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.
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