vision of your reign and move us to leap into your promise for life. Amen.
(Humanity’s) physical and mental reality is beyond dispute; (humanity’s) meaning, (humanity’s) spiritual relevance, is a question that cries for an answer. And worship is the answer. For worship is an act of (humanity) relating (humanity) to ultimate meaning. Unless (humanity) is capable of entering a relation to ultimate meaning, worship is an illusion. And if worship is meaningless, human existence is an absurdity.
In worship we are drawn out…we go beyond what we can conquer and touch and see…we take a journey that is both inward and outward. We are invited to look at ourselves and investigate what is at the very center, the core, of our individual life…what is ultimately leading and guiding us. Also, we are invited to see our part in the grand scheme of all that is…society…the world…the human race…that order and creativity of all that is. Practically speaking, we may have other things within our lives that could take the place of worship. But, in worship, we do not stay within the lines of practicality…we are invited to soar…we are invited to trust in the God about whom the psalmist and prophets write. And there…in the mix of worship…new life is always a possibility.
Connection: Individual devotions go one step in our journey of finding the fullness of our self. Small gatherings of people who share a common faith journey also can do that. And yet, Heschel is holding up worship – a gathering of strangers made friends and companions through nothing more than the fact that we share words of praise and prayer and singing together…lifting ourselves beyond ourselves. Think about worship in the place of your life.
Lord God, you lift up the horizon of what is to be and you call us forward to enter into its many possibilities. Within that journey, continue to set us on fire with the vision of your reign and move us to leap into your promise for life. Amen.
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The sense of wonder, awe, and mystery does not give us a knowledge of God. It only leads to a plane where the question about God becomes an inescapable concern, to a situation in which we discover that we can neither place our anxiety in the safe deposit of opinions nor delegate to others the urgent task of answering the ultimate question…
Such ultimate concern is an act of worship, an act of acknowledging in the most intense manner the supremacy of the issue.
Every one of us is bound to have an ultimate object of worship, yet (each of us) is free to choose the object of (his/her) worship. (One) cannot live without it; it may be either a fictitious or a real object, God or an idol.
We must remember that worship takes many shapes. I know people who never go to worship at a church or synagogue or mosque…, but they regularly show sign of intense and devoted worship. It is a great temptation for all of us. It is a temptation to worship something…anything…that we want to give us life. But as Heschel seems to say and as Paul Tillich will note, there is the God – that is our ultimate concern…and then there are all the other less-than ultimate concerns, the objects and ideas to which we give our lives – idols abound around us. There are no atheists among us. Everyone drops his/her life into the hand of something. And yet, we are reminded that only One can hold us…all other concerns demand our support and our sacrifice of life in order to sustain them.
Connection: Sometimes it is good to try and take a look at what it is we worship during the days of our lives. Then it is even more important to do that with another person or group of people who, like you, profess a faith in God alone. For then, we are handed mirrors to look at and see what we often cannot see ourselves.
Lord of all that is and all that will be, our day is forged by your will and transformed by your grace. By the power of your Holy Spirit, turn our hearts that we may see the brilliance of your compassionate and endless love. Amen.
The sense of wonder, awe, and mystery does not give us a knowledge of God. It only leads to a plane where the question about God becomes an inescapable concern, to a situation in which we discover that we can neither place our anxiety in the safe deposit of opinions nor delegate to others the urgent task of answering the ultimate question…
Such ultimate concern is an act of worship, an act of acknowledging in the most intense manner the supremacy of the issue.
Every one of us is bound to have an ultimate object of worship, yet (each of us) is free to choose the object of (his/her) worship. (One) cannot live without it; it may be either a fictitious or a real object, God or an idol.
We must remember that worship takes many shapes. I know people who never go to worship at a church or synagogue or mosque…, but they regularly show sign of intense and devoted worship. It is a great temptation for all of us. It is a temptation to worship something…anything…that we want to give us life. But as Heschel seems to say and as Paul Tillich will note, there is the God – that is our ultimate concern…and then there are all the other less-than ultimate concerns, the objects and ideas to which we give our lives – idols abound around us. There are no atheists among us. Everyone drops his/her life into the hand of something. And yet, we are reminded that only One can hold us…all other concerns demand our support and our sacrifice of life in order to sustain them.
Connection: Sometimes it is good to try and take a look at what it is we worship during the days of our lives. Then it is even more important to do that with another person or group of people who, like you, profess a faith in God alone. For then, we are handed mirrors to look at and see what we often cannot see ourselves.
Lord of all that is and all that will be, our day is forged by your will and transformed by your grace. By the power of your Holy Spirit, turn our hearts that we may see the brilliance of your compassionate and endless love. Amen.
Tuesday, May 27, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
On Friday we read that “faith is an act of spiritual ecstasy, of rising above our own wisdom.” Today it continues:
In this sense, the urge of faith is a reverse of the artistic act in which we try to capture the intangible in the tangible. In faith, we do not seek to decipher, to articulate in our own terms, but to rise above our own wisdom, to think of the world in the terms of God, to live in accord with what is relevant to God.
To have faith is not to capitulate but to rise to a higher plane of thinking. To have faith is not to defy human reason but rather to share divine wisdom.
It is important to throw into this piece the realization that “religions” often try to capture or hold or grasp or make reasonable the workings of God. Too often we want to “nail down” just the way it is. And yet, it is not “the way it is.” The “way” is always more than we can imagine and therefore, we are continuously being called to let ourselves look at the world and the things of our day with eyes of, let say, the psalmist. Eyes that draw us up in what we see and yet urge us to see more…to see the power of God at work…and not just what we want our God to be. I think this is very important for us whenever we begin the many logistical patterns of warfare. Can we begin to share in the wisdom of God rather than consider our thoughts as supreme to all others?!
Connection: Sometimes it is good to consider the present activity in light of the whole universe and all that is. I wonder what kind of an impact that would have on how we move through the tasks and moments of this day?
Lord God, you continue to move us beyond our senses and yet you always give us back this world of touch and taste and sound and sight so that we may begin to see your glorious ways in the common and ordinary aspects of our lives. Inspire us to look at this day with eyes that see beyond our seeing. Amen.
On Friday we read that “faith is an act of spiritual ecstasy, of rising above our own wisdom.” Today it continues:
In this sense, the urge of faith is a reverse of the artistic act in which we try to capture the intangible in the tangible. In faith, we do not seek to decipher, to articulate in our own terms, but to rise above our own wisdom, to think of the world in the terms of God, to live in accord with what is relevant to God.
To have faith is not to capitulate but to rise to a higher plane of thinking. To have faith is not to defy human reason but rather to share divine wisdom.
It is important to throw into this piece the realization that “religions” often try to capture or hold or grasp or make reasonable the workings of God. Too often we want to “nail down” just the way it is. And yet, it is not “the way it is.” The “way” is always more than we can imagine and therefore, we are continuously being called to let ourselves look at the world and the things of our day with eyes of, let say, the psalmist. Eyes that draw us up in what we see and yet urge us to see more…to see the power of God at work…and not just what we want our God to be. I think this is very important for us whenever we begin the many logistical patterns of warfare. Can we begin to share in the wisdom of God rather than consider our thoughts as supreme to all others?!
Connection: Sometimes it is good to consider the present activity in light of the whole universe and all that is. I wonder what kind of an impact that would have on how we move through the tasks and moments of this day?
Lord God, you continue to move us beyond our senses and yet you always give us back this world of touch and taste and sound and sight so that we may begin to see your glorious ways in the common and ordinary aspects of our lives. Inspire us to look at this day with eyes that see beyond our seeing. Amen.
Friday, May 23, 2003
Friday, May 23, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Rabbi Mendel of Kotsk was told of a great saint who lived in this time and who claimed that during the seven days of the Feast of Booths his eyes would see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David come to the booth. Said Rabbi Mendel: “I do not see the heavenly guests; I only have faith that they are present in the booth, and to have faith is greater than to see.”
This, indeed, is the greatness of (humanity): to be able to have faith. For faith is an act of freedom, of independence of our own limited faculties, whether of reason or sense-perception. It is an act of spiritual ecstasy, of rising above our own wisdom.
“…to have faith is greater than to see.” We would do well to remind one another of these words when we face the ugly and nasty times of our lives…or the dark days in which we cannot see any sense in the way things are going. To have faith in a vision is to have faith in that which is not yet completely seen. This doesn’t mean that we simply cannot see it because it is off in the future. It means that we trust that there is a power and a presence that gives life right now…here…today, even when there is no way to prove that such a power exits. The great characters of the bible had faith in the promises of God…nothing concrete for now…simply a promise….a promise that ignites new life and in that new life the promise takes shape. We trust that the saint of every time and place gather with us for worship and take part in the meal we call the Lord’s Supper. They are there…just as they will be. And for now, they stand with us to encourage our faithful lives as we take the next steps within this day.
Connection: Trust that our God is indeed in the day with us…every step...every moment…no exceptions. What impact will that have on the events around us!?!
O Lord, you are present with us and you continue to walk with us as we move in and out of the events of this day. Keep us mindful of your promise of new life and free us up to live as though your promises are true. Amen.
Rabbi Mendel of Kotsk was told of a great saint who lived in this time and who claimed that during the seven days of the Feast of Booths his eyes would see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David come to the booth. Said Rabbi Mendel: “I do not see the heavenly guests; I only have faith that they are present in the booth, and to have faith is greater than to see.”
This, indeed, is the greatness of (humanity): to be able to have faith. For faith is an act of freedom, of independence of our own limited faculties, whether of reason or sense-perception. It is an act of spiritual ecstasy, of rising above our own wisdom.
“…to have faith is greater than to see.” We would do well to remind one another of these words when we face the ugly and nasty times of our lives…or the dark days in which we cannot see any sense in the way things are going. To have faith in a vision is to have faith in that which is not yet completely seen. This doesn’t mean that we simply cannot see it because it is off in the future. It means that we trust that there is a power and a presence that gives life right now…here…today, even when there is no way to prove that such a power exits. The great characters of the bible had faith in the promises of God…nothing concrete for now…simply a promise….a promise that ignites new life and in that new life the promise takes shape. We trust that the saint of every time and place gather with us for worship and take part in the meal we call the Lord’s Supper. They are there…just as they will be. And for now, they stand with us to encourage our faithful lives as we take the next steps within this day.
Connection: Trust that our God is indeed in the day with us…every step...every moment…no exceptions. What impact will that have on the events around us!?!
O Lord, you are present with us and you continue to walk with us as we move in and out of the events of this day. Keep us mindful of your promise of new life and free us up to live as though your promises are true. Amen.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Thursday, May 22, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
It is not from experience but from our inability to experience what is given to our mind that certainty of the realness of God is derived…
Our certainty is the result of wonder and radical amazement, of awe before the mystery and meaning of the totality of life beyond our rational discerning. Faith is the response to the mystery, shot through with meaning; the response to a challenge which no one can for ever ignore… Faith is an act of (a person) who transcending (him/herself) responds to (God) who transcends the world.
It doesn’t seem right to say that “certainty is the result of wonder and radical amazement.” What about data…the facts…concrete reality!?! And yet, the parade of saints throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures is filled with the stories of people who were certain…even to the point of taking on amazing stand or entering amazing adventures. Abraham and Sarah did not venture off to the promised-land because they saw a scroll that was the deed to some property along the River Jordan. They did not become physical lovers at a very old age and barren because they were both tested and both now fertile. They were certain of what God was saying. They were moved by radical amazement. This is not a “dead reality” in our day. We too can step off into this day certain of the resurrected life that is available for us now. We can move deep within the meaning of this day as it is filled by the mystery of God eternally for us…always and forever.
Connection: What are we waiting for…!?! When you think about it, there is a powerful, mysterious, wonder-filled, and amazing statement of the possibilities available to us when we make the simple affirmation: This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Lord, with your amazing grace you grab hold of our lives and bring about great transformations within all that we do and all that we are. Encourage us to lift up our eyes and so that we may be filled with awe and in that awe awakened to new life. Amen.
It is not from experience but from our inability to experience what is given to our mind that certainty of the realness of God is derived…
Our certainty is the result of wonder and radical amazement, of awe before the mystery and meaning of the totality of life beyond our rational discerning. Faith is the response to the mystery, shot through with meaning; the response to a challenge which no one can for ever ignore… Faith is an act of (a person) who transcending (him/herself) responds to (God) who transcends the world.
It doesn’t seem right to say that “certainty is the result of wonder and radical amazement.” What about data…the facts…concrete reality!?! And yet, the parade of saints throughout the Hebrew and Christian scriptures is filled with the stories of people who were certain…even to the point of taking on amazing stand or entering amazing adventures. Abraham and Sarah did not venture off to the promised-land because they saw a scroll that was the deed to some property along the River Jordan. They did not become physical lovers at a very old age and barren because they were both tested and both now fertile. They were certain of what God was saying. They were moved by radical amazement. This is not a “dead reality” in our day. We too can step off into this day certain of the resurrected life that is available for us now. We can move deep within the meaning of this day as it is filled by the mystery of God eternally for us…always and forever.
Connection: What are we waiting for…!?! When you think about it, there is a powerful, mysterious, wonder-filled, and amazing statement of the possibilities available to us when we make the simple affirmation: This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Lord, with your amazing grace you grab hold of our lives and bring about great transformations within all that we do and all that we are. Encourage us to lift up our eyes and so that we may be filled with awe and in that awe awakened to new life. Amen.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The roots of ultimate insights are found…not on the level of discursive thinking, but on the level of wonder and radical amazement, in the depth of awe, in our sensitivity to the mystery, in our awareness of the ineffable. It is the level on which the great things happen to the soul, where the unique insights of art, religion, and philosophy come into being.
This made me think of Saul riding on his horse as he is on his way trying to subdue the movement and growth of the followers of Jesus. Something…knocks him off his horse. Not only that. His whole view of life changes and he literally becomes another person – Paul. His thinking was all straight and in line with all the education he had received from the rabbis. But the event on the road was not in line with the straight thinking he was taught…and the only way we hear about it is to hear of a blinding light and a voice from “out of nowhere.” Those with him stood speechless during the this disruption on the road and when it was all over Paul was blinded and needed to be guided by the others. From this event on the road comes a person who gives the growing community of Jesus’ followers some great insights into the wealth of the Good News for new life. Sound wonder-filled and amazing to me.
Connection: Some people like to talk about thinking “outside the box”…or at least it was an expression used for a while. In many ways, it was still an orderly adventure. I think Heschel is pointing way out of the box…to a way of looking at all things…a way of pausing and simply taking in what is being offered to us by life itself – even when we are not suppose to be looking for anything at all. Don’t be afraid to wander…and wonder today.
Inspiring Spirit, let the flames of your new creation open up our eyes. Take us beyond the limits we set within our lives so we may venture into the wonderful beauty of your gracious reign as it is revealed to us throughout this day. Amen.
The roots of ultimate insights are found…not on the level of discursive thinking, but on the level of wonder and radical amazement, in the depth of awe, in our sensitivity to the mystery, in our awareness of the ineffable. It is the level on which the great things happen to the soul, where the unique insights of art, religion, and philosophy come into being.
This made me think of Saul riding on his horse as he is on his way trying to subdue the movement and growth of the followers of Jesus. Something…knocks him off his horse. Not only that. His whole view of life changes and he literally becomes another person – Paul. His thinking was all straight and in line with all the education he had received from the rabbis. But the event on the road was not in line with the straight thinking he was taught…and the only way we hear about it is to hear of a blinding light and a voice from “out of nowhere.” Those with him stood speechless during the this disruption on the road and when it was all over Paul was blinded and needed to be guided by the others. From this event on the road comes a person who gives the growing community of Jesus’ followers some great insights into the wealth of the Good News for new life. Sound wonder-filled and amazing to me.
Connection: Some people like to talk about thinking “outside the box”…or at least it was an expression used for a while. In many ways, it was still an orderly adventure. I think Heschel is pointing way out of the box…to a way of looking at all things…a way of pausing and simply taking in what is being offered to us by life itself – even when we are not suppose to be looking for anything at all. Don’t be afraid to wander…and wonder today.
Inspiring Spirit, let the flames of your new creation open up our eyes. Take us beyond the limits we set within our lives so we may venture into the wonderful beauty of your gracious reign as it is revealed to us throughout this day. Amen.
Monday, May 19, 2003
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
It is the mystery that evokes our religious concern, and it is the mystery where religious thinking must begin. The way of thinking about God in traditional speculation has been “via eminentiae,” a way of proceeding from the known to the unknown. Our starting point is not the known, the finite, the order, but the unknown within the known, the infinite with the finite, the mystery within the order.
All creative thinking comes out of an encounter with the unknown.
Mystery…the unknown…the infinite are not always that which pops up in conversations within the normal movements of the day. But then, I would have to say that as followers of Jesus, as people who are concerned with the ultimate meaning of life, as religious people, these may indeed be a part of all we do throughout the day. It is very often that religious people have looked at the working of a society and started asking ‘what if…?” That question already reveals someone who is beginning to step into the unknown and longing to make it more of the reality of our day. Just think of the communities of faith that started to envision a day when there would be no slavery and this was at and prior to the opening days of the United States. Looking into nothing…seeing something, hearing nothing at all and yet leaning to hear something new, is the beginning of a journey we tend to link quite often to faithful people with vision.
Connection: Trusting what we hear about how our God loves us…beyond what we can imagine or see completely, what does that bring into the everyday patterns and knowledge of this day? It may be good for us to prayerfully consider the importance of what is not yet.
Out of nothing, Lord God, you bring all things. Praise to you for the way the Holy Spirit continues to pull us into life that is not see or heard and yet we know that there is something more beckoning us to enter life. Give us courage to move and think beyond what is so evident. Amen.
It is the mystery that evokes our religious concern, and it is the mystery where religious thinking must begin. The way of thinking about God in traditional speculation has been “via eminentiae,” a way of proceeding from the known to the unknown. Our starting point is not the known, the finite, the order, but the unknown within the known, the infinite with the finite, the mystery within the order.
All creative thinking comes out of an encounter with the unknown.
Mystery…the unknown…the infinite are not always that which pops up in conversations within the normal movements of the day. But then, I would have to say that as followers of Jesus, as people who are concerned with the ultimate meaning of life, as religious people, these may indeed be a part of all we do throughout the day. It is very often that religious people have looked at the working of a society and started asking ‘what if…?” That question already reveals someone who is beginning to step into the unknown and longing to make it more of the reality of our day. Just think of the communities of faith that started to envision a day when there would be no slavery and this was at and prior to the opening days of the United States. Looking into nothing…seeing something, hearing nothing at all and yet leaning to hear something new, is the beginning of a journey we tend to link quite often to faithful people with vision.
Connection: Trusting what we hear about how our God loves us…beyond what we can imagine or see completely, what does that bring into the everyday patterns and knowledge of this day? It may be good for us to prayerfully consider the importance of what is not yet.
Out of nothing, Lord God, you bring all things. Praise to you for the way the Holy Spirit continues to pull us into life that is not see or heard and yet we know that there is something more beckoning us to enter life. Give us courage to move and think beyond what is so evident. Amen.
Monday, May 19, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Awe is the awareness of transcendent meaning, of a spiritual suggestiveness of reality, an allusiveness to transcendent meaning. The world in its grandeur is full of a spiritual radiance, for which we have neither name nor concept.
…In moments of sensing the ineffable we are as certain of the value of the world as we are of its existence. There must be a value which was worth the world’s coming into existence. We may be skeptical as to whether the world is perfect. However, even if we admit its imperfection, the preciousness of its grandeur is beyond question.
Awe, then, is more than a feeling. It is an answer of the heart and the mind to the presence of mystery in all things, an intuition for a meaning that is beyond the mystery, an awareness of the transcendent worth of the universe.
I remember looking out over the rim of the Grand Canyon and being overwhelmed (I must admit, “at the rim” usually mean about 10 ft back from the edge.). I knew that it was all formed by the meandering of the Colorado River over millions of years…but that didn’t quite fit what was going on deep down inside me. I was filled with wonder. I was struck with awe…speechless. The space…the colors...the feeling that it could not be real, were overwhelming. I didn’t feel the need to write about Paul Bunyan (sp) and his ox Babe in order to explain what was there. It was more than any story could possibly address. There is that same sense of awe when I come upon a flowerbed full of flowers I bloom. It amazes me that a simply packet of wildflower seeds can become such an extravagant display of colors and textures. Awe begins to lift our eyes so that we can see something more than just scenery passing by.
Connection: Who knows when and where you may be struck by awe today? It may do us all a bit of good when it happens.
Creating Lord, you give birth to the most amazing sights and sounds within our lives. Give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear the depth of the beauty of your creation and of our own lives within your wonder-filled creation. Amen.
Awe is the awareness of transcendent meaning, of a spiritual suggestiveness of reality, an allusiveness to transcendent meaning. The world in its grandeur is full of a spiritual radiance, for which we have neither name nor concept.
…In moments of sensing the ineffable we are as certain of the value of the world as we are of its existence. There must be a value which was worth the world’s coming into existence. We may be skeptical as to whether the world is perfect. However, even if we admit its imperfection, the preciousness of its grandeur is beyond question.
Awe, then, is more than a feeling. It is an answer of the heart and the mind to the presence of mystery in all things, an intuition for a meaning that is beyond the mystery, an awareness of the transcendent worth of the universe.
I remember looking out over the rim of the Grand Canyon and being overwhelmed (I must admit, “at the rim” usually mean about 10 ft back from the edge.). I knew that it was all formed by the meandering of the Colorado River over millions of years…but that didn’t quite fit what was going on deep down inside me. I was filled with wonder. I was struck with awe…speechless. The space…the colors...the feeling that it could not be real, were overwhelming. I didn’t feel the need to write about Paul Bunyan (sp) and his ox Babe in order to explain what was there. It was more than any story could possibly address. There is that same sense of awe when I come upon a flowerbed full of flowers I bloom. It amazes me that a simply packet of wildflower seeds can become such an extravagant display of colors and textures. Awe begins to lift our eyes so that we can see something more than just scenery passing by.
Connection: Who knows when and where you may be struck by awe today? It may do us all a bit of good when it happens.
Creating Lord, you give birth to the most amazing sights and sounds within our lives. Give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear the depth of the beauty of your creation and of our own lives within your wonder-filled creation. Amen.
Thursday, May 15, 2003
FRIDAY, May 16, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
By the ineffable we do not mean the unknown as such; things unknown today may be known a thousand years from now. By the ineffable we mean that aspect of reality which by its very nature lies beyond our comprehension, and is acknowledged by the mind to be beyond the scope of the mind. Nor does the ineffable refer to a realm detached from the perceptible and the known. It refers to the correlation of the known and the unknown, of the knowable and the unknowable, upon which the mind comes in all its acts of thinking and feeling.
The sense of the ineffable is a sense for transcendence, a sense for the allusiveness of reality to a super-rational meaning. The ineffable then, is a synonym for hidden meaning rather than for absence of meaning. It stands for a dimension which the Bible called glory, a dimension so real and sublime that it stuns our ability to adore it, and fills us with awe rather than curiosity.
I would submit that the ‘love of God’ is a good example of something that is ineffable. It is in, with, and under all of life and yet it is more than can be comprehended. The love of God is known when it is encountered. It is known both to a person in private and yet it is known when it takes shape within a community. Such love fills us with awe. The love of God is also described as the glory of God – brilliant and real – beyond our comprehension yet within an arms reach.
Connection: As the second lesson for this Sunday will remind us: “Beloved, let us love one another…” That is enough to fill this day to overflowing…and make available to all the glory of the Lord, God.
By your Grace, O God, you bring us together so that your love may be something more than a concept or an idea. By your Holy Spirit, you fashion a people whose lives are pulled into your loving presence and become a part of that love within this place and time. Be with us and call us out of ourselves and into that wonder-filled Reign where you are present for all. Amen.
By the ineffable we do not mean the unknown as such; things unknown today may be known a thousand years from now. By the ineffable we mean that aspect of reality which by its very nature lies beyond our comprehension, and is acknowledged by the mind to be beyond the scope of the mind. Nor does the ineffable refer to a realm detached from the perceptible and the known. It refers to the correlation of the known and the unknown, of the knowable and the unknowable, upon which the mind comes in all its acts of thinking and feeling.
The sense of the ineffable is a sense for transcendence, a sense for the allusiveness of reality to a super-rational meaning. The ineffable then, is a synonym for hidden meaning rather than for absence of meaning. It stands for a dimension which the Bible called glory, a dimension so real and sublime that it stuns our ability to adore it, and fills us with awe rather than curiosity.
I would submit that the ‘love of God’ is a good example of something that is ineffable. It is in, with, and under all of life and yet it is more than can be comprehended. The love of God is known when it is encountered. It is known both to a person in private and yet it is known when it takes shape within a community. Such love fills us with awe. The love of God is also described as the glory of God – brilliant and real – beyond our comprehension yet within an arms reach.
Connection: As the second lesson for this Sunday will remind us: “Beloved, let us love one another…” That is enough to fill this day to overflowing…and make available to all the glory of the Lord, God.
By your Grace, O God, you bring us together so that your love may be something more than a concept or an idea. By your Holy Spirit, you fashion a people whose lives are pulled into your loving presence and become a part of that love within this place and time. Be with us and call us out of ourselves and into that wonder-filled Reign where you are present for all. Amen.
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Thursday, May 15, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
It is impossible to define “goodness,” or “fact,” not because they stand for something irrational or meaningless, but because they stand for ideas that surpass the limits of any definition; they are super-rational rather than sub-rational. We cannot define “the holy” or utter in words what we mean in saying “blessed be (God).” What the “holy” refers to, what we mean by “blessed be (God),” lies beyond the reach of words. “The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express.”
Isn’t it odd that in the realm of religion there is often the need to “nail down” what is “holy?” There seems to be a strange need to say this “is” and that “is not” holy. Obviously that is done when people want to have themselves somewhat associated with what is called “holy.” In that way, I suppose, a person can be considered a part of what is holy in opposition to “those” who are not. What a game! What is holy…what is a part of the picture of God’s reign and vision for life…is so much greater than our defining lines. We may say “God is great,” but the word Great is not enough to capture or define God. There is such anxiety that abounds when people sense that God and God’s reign is greater than the box in which we want to put God that the anxiety in the air is thick enough to cut with a knife (another image that doesn’t quite define “anxiety”). I simply love the quote Heschel offers in this piece: “The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express.” God is great -- indeed!
Connection: Try defining what you love in someone in your life. There may be many things you can say, but there is always more…there is something beyond the words that may have more to do with your love for the other person than what can be said or defined. The parts we are able to “define” are indeed a part of the picture. But then, there is…and…and even…
Gracious God, continue to let your blessed Reign unfold around us that we may catch glimpses of its amazing and endless beauty. For within that which we can only in part, there is the wonderful power that pulls us beyond what we are and how we see so that our lives never stop growing within your domain of love and kindness, peace and justice, mercy and reconciliation. Praise be to you, O God of infinite expressions. Amen.
It is impossible to define “goodness,” or “fact,” not because they stand for something irrational or meaningless, but because they stand for ideas that surpass the limits of any definition; they are super-rational rather than sub-rational. We cannot define “the holy” or utter in words what we mean in saying “blessed be (God).” What the “holy” refers to, what we mean by “blessed be (God),” lies beyond the reach of words. “The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express.”
Isn’t it odd that in the realm of religion there is often the need to “nail down” what is “holy?” There seems to be a strange need to say this “is” and that “is not” holy. Obviously that is done when people want to have themselves somewhat associated with what is called “holy.” In that way, I suppose, a person can be considered a part of what is holy in opposition to “those” who are not. What a game! What is holy…what is a part of the picture of God’s reign and vision for life…is so much greater than our defining lines. We may say “God is great,” but the word Great is not enough to capture or define God. There is such anxiety that abounds when people sense that God and God’s reign is greater than the box in which we want to put God that the anxiety in the air is thick enough to cut with a knife (another image that doesn’t quite define “anxiety”). I simply love the quote Heschel offers in this piece: “The best part of beauty is that which a picture cannot express.” God is great -- indeed!
Connection: Try defining what you love in someone in your life. There may be many things you can say, but there is always more…there is something beyond the words that may have more to do with your love for the other person than what can be said or defined. The parts we are able to “define” are indeed a part of the picture. But then, there is…and…and even…
Gracious God, continue to let your blessed Reign unfold around us that we may catch glimpses of its amazing and endless beauty. For within that which we can only in part, there is the wonderful power that pulls us beyond what we are and how we see so that our lives never stop growing within your domain of love and kindness, peace and justice, mercy and reconciliation. Praise be to you, O God of infinite expressions. Amen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
In the Bible, callousness is the root of sin. There are many words to express it: “stubbornness of heart,” “hardness of heart” (Deuteronomy29:18; Lamentations 3:65); “brazen-faced and stiff-hearted (Ezekiel 2:4); “stout-hearted” (Isaiah 46:12); “uncircumcised in the heart” (Jeremiah 9:25). “The heart [of the godless] is gross like fat,” exclaims the Psalmist (119:70).
The prophets continually reproach Israel for lack of sensibility:
(They) see things but do not observe them
(Their) ears are open, but they do not hear. Isaiah 42:20
It does not take much to be a “hard hearted people.” When we will only look at the world around us with one set of lenses and refuse to take another look through the lenses of others or a new day or a new perspective, hearts grow stubborn and change will seem like an impossible event. In the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” there is a view of life that seeks to prevent hardness of heart and closed up vision. One of the lines says “to turn, turn, will be our delight, ‘til by turning, turning we come down right.” The openness to turning…to taking another look…to hearing another voice, is the way to see and hear more than we can ever expected in our lives. It’s like Mikey in that old cereal commercial: “Try it you’ll like it”… “He likes it…Mikey likes it.” Just because the we have done things and seen things and heard things one way for so long that we think that’s all to life, we are pulled by the Holy Spirit to set foot on other pathways and just watch what is in store for us. Sin may be a simple way to express our self-centered way of staying the course…our course.
Connection: Ever listen to a story that you already know…and when someone else tells it they tell it differently. Does the story have to be the way you know it or…are you willing to hear it from another perspective and be enriched by the difference? Just a thought.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, O God, send us off in new ways within this day. And as we go, remind us to see and hear more than what we expect or want to hear and see. Open us up to the gracious perspective of your Reign and the life it call forth from us even when things seem strange and new. Amen.
In the Bible, callousness is the root of sin. There are many words to express it: “stubbornness of heart,” “hardness of heart” (Deuteronomy29:18; Lamentations 3:65); “brazen-faced and stiff-hearted (Ezekiel 2:4); “stout-hearted” (Isaiah 46:12); “uncircumcised in the heart” (Jeremiah 9:25). “The heart [of the godless] is gross like fat,” exclaims the Psalmist (119:70).
The prophets continually reproach Israel for lack of sensibility:
(They) see things but do not observe them
(Their) ears are open, but they do not hear. Isaiah 42:20
It does not take much to be a “hard hearted people.” When we will only look at the world around us with one set of lenses and refuse to take another look through the lenses of others or a new day or a new perspective, hearts grow stubborn and change will seem like an impossible event. In the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts” there is a view of life that seeks to prevent hardness of heart and closed up vision. One of the lines says “to turn, turn, will be our delight, ‘til by turning, turning we come down right.” The openness to turning…to taking another look…to hearing another voice, is the way to see and hear more than we can ever expected in our lives. It’s like Mikey in that old cereal commercial: “Try it you’ll like it”… “He likes it…Mikey likes it.” Just because the we have done things and seen things and heard things one way for so long that we think that’s all to life, we are pulled by the Holy Spirit to set foot on other pathways and just watch what is in store for us. Sin may be a simple way to express our self-centered way of staying the course…our course.
Connection: Ever listen to a story that you already know…and when someone else tells it they tell it differently. Does the story have to be the way you know it or…are you willing to hear it from another perspective and be enriched by the difference? Just a thought.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, O God, send us off in new ways within this day. And as we go, remind us to see and hear more than what we expect or want to hear and see. Open us up to the gracious perspective of your Reign and the life it call forth from us even when things seem strange and new. Amen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The wonders are daily with us, and yet “the miracle is not recognized by (the person) who experiences it.” Its apprehension is not a matter of physical perception. “Of what avail is an open eye, if the heart is blind?” One may see many things without observing them - “(a person’s) ears are open, but does not hear.”
“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear not.’” (Ezekiel)
“Alas for people that they see but do not know what they see, they stand and do not know on what they stand.”
There is nothing new in these words. Throughout the teaching of Jesus we hear quite the same word lifted up before the people. “If the heart is blind”…we are in trouble. There is no chance to see how our God can make the impossible - possible. If we are people who simply live by evidence stacked up to support what is and what is not to be possible, then we will miss the great adventures that have made generations of people look at all of life differently and thus, change the face of everything. There are many stories of people who appeared to have nothing and yet they lived as though they saw much more in their lives. They were able to see the foundation, the rock that was beneath them and always supporting them. On the other hand, there are those who have much that they and others can see and yet they cannot see anything beyond the surfaces of their lives…and they often dry up rather than blossom and create a garden of hopefulness that has deep roots and will provide joy for many ages to come.
Connection: It doesn’t take much to ignore the great gift of life on which we stand – that gift that never ends. Therefore, it will do us all well to keep opening our hearts to the Word that reminds us of the place we have for all time even as we go about the most mundane tasks of this day.
O Lord, you along give us sight and hearing so that the days of our lives may be filled with the wonder of your blessed Reign and we may take notice and praise you as such wonders become known to us even in such simply things as the breaking of the bread. Amen.
The wonders are daily with us, and yet “the miracle is not recognized by (the person) who experiences it.” Its apprehension is not a matter of physical perception. “Of what avail is an open eye, if the heart is blind?” One may see many things without observing them - “(a person’s) ears are open, but does not hear.”
“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear not.’” (Ezekiel)
“Alas for people that they see but do not know what they see, they stand and do not know on what they stand.”
There is nothing new in these words. Throughout the teaching of Jesus we hear quite the same word lifted up before the people. “If the heart is blind”…we are in trouble. There is no chance to see how our God can make the impossible - possible. If we are people who simply live by evidence stacked up to support what is and what is not to be possible, then we will miss the great adventures that have made generations of people look at all of life differently and thus, change the face of everything. There are many stories of people who appeared to have nothing and yet they lived as though they saw much more in their lives. They were able to see the foundation, the rock that was beneath them and always supporting them. On the other hand, there are those who have much that they and others can see and yet they cannot see anything beyond the surfaces of their lives…and they often dry up rather than blossom and create a garden of hopefulness that has deep roots and will provide joy for many ages to come.
Connection: It doesn’t take much to ignore the great gift of life on which we stand – that gift that never ends. Therefore, it will do us all well to keep opening our hearts to the Word that reminds us of the place we have for all time even as we go about the most mundane tasks of this day.
O Lord, you along give us sight and hearing so that the days of our lives may be filled with the wonder of your blessed Reign and we may take notice and praise you as such wonders become known to us even in such simply things as the breaking of the bread. Amen.
Monday, May 12, 2003
Monday, May 12, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The perception of the glory is a rare occurrence in our lives. We fail to wonder, we fail to respond to the presence. This is the tragedy of every (person): “to dim all wonder by indifference.” Life is routine, and routine is resistance to the wonder. “Replete is the world with a spiritual radiance, replete with sublime and marvelous secrets. But a small hand held against the eye hides all,” said the Baal Shem. “Just as a small coin held over the face can block out the sight of a mountain, so can the vanities of living block out the sight of the infinite light.”
This has the sound of a warning…a flashing light attempting to draw our attention to a message…a siren trying to awaken us as a fierce storm approaches. Beware of how the routines of our lives can push out our willingness and our ability to the wonder of life that is all around us. I don’t think this is some “heady” issue that has no impact on our day. Rather, to walk through the day indifferent to the glory of God’s creation does great damage to the very core of our lives. We are not to be mechanized beings who simply move through the events of the day. For within the events of the day we are exposed to the beauty of phrases that are turned and sentences that run along poetically…we are handed the marvelous and wondrous view of flowers blossoming and the yard gaining color from day to day…we are shown how vast and never ending is our imagination when we are free to let it wander.
Connection: Yes, today will be filled with routine things…but how can we begin to experience and notice more than the routine...how can we expect to be witnesses to the glory of God….here….now?
Beyond all things you wait for us. Within all things you call for us. Alongside all things you never fail to be with us. Grant us the vision to observe the movements and the journey of this day with new eyes and hearts that yearn for your precious Reign to be revealed again and again. Praise to you O Creator of the deep beauty of Creation. Amen.
The perception of the glory is a rare occurrence in our lives. We fail to wonder, we fail to respond to the presence. This is the tragedy of every (person): “to dim all wonder by indifference.” Life is routine, and routine is resistance to the wonder. “Replete is the world with a spiritual radiance, replete with sublime and marvelous secrets. But a small hand held against the eye hides all,” said the Baal Shem. “Just as a small coin held over the face can block out the sight of a mountain, so can the vanities of living block out the sight of the infinite light.”
This has the sound of a warning…a flashing light attempting to draw our attention to a message…a siren trying to awaken us as a fierce storm approaches. Beware of how the routines of our lives can push out our willingness and our ability to the wonder of life that is all around us. I don’t think this is some “heady” issue that has no impact on our day. Rather, to walk through the day indifferent to the glory of God’s creation does great damage to the very core of our lives. We are not to be mechanized beings who simply move through the events of the day. For within the events of the day we are exposed to the beauty of phrases that are turned and sentences that run along poetically…we are handed the marvelous and wondrous view of flowers blossoming and the yard gaining color from day to day…we are shown how vast and never ending is our imagination when we are free to let it wander.
Connection: Yes, today will be filled with routine things…but how can we begin to experience and notice more than the routine...how can we expect to be witnesses to the glory of God….here….now?
Beyond all things you wait for us. Within all things you call for us. Alongside all things you never fail to be with us. Grant us the vision to observe the movements and the journey of this day with new eyes and hearts that yearn for your precious Reign to be revealed again and again. Praise to you O Creator of the deep beauty of Creation. Amen.
Friday, May 9, 2003
Friday, May 9, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
In English the phrase that a person “has presence” is hard to define. There are people whose being here and now is felt, even though they do not display themselves in action or speech. They have “presence.” There are other people who may be here all the time, and no one will be aware of their presence. Of a person whose outwardness communicates something of his/her indwelling power or greatness, whose soul is radiant and conveys itself without words, we say s/he has presence.
“The whole earth is full of (God’s) glory.” The outwardness of the world communicates something of the indwelling greatness of God, which is radiant and conveys itself without words. “There is not speech, there are on words, neither is their voice heard.” And yet, “their radiation goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:4-5).
As I was typing the above selection, I started singing, “Something in the way she moves…” The Beatles song talks about presence. Something is there and it…”woos” me. She doesn’t have to be a super model…there is just…this something…and that something…well I am drawn to it. In the middle of this day, there will be those things around us - actions, objects, interactions – that will remind us of the presence of our God. That “presence” is for many the beginning of a power for life…a power that can keep people moving, acting and carrying out the things of this day with a sense of purpose and direction that they will say comes from something beyond them…something like our God. There is a before dinner prayer/song that says it for me. It begins “Be present and at our table Lord, be here and everywhere adored…” We may only see the people who are around the table with us, but we call on and we expect and we sense…the Lord God, Creator of all that is, to be present.
Connection: Be at peace and be secure…remember that the presence of our God is what often creates the presence we have within our day.
Out of nothing, you O God bring all things into being. Praise be to you for bringing new opportunities into this day and bidding us to come and play within the realm of your love and grace. Inspire us to be aware of your gracious presence and the ways we too are present with those around us. Amen.
In English the phrase that a person “has presence” is hard to define. There are people whose being here and now is felt, even though they do not display themselves in action or speech. They have “presence.” There are other people who may be here all the time, and no one will be aware of their presence. Of a person whose outwardness communicates something of his/her indwelling power or greatness, whose soul is radiant and conveys itself without words, we say s/he has presence.
“The whole earth is full of (God’s) glory.” The outwardness of the world communicates something of the indwelling greatness of God, which is radiant and conveys itself without words. “There is not speech, there are on words, neither is their voice heard.” And yet, “their radiation goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:4-5).
As I was typing the above selection, I started singing, “Something in the way she moves…” The Beatles song talks about presence. Something is there and it…”woos” me. She doesn’t have to be a super model…there is just…this something…and that something…well I am drawn to it. In the middle of this day, there will be those things around us - actions, objects, interactions – that will remind us of the presence of our God. That “presence” is for many the beginning of a power for life…a power that can keep people moving, acting and carrying out the things of this day with a sense of purpose and direction that they will say comes from something beyond them…something like our God. There is a before dinner prayer/song that says it for me. It begins “Be present and at our table Lord, be here and everywhere adored…” We may only see the people who are around the table with us, but we call on and we expect and we sense…the Lord God, Creator of all that is, to be present.
Connection: Be at peace and be secure…remember that the presence of our God is what often creates the presence we have within our day.
Out of nothing, you O God bring all things into being. Praise be to you for bringing new opportunities into this day and bidding us to come and play within the realm of your love and grace. Inspire us to be aware of your gracious presence and the ways we too are present with those around us. Amen.
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
Thursday, May 8, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
The glory is the presence, not the essence of God; an act rather than a quality; a process not a substance. Mainly the glory manifests itself as a power overwhelming the world. Demanding homage, it is a power that descends to guide, to remind. The glory reflects abundance of good and truth, the power that acts in nature and history.
“The whole earth is full of (God’s) glory.” It does not mean that the glory fills the earth in the way in which the ether fills space or water fills the ocean. It means that the whole earth is full of (God’s) presence.
When Jesus says “I will be with you always,” he is talking about presence and about the glory of God’s Reign being available in every time and place and among all people. When he continues and says, “Even to the end of the age,” shows the never ending promise of such glory abounding throughout our lives. Daily we are invited by our God and nurtured by the Spirit to be aware of the power of God’s ways among us. In a violent world, nonviolence is a contrary power that carries a strong yearning for wholeness and peace which I think reflects the glory of God as it breaks into our day. In an unjust world the voices calling for justice and the unconditional love extended to those in need are ways the glory of God bubbles up as a reminder of the vastness of God will and eternal presence.
Connection: May the Glory of the Lord, God, abundantly shine within this day and may we each be aware of some small piece of its wonder and grace.
Be for us Lord God, the power of life that brings new things into being and enables us to sense the presence of your Holy Reign within the mundane aspects of this day. As your glory shines inspire us to give you praise through the lives we live today. Amen.
The glory is the presence, not the essence of God; an act rather than a quality; a process not a substance. Mainly the glory manifests itself as a power overwhelming the world. Demanding homage, it is a power that descends to guide, to remind. The glory reflects abundance of good and truth, the power that acts in nature and history.
“The whole earth is full of (God’s) glory.” It does not mean that the glory fills the earth in the way in which the ether fills space or water fills the ocean. It means that the whole earth is full of (God’s) presence.
When Jesus says “I will be with you always,” he is talking about presence and about the glory of God’s Reign being available in every time and place and among all people. When he continues and says, “Even to the end of the age,” shows the never ending promise of such glory abounding throughout our lives. Daily we are invited by our God and nurtured by the Spirit to be aware of the power of God’s ways among us. In a violent world, nonviolence is a contrary power that carries a strong yearning for wholeness and peace which I think reflects the glory of God as it breaks into our day. In an unjust world the voices calling for justice and the unconditional love extended to those in need are ways the glory of God bubbles up as a reminder of the vastness of God will and eternal presence.
Connection: May the Glory of the Lord, God, abundantly shine within this day and may we each be aware of some small piece of its wonder and grace.
Be for us Lord God, the power of life that brings new things into being and enables us to sense the presence of your Holy Reign within the mundane aspects of this day. As your glory shines inspire us to give you praise through the lives we live today. Amen.
Tuesday, May 6, 2003
Wednesday, May 7, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
A return to reverence is the first prerequisite for a revival of wisdom, for the discovery of the world as an allusion to God. Wisdom comes from awe rather than from shrewdness. It is evoked not in moments of calculation but in moments of being in rapport with the mystery of reality. The greatest insights happen to us in moments of awe.
A moment of awe is a moment of self-consecration. They who sense the wonder share in the wonder. They who keep holy the things that are holy shall themselves become holy.
Reverence of life…of others…of creation…takes us out of ourselves and allows us to gain another perspective on life. Acts of justice and mercy flow out of reverence. A wise person is so awe-filled by the creative wonders of God that it would be difficult to turn one’s back to the needs of those around us because each and every person and being is seen as linked together…holy before God. During our day we may be very impressed by those who know how to “get around” in the world, or those who can make things stack up just so, or those who seem to be able to have an answer to every question, but I find that I am truly amazed when something said is able to grab me and lift me and cause me to wonder about what “could be”…what is not and yet… I think at those times, we linger around the edges of what is holy and full of wonder and newness.
Connection: How would the day change if we took a moment…just a moment…to revere the life around us…to look with wonder at what is usually never given “another look?” I would hope we would become a bit more appreciative of another piece of what God has created.
O Lord, teach us to pause and look around. Remind us to seek the wholeness of your creation and walk in the ways of your mercy, kindness and compassion. Touch our hearts so that we begin to sense the very power and presence of your love within the components of our day. Amen.
A return to reverence is the first prerequisite for a revival of wisdom, for the discovery of the world as an allusion to God. Wisdom comes from awe rather than from shrewdness. It is evoked not in moments of calculation but in moments of being in rapport with the mystery of reality. The greatest insights happen to us in moments of awe.
A moment of awe is a moment of self-consecration. They who sense the wonder share in the wonder. They who keep holy the things that are holy shall themselves become holy.
Reverence of life…of others…of creation…takes us out of ourselves and allows us to gain another perspective on life. Acts of justice and mercy flow out of reverence. A wise person is so awe-filled by the creative wonders of God that it would be difficult to turn one’s back to the needs of those around us because each and every person and being is seen as linked together…holy before God. During our day we may be very impressed by those who know how to “get around” in the world, or those who can make things stack up just so, or those who seem to be able to have an answer to every question, but I find that I am truly amazed when something said is able to grab me and lift me and cause me to wonder about what “could be”…what is not and yet… I think at those times, we linger around the edges of what is holy and full of wonder and newness.
Connection: How would the day change if we took a moment…just a moment…to revere the life around us…to look with wonder at what is usually never given “another look?” I would hope we would become a bit more appreciative of another piece of what God has created.
O Lord, teach us to pause and look around. Remind us to seek the wholeness of your creation and walk in the ways of your mercy, kindness and compassion. Touch our hearts so that we begin to sense the very power and presence of your love within the components of our day. Amen.
Monday, May 5, 2003
Tuesday, May 6, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Awe precedes faith; it is at the root of faith. We must grow in awe in order to reach faith. WE must be guided by awe to be worthy of faith. Awe rather than faith is the cardinal attitude of the religious Jew. It is “the beginning and the gateway of faith, the first precept of all, and upon it the whole world is established,” In Judaism, yirat hashem, the awe of God, or yirat shamayim, the “awe of heaven,” is almost equivalent to the word “religion.” In Biblical language the religious (person) is not called “believer,” as s/he is for example in Islam (mu’min), but yare hashem.
There is thus only one way to wisdom: awe. Forfeit your sense of awe, let your conceit diminish your ability to revere, and the universe becomes a market place for you. The loss of awe is the great block to insight.
Awe lifts up our heads to see more than our own “stuff.” It is quite like being exposed to the love of God rather than just love as we know it. Though I may love intensely and devoutly, it is nothing as can be compared to the love of God. The love of God is beyond all that can be imagined. It takes our breath away and gives us breath for life. God’s love is unconditional and that may be what is so “awesome” about it. We cannot come close to extending that kind of love to others...to all others. Filled with such awe, we are drawn into faith….we begin to trust…we place our hope beyond the place in which we presently stand. Awe draws us and as we are moved, we find that God’s love is even more awe inspiring than what we had imagined.
Connection: In trusting in our God, why stop with that which is merely comfortable for us. There is so much more promise and life that God lays out before us…we may find that today is the beginning of something we never would have considered…go for it. Trust that God is truly worthy of our faith.
Keep our eyes open to the great works of your hands as you fashion our lives before us, O God. Stretch our imaginations and encourage us to trust in you alone. Amen.
Awe precedes faith; it is at the root of faith. We must grow in awe in order to reach faith. WE must be guided by awe to be worthy of faith. Awe rather than faith is the cardinal attitude of the religious Jew. It is “the beginning and the gateway of faith, the first precept of all, and upon it the whole world is established,” In Judaism, yirat hashem, the awe of God, or yirat shamayim, the “awe of heaven,” is almost equivalent to the word “religion.” In Biblical language the religious (person) is not called “believer,” as s/he is for example in Islam (mu’min), but yare hashem.
There is thus only one way to wisdom: awe. Forfeit your sense of awe, let your conceit diminish your ability to revere, and the universe becomes a market place for you. The loss of awe is the great block to insight.
Awe lifts up our heads to see more than our own “stuff.” It is quite like being exposed to the love of God rather than just love as we know it. Though I may love intensely and devoutly, it is nothing as can be compared to the love of God. The love of God is beyond all that can be imagined. It takes our breath away and gives us breath for life. God’s love is unconditional and that may be what is so “awesome” about it. We cannot come close to extending that kind of love to others...to all others. Filled with such awe, we are drawn into faith….we begin to trust…we place our hope beyond the place in which we presently stand. Awe draws us and as we are moved, we find that God’s love is even more awe inspiring than what we had imagined.
Connection: In trusting in our God, why stop with that which is merely comfortable for us. There is so much more promise and life that God lays out before us…we may find that today is the beginning of something we never would have considered…go for it. Trust that God is truly worthy of our faith.
Keep our eyes open to the great works of your hands as you fashion our lives before us, O God. Stretch our imaginations and encourage us to trust in you alone. Amen.
Monday, May 5, 2003
The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
According to the Bible the principal religious virtue is “yirah.” What is the nature of “yirah?” The word has two meanings: fear and awe…
“Fear is the anticipation and expectation of evil or pain, as contrasted with hope which is the anticipation of good. Awe, on the other hand, is the sense of wonder and humility inspired by the sublime or felt in the presence of mystery. Fear is “a surrender of the succors which reason offers”; awe is the acquisition of insights which the world holds in store for us. Awe, unlike fear, does not make us shrink from the awe-inspiring object, but, on the contrary, draws us near to it. This is why awe is compatible with both love and joy.
In a sense, awe is the antithesis of fear.
Heschel points out that a person who fears the Lord because of possible present punishment or of punishment to come is part of an inferior Jewish tradition. It is the awe of God that causes one not to fear no matter what might come. This is so very often the case of preaching in the Church. Too often, there are folks out there who find it absolutely necessary to try and scare people into believing. It is as though the job of the evangelist is to make people afraid of what they will lose or what they will have to endure if they do not make a decision “for God” or “for Christ.” On the other hand, I like to say that Jesus does not scare people into trusting God. Rather the great capacity to love and care and nurture and stand with others attracts people to Jesus…who is God incarnate. Awed by the love of God we are drawn in to that light and new life. Fear certainly does a good job at packing people into worship, but what can be built on fear that cannot be built anywhere else in the world. Even great empires and regimes build their following from fear. We are not nation or regime builders. We are the followers of the Prince of Peace.
Connection: Try to stay alert to how often fear is used to motivate. It doesn’t have to be death-threatening fear…just the air of fear that is tossed out into the room or during an activity. Then, be alert to those moments when love inspires the moment.
Lord of Love, the history of your people is one in which you continue to woo us by your loving kindness. By the power of your Holy Spirit, calm our hearts so that we will hear and be renewed and strengthened by your acts of compassion and love and grace alone. Amen.
happy birthday mom
According to the Bible the principal religious virtue is “yirah.” What is the nature of “yirah?” The word has two meanings: fear and awe…
“Fear is the anticipation and expectation of evil or pain, as contrasted with hope which is the anticipation of good. Awe, on the other hand, is the sense of wonder and humility inspired by the sublime or felt in the presence of mystery. Fear is “a surrender of the succors which reason offers”; awe is the acquisition of insights which the world holds in store for us. Awe, unlike fear, does not make us shrink from the awe-inspiring object, but, on the contrary, draws us near to it. This is why awe is compatible with both love and joy.
In a sense, awe is the antithesis of fear.
Heschel points out that a person who fears the Lord because of possible present punishment or of punishment to come is part of an inferior Jewish tradition. It is the awe of God that causes one not to fear no matter what might come. This is so very often the case of preaching in the Church. Too often, there are folks out there who find it absolutely necessary to try and scare people into believing. It is as though the job of the evangelist is to make people afraid of what they will lose or what they will have to endure if they do not make a decision “for God” or “for Christ.” On the other hand, I like to say that Jesus does not scare people into trusting God. Rather the great capacity to love and care and nurture and stand with others attracts people to Jesus…who is God incarnate. Awed by the love of God we are drawn in to that light and new life. Fear certainly does a good job at packing people into worship, but what can be built on fear that cannot be built anywhere else in the world. Even great empires and regimes build their following from fear. We are not nation or regime builders. We are the followers of the Prince of Peace.
Connection: Try to stay alert to how often fear is used to motivate. It doesn’t have to be death-threatening fear…just the air of fear that is tossed out into the room or during an activity. Then, be alert to those moments when love inspires the moment.
Lord of Love, the history of your people is one in which you continue to woo us by your loving kindness. By the power of your Holy Spirit, calm our hearts so that we will hear and be renewed and strengthened by your acts of compassion and love and grace alone. Amen.
happy birthday mom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)