Continuing on with this image of creating ourselves with God - Thomas Merton.
We do not know clearly beforehand what the result of this work (to share with God the work of creating the truth of our identity) will be. the secret of my full identity is hidden in God. God alone can make me who I am, or rather who I will be when at last I fully begin to be. But unless I desire this identity and work to find it with God and in God, the work will never be done. The way of doing it is a secret I can learn from no one else but God. There is no way of attaining to the secret without faith. But contemplation is the greater and more precious gift, for it enables me to see and understand the work that God wants done.
the seeds that are planted in my liberty at every moment, by God's will, are the seeds of my own identity, my own reality, my own happiness, my own sanctity.
Whew! This can sound as though it is something out of our realm of reality. And yet, I would insist that this "secret" is the good news. It is the eternal word about us that brings life, liberation, renewal, and joy. It is the word of love that transcends all other words and therefore is the foundation upon which the fullness of life is before us ready to take on as our own. Don't worry about having to hear special "voices" passing off secret messages. The message is as bold as the incarnation...the angels singing to the shepherds...the first disciples stumbling into a new world because the Spirit makes that kind of life happen - ready or not - here it comes! How is it that we attempt to make so much of what God wants us to do? It is as though we are anxious about making up scorecards for ourselves and everyone around us. In that way, we can judge whether some make it or fail. The truth is more of a gift not a demand. If we were able to remain in the truth of God's creative voice, the gift would be the power that brings us life. Remember, before there was any law, there was the God who creates and redeems and rescues and liberates and forgives. Already the power for new life is available and we are now like seeds ready to burst into all that we will be.
Connection: What will you blossom into today?
Lord of the Future and Presiding Presence, how wonderful this day will be as we find within us the seeds of hope and life and love and grace that you have already placed in, with, and under all your beloved saints. Amen.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Thursday 5 June 2008
Today is a continuation of the piece from yesterday - again - Merton.
We can evade this responsibility (to share with the god the work of creating the truth of our identity) by playing with masks, and this pleases us because it can appear at times to be a free and creative way of living. It is quite easy, it seems to please everyone. But in the long run the cost and the sorrow come very high. To work out our identity in God, which the bible calls "working out our salvation," is a labor that requires sacrifice and anguish, risk and many tears. It demands close attention to reality at every moment, and great fidelity to God as God reveals God's self, obscurely, in the mystery of each new situation.
It is painful to think of the great cost to each of us when we put on masks in order to please others. It is painful for me because it means that I am not being me. I am not being the one God created and then set free to be just that...me. I just thought of watching a young boy acting out in all his glory and then the father steps in to bring him under his grasp. The freedom of creative joy...the freedom of trying out a new hat or walking in a new way or speaking from a new position, is put away and a mask is put up so that the father will have life as he wants it. For me, this is a brutality that goes against creation. At the same time, I must remember that this kind of brutality crosses over generations. This is not to condone such action. Rather, it is with the hope that each of us will be able to find a way experience our creative freedom and let it sit with us even in the face of all the powers that attempt to take hold and remake us. Creation is God's activity still going on for us. According to that creative power, I'm sure we need not wear masks and pretend to be anything more than the blessed and beloved we are. We are "working out our salvation." It is there and we are invited to have its creative word with us even when we must wrestle with demons in all shapes and forms and no matter what their proximity is to us.
Connection: Bless are you, beloved of God. Let that be a beginning point to your creativity today.
Lord of Creation, be the power of life that ignites a stream of hopefulness that calls forth all that you have given us as the gift of life that is each of us. Amen.
We can evade this responsibility (to share with the god the work of creating the truth of our identity) by playing with masks, and this pleases us because it can appear at times to be a free and creative way of living. It is quite easy, it seems to please everyone. But in the long run the cost and the sorrow come very high. To work out our identity in God, which the bible calls "working out our salvation," is a labor that requires sacrifice and anguish, risk and many tears. It demands close attention to reality at every moment, and great fidelity to God as God reveals God's self, obscurely, in the mystery of each new situation.
It is painful to think of the great cost to each of us when we put on masks in order to please others. It is painful for me because it means that I am not being me. I am not being the one God created and then set free to be just that...me. I just thought of watching a young boy acting out in all his glory and then the father steps in to bring him under his grasp. The freedom of creative joy...the freedom of trying out a new hat or walking in a new way or speaking from a new position, is put away and a mask is put up so that the father will have life as he wants it. For me, this is a brutality that goes against creation. At the same time, I must remember that this kind of brutality crosses over generations. This is not to condone such action. Rather, it is with the hope that each of us will be able to find a way experience our creative freedom and let it sit with us even in the face of all the powers that attempt to take hold and remake us. Creation is God's activity still going on for us. According to that creative power, I'm sure we need not wear masks and pretend to be anything more than the blessed and beloved we are. We are "working out our salvation." It is there and we are invited to have its creative word with us even when we must wrestle with demons in all shapes and forms and no matter what their proximity is to us.
Connection: Bless are you, beloved of God. Let that be a beginning point to your creativity today.
Lord of Creation, be the power of life that ignites a stream of hopefulness that calls forth all that you have given us as the gift of life that is each of us. Amen.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wednesday 4 June 2008
The honesty of being a self and holding forth as one. Some more thoughts by Thomas Merton.
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny. We are free beings and sons/daughters of God. This means to say that we should not passively exist, but actively participate in God's creative freedom, in our own lives, and in the lives of others, by choosing the truth. To put it better, we are even called to share with God the work of creating the truth of our identity.
So...our very prayers are not merely silent or vocal words of hopefulness and thanksgiving. Our prayers become the lives we enter and take on as we, with God, fashion our identity and destiny as God's beloved. It is all too easy to sit back and expect that others will act. At times that is also how we look at our prayers...something or someone will act for us. And yet, prayer brings us into direct contact with our world and the life situations that wait for our participation as the beloved of God. Choosing the truth is life in itself...it is vision...it is hope...it is liberation...it is creation on the move and active and making sure that new things continue to burst into life. Truth means that we each must enter that vital work of being truthful. We must not use it to tear down - although sometimes the truth will tear away the masks of any of us who wear them. As we are the beloved of God and live into that reality, our masks are to drop and we are left to be vulnerable and truthful in the face of any power that may want to have its way among us.
Connection: So, in the middle of what we think is our vocation, there is the vocation of being...being the beloved of God. That vocation may help us bring integrity to any other vocation we claim for ourselves.
When you create, O God, you let all that comes into being...be. For your saints, it is not always an easy way because we allow ourselves to serve other ways. Be for us the guiding light and touch that helps us walk within the truthfulness of our place in your Reign. Amen.
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny. We are free beings and sons/daughters of God. This means to say that we should not passively exist, but actively participate in God's creative freedom, in our own lives, and in the lives of others, by choosing the truth. To put it better, we are even called to share with God the work of creating the truth of our identity.
So...our very prayers are not merely silent or vocal words of hopefulness and thanksgiving. Our prayers become the lives we enter and take on as we, with God, fashion our identity and destiny as God's beloved. It is all too easy to sit back and expect that others will act. At times that is also how we look at our prayers...something or someone will act for us. And yet, prayer brings us into direct contact with our world and the life situations that wait for our participation as the beloved of God. Choosing the truth is life in itself...it is vision...it is hope...it is liberation...it is creation on the move and active and making sure that new things continue to burst into life. Truth means that we each must enter that vital work of being truthful. We must not use it to tear down - although sometimes the truth will tear away the masks of any of us who wear them. As we are the beloved of God and live into that reality, our masks are to drop and we are left to be vulnerable and truthful in the face of any power that may want to have its way among us.
Connection: So, in the middle of what we think is our vocation, there is the vocation of being...being the beloved of God. That vocation may help us bring integrity to any other vocation we claim for ourselves.
When you create, O God, you let all that comes into being...be. For your saints, it is not always an easy way because we allow ourselves to serve other ways. Be for us the guiding light and touch that helps us walk within the truthfulness of our place in your Reign. Amen.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Tuesday 3 June 2008
So much time to consider who we are and who we will be. Merton reminds us that it is a journey...a vital and necessary journey.
We are at a liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours. We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face. But we cannot make these choices with our impunity. Causes have effects, and if we lie to ourselves and to others, then we cannot expect to find truth and reality whenever we happen to want them. if we have chosen the way of falsity we must not be surprised that truth eludes us when we finally come to need it!
Have you ever caught yourself wearing a mask that is not you!?! It is not a pleasant thing for me. Part of what is so painful is that I have seen individuals who wear so many masks, I cannot be sure with whom I'm talking. That makes it difficult to trust. For me, the work at hand must be making sure that I am as authentic as I can be to who I am. In that way, it is my hope that a many-masked person whose real self is hidden or oppressed may see the joy in simply being God's Beloved. I know that I am always moved and inspired by those who are so naturally themselves and so gifted by being just that, that it makes me remember to do the same - live as the beloved of God that I am. It is not an impossible task. "We are at liberty, to be real, or to be unreal."
Connection: Have a real day today!
Spirit of Life, when you bring us home to ourselves, we are free to be beloved and not work to find some way to earn or gain that status. Remind us again of this gift you have handed us and the power of your Spirit that marks us for the life that will be ours to live. Amen.
We are at a liberty to be real, or to be unreal. We may be true or false, the choice is ours. We may wear now one mask and now another, and never, if we so desire, appear with our own true face. But we cannot make these choices with our impunity. Causes have effects, and if we lie to ourselves and to others, then we cannot expect to find truth and reality whenever we happen to want them. if we have chosen the way of falsity we must not be surprised that truth eludes us when we finally come to need it!
Have you ever caught yourself wearing a mask that is not you!?! It is not a pleasant thing for me. Part of what is so painful is that I have seen individuals who wear so many masks, I cannot be sure with whom I'm talking. That makes it difficult to trust. For me, the work at hand must be making sure that I am as authentic as I can be to who I am. In that way, it is my hope that a many-masked person whose real self is hidden or oppressed may see the joy in simply being God's Beloved. I know that I am always moved and inspired by those who are so naturally themselves and so gifted by being just that, that it makes me remember to do the same - live as the beloved of God that I am. It is not an impossible task. "We are at liberty, to be real, or to be unreal."
Connection: Have a real day today!
Spirit of Life, when you bring us home to ourselves, we are free to be beloved and not work to find some way to earn or gain that status. Remind us again of this gift you have handed us and the power of your Spirit that marks us for the life that will be ours to live. Amen.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Monday 2 June 2008
Once again, Thomas Merton give me much to consider as a saint of God.
For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self.
Trees and animals have no problem. God makes them what they are without consulting them, and they are perfectly satisfied.
With us it is different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please.
"With us it is different." We are invited into a life that is our own. That is always an adventure and sometimes we choose not to enter that adventure. Too often, we can be drawn into another way of living that is not us. This does not mean that our lives are sketched out in detail. Rather it means, I am God's beloved - I am that one. Now...how is this gift of life going to enter into the ever-present invitation to be fully me. As times change...what will I be...how will I take shape...who will be the person that is ever-expanding into the gift of life that is handed to me. How many times have you caught yourself attempting to be something other than you? It sometimes drive me nuts when I catch myself in that act. That is why forgiveness is so vital to building up and nurturing the me that is me and the you that is you.
Connection: This could be tough...be you...fully you for some moments of this day. What is it like to find yourself in that position.
Creative God, within each of us you provide us with a life that is precious and just waiting to take shape in, with, and under this day. By your Spirit's power, we are given the vision to see the path that is ours. Encourage us to walk along by faith. Amen.
For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self.
Trees and animals have no problem. God makes them what they are without consulting them, and they are perfectly satisfied.
With us it is different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please.
"With us it is different." We are invited into a life that is our own. That is always an adventure and sometimes we choose not to enter that adventure. Too often, we can be drawn into another way of living that is not us. This does not mean that our lives are sketched out in detail. Rather it means, I am God's beloved - I am that one. Now...how is this gift of life going to enter into the ever-present invitation to be fully me. As times change...what will I be...how will I take shape...who will be the person that is ever-expanding into the gift of life that is handed to me. How many times have you caught yourself attempting to be something other than you? It sometimes drive me nuts when I catch myself in that act. That is why forgiveness is so vital to building up and nurturing the me that is me and the you that is you.
Connection: This could be tough...be you...fully you for some moments of this day. What is it like to find yourself in that position.
Creative God, within each of us you provide us with a life that is precious and just waiting to take shape in, with, and under this day. By your Spirit's power, we are given the vision to see the path that is ours. Encourage us to walk along by faith. Amen.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday 30 May 2008
The week ends with a movement away from talking of plants and things...to talking about what we are intended to be.
But what about you? What about me?
unlike the animals and the trees, it is not enough for us to be what our nature intends. It is not enough for us to be individual people. For us, holiness is more than humanity. If we are never anything but people,...we will not be saints and we will not be able to offer to God the worship of our imitation, which is sanctity.
It is true to say that for me sanctity consists in being myself and for you sanctity consists of being your self and that, in the last analysis, your sanctity will never be mine and mine will never be yours, except in the communism of charity and grace.
We are not merely a category. We are individuals. We are beloved as a category in creation but we are made holy as we emerge in life as the beloved of God - each of us as we are gifted. In the last sentence of this quote, I was really struck by how our sanctity - as individuals - can and does and will be magnified as we come together in the communal acts of charity and grace. For when these attributes are blended into one moving force - one body, its gift of life is magnified and the whole creation is seen with new eyes that care beyond my own care and bless beyond my own blessing and share beyond my own ability to share. Humanity is blessed as each of us - within our own sanctity - join in the celebration of our life-giving power in God's creation.
Connection: Does this sound odd or what - be a part of the communism of charity and grace.
Lord of the Community, grace us with your presence and encourage us to join with one another as we offer up our gifted lives to bring new life to our world through your grace and wisdom. Amen.
But what about you? What about me?
unlike the animals and the trees, it is not enough for us to be what our nature intends. It is not enough for us to be individual people. For us, holiness is more than humanity. If we are never anything but people,...we will not be saints and we will not be able to offer to God the worship of our imitation, which is sanctity.
It is true to say that for me sanctity consists in being myself and for you sanctity consists of being your self and that, in the last analysis, your sanctity will never be mine and mine will never be yours, except in the communism of charity and grace.
We are not merely a category. We are individuals. We are beloved as a category in creation but we are made holy as we emerge in life as the beloved of God - each of us as we are gifted. In the last sentence of this quote, I was really struck by how our sanctity - as individuals - can and does and will be magnified as we come together in the communal acts of charity and grace. For when these attributes are blended into one moving force - one body, its gift of life is magnified and the whole creation is seen with new eyes that care beyond my own care and bless beyond my own blessing and share beyond my own ability to share. Humanity is blessed as each of us - within our own sanctity - join in the celebration of our life-giving power in God's creation.
Connection: Does this sound odd or what - be a part of the communism of charity and grace.
Lord of the Community, grace us with your presence and encourage us to join with one another as we offer up our gifted lives to bring new life to our world through your grace and wisdom. Amen.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday 29 May 2008
More images from nature to bring home the special character of God's creation.
The forms and individual characters of living and growing things, of inanimate beings, of animals and flowers and all nature, constitute their holiness in the sight of God
Their inscape is their sanctity. It is the imprint of God's wisdom and God's reality in them.
the special clumsy beauty of this particular colt on this April day in this field under these clouds is a holiness consecrated to God by God's own creative wisdom and it declares the glory of God.
What an image of hopefulness. What is right before us at this moment...the people walking by...the students studying...those doing their jobs - all this - is sacred and demonstrates the vastness of God's creativity. It is not easy to see things in such a light. With our filters running and our biases pressing us, there are few things we let ourselves see with eyes that pick up on the glory of God. I suppose we all wait for something holy to enter our lives. Maybe we even attempt to enter something we consider a holy time or a holy place. And yet, this grand area of the ordinary and everyday life in which we now sit or stand or walk within...is bursting with the holy. I would say that too often, we are looking so hard we miss so much and then we are left with a false impression of what holy is.
Lord of Life, as we move through this day we need to have eyes that pay attention to the holiness of the moment and the way the holy shines through what may be considered nothing more than a passing ordinary event - no grand insights...no special experiences - just the ordinary wonder of now. Amen.
The forms and individual characters of living and growing things, of inanimate beings, of animals and flowers and all nature, constitute their holiness in the sight of God
Their inscape is their sanctity. It is the imprint of God's wisdom and God's reality in them.
the special clumsy beauty of this particular colt on this April day in this field under these clouds is a holiness consecrated to God by God's own creative wisdom and it declares the glory of God.
What an image of hopefulness. What is right before us at this moment...the people walking by...the students studying...those doing their jobs - all this - is sacred and demonstrates the vastness of God's creativity. It is not easy to see things in such a light. With our filters running and our biases pressing us, there are few things we let ourselves see with eyes that pick up on the glory of God. I suppose we all wait for something holy to enter our lives. Maybe we even attempt to enter something we consider a holy time or a holy place. And yet, this grand area of the ordinary and everyday life in which we now sit or stand or walk within...is bursting with the holy. I would say that too often, we are looking so hard we miss so much and then we are left with a false impression of what holy is.
Lord of Life, as we move through this day we need to have eyes that pay attention to the holiness of the moment and the way the holy shines through what may be considered nothing more than a passing ordinary event - no grand insights...no special experiences - just the ordinary wonder of now. Amen.
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