Who ticks your box?

I was flipping through the old Church Crimes on the train home and I read a wee article reminding us that this year it's the 50th anniversary of the publication of "Honest to God".  It reminded me that Bishop John Robinson was much influenced in his thinking by Tillich, Bultmann and Bonhoeffer, the cutting edge theologians of the days of his formation in Cambridge.  My theology was formed by being introduced to Karl Barth at University.  However, equally significant was my encounter with C S Lewis and my discovery of a variety of different "spiritual writers" - St John of the Cross, Ignatian writers, Martin Thornton and the Rule of St Benedict.  Perhaps my temperament naturally inclines to a more structured and dogmatic outlook, although the encounter with darkness and a profound sense than mystery rather than logical system are central.  But I think part of the attraction was a willingness to engage with the world.  Barth was anti-Nazi, Lewis experience both the horror of the trenches and the pain of bereavement.  John of the Cross was imprisoned for his views, Ignatius suffered a disabling injury at Pampalona.  Perhaps what made me engage with a thinker was their engagement with reality, even as I sometimes ran away from that.

Engaging with reality requires a level of honesty that I always find impressive.  Even if the person has human flaws, that is always a quality I find impressive.  Of course some use honesty as an excuse for being plain blasted rude.  Spiritual honesty is a gift I value.  Who floats your boat in terms of theology and spirituality?  And why?

Thomas Traherne

October 10 is the commemoration of the English poet and divine Thomas Traherne (1637-1674).  Here's a taste of his stuff.

A Serious and Pathetical Contemplation of the Mercies of God

For all the mysteries, engines, instruments, wherewith the world is filled, which we are able to frame and use to thy glory.

For all the trades, variety of operations, cities, temples, streets, bridges, mariner's compass, admirable picture, sculpture, writing, printing, songs and music; wherewith the world is beautified and adorned.

     Much more for the regent life,

     And power of perception,

     Which rules within.

     That secret depth of fathomless consideration

     That receives the information of all our senses,

     That makes our centre equal to the heavens,

      And comprehendeth in itself the magnitude of the world;

      The involv'd mysteries of our common sense;

      The inaccessible secret of perceptive fancy;

      The repository and treasury of things that are past;

      The presentation of things to come;

      Thy name be glorified for evermore.

      O miracle of divine goodness!

      O fire! O flame of zeal, and love, and joy!

       Ev'n for our earthly bodies, hast thou created all things.

                                    

      All things visible, material, sensible.

      Animals, Vegetables, Minerals,

      Bodies celestial, Bodies terrestrial,

      The four elements, Volatile spirits,

      Trees, herbs, and flowers,

      The influences of heaven,

      Clouds, vapors, wind,

      Dew, rain, hail and snow,

      Light and darkness, night and day,

      The seasons of the year.

      Springs, rivers, fountains, oceans,

     Gold, silver, and precious stones.

      Corn, wine, and oil,

       The sun, moon, and stars,

       Cities, nations, kingdoms.

       

And the bodies of men, the greatest treasures of all,

For each other.

What then, O Lord, hast thou intended for our Souls,

who givest to our bodies such glorious things!

 

Enjoy and reflect - God made all of us and all of it is good.  It's only our twisted human visons and misunderstandings that make it so "evil".  That twistedness (which you can call original sin) distorts us and our actions so severely that the world and others and God suffer.  If we let divine Grace in Christ change, transform and re-order "our unruly wills and affections", then God's will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Men's Spirituality - Eh?

Came across this ad in a Pisky news source today.

A 5 day life changing programme for men, devised by Richard Rohr OFM.  Across the world over 5000 men have taken part in this programme and the UK Rites are led by a trained and accredited team of experienced Elders.

Fee: £300 Camping (bring your own tent, meals provided)
£385 Bed indoors *

This is not about religion, but about spirituality, about age old traditions that guide men into manhood, about coming to trust that there is something much greater at work in their lives than they could ever imagine.

Taking you sometimes out of your comfort zones, but more deeply back into your own life.

This is being marketed as spirituality "for men" - the underlying assumption is of course for "real  men" (whatever they are).  I must admit that anything that involves spirituality and camping in a tent in soggy Perthshire leaves me utterly cold.  It seems to me to be somewhat silly to separate religion and spirituality.  Your spirituality is formed for good or ill by your religious experience and vice-versa.  Religion without spirituality is Sadducee.  Spirituality without some religious input is too hazy for my mind to grasp.  Equally, importing rites from native American culture may be of very limited use to Western Europeans.  I understand and value the non-specifically religious approach as practised by AA - but it encourages you to develop a Spiritual basis for living, be it through the rediscovery of your own neglected religious faith or by embracing one which works for you.  I like a sauna but sweat lodges and drums strike me as a wee bit - well, like playing at cowboys and Indians!  I think I'll give it a miss myself and find a nice retreat with regular prayer, quiet and a decent library.  The Macho stuff I'll leave to the incurably butch!

Food and thought

Woden's day was a healthy start (muesli & toast) breakfast, followed by scotch broth from a tin and a cheese and chutney sarnie for lunch, sausage casserole, boiled rice and Chinese vegetable dumplings (staff food cupboard had a very odd mix of contents!) for evening meal then a late snack of cold pizza (it was a left over and I cannot bear waste!). Today was muesli again for brekkie, cheese and pickle sarnie, Quavers and a slab of Rocky Road for lunch. There was also a pre voting coffee (mocha) and chocolate tiffin then split pea soup with bread and pate (well and a wee bit of Stilton!) for din dins. And some chocolate raisins. Cheese and chocolate feature a lot in this diet of mine - luckily I have never had a migraine in my life!

Today I was actually tempted not to vote Liberal. There was a Communist candidate standing! However, I stuck to my preferred party (though I have developed something of a habit of voting SNP for the cooncil and Holyrood in the last few years). There, it has focused on the candidate rather than the party in all honesty. So "iacta ilea est" and we shall see what comes to pass come the morrow. Please God, not the Cameroons.

A rather lovely quote from Sister Joan Chittister OSB came up in our Thursday night study group: "Work is not just a job; it is our exercise in miracle making". Of course, it helps if you have one. Time to pray for those who will weild power in the next few years methinks.

That'll teach me to drink Pepsi!

Yes, it's late but I had 2 glasses of Pepsi Cola (which spells Episcopal BTW!) after dinner and forgot the stuff is loaded with caffeine! So I'm still up in the wee small hours!

Try this on and see how it fits:

"The purpose of Benedictine spirituality is to gather equally committed adults for a journey through earthen darkness to the dazzling light that already flames in each of us, but in a hidden place left to each of us to find" (Joan Chittister OSB).

There is so much in this. The group of adults (intentional community) can be residential or dispersed or local or all of these things. The dazzling light within can be our soul or personality or essence - call it what you will. But the hidden place? It's within our own hearts and minds to be sure, but this reminds me that community living is but part of what I'm looking for. That inner journey of discovery is something that each of us ultimately takes alone. The monos in Monastic. The religious with their cell may live in a community, but ultimately their pilgrimage is towards God and that is a lonely journey, even as part of a group. And similarly, we only discover happiness and fufillment when we within our selves feel that our light is shining in a proper and fufilling way. Dozens of others can say we are a light to them or a success but unless we have internalised a sense of fufilling a higher purpose and see that this is true in regard to our own situation where we are in the here and now, then we will not feel content or happy. The Benedictine approach is to stay in the one Abbey and find peace there, not to run around seeking grass that is greener (alledgedly!) elsewhere.

I find this discovery of truths from others thinking nicely described in a phrase I heard on Tuesday night: "borrowing wisdom". Hopefully God will let us keep it on long term loan!

Julian's Day

Today is the commemoration of St Julian of Norwich, Anchorite and Spiritual author. I wonder why? (Apart from it being the anniversary of the day she received her visions). She didn't do much, really. A 30-ish widow, she took herself off into a cell in St Julian's Church just off Norwich city centre and prayed. Fair enough. She had a series of 16 visions mainly about the Trinity and the Passion of Christ. Aged 50, she wrote up her 20 years worth of reflection and meditation on them. Commendable enough in itself, but a publishing contract is hardly cause for beatification. Especially if it's vanity publishing.

The content is the key. She homed in on the merciful love of God and her view that evil was no more than an aberration of human will which served to reveal more fully the merciful love of God. Her language was homely and in places striking.

I suppose my "Why beatify?" question reflects some of my dis-ease with the content. Or at least its emphasis. In spite of the cuddly style, it's still very much 14th century 'concetrate on our depravity to see how wonderful God is' spirituality. A lot on the passion but not really enough on the resurrection. A lot of Christian focus in spirituality is still on the Cross and Passion and really doesn't move beyond that on to the Resurrection. Most joint ecumenical Holy Week services have a big bash on Good Friday (Procession of Witness, 3 hours etc) and a few gathering early on Easter morning to cheep 'Thine be the Glory' in the nearest public park. In Lent we have weekly Stations of the Cross. And then conk out devotionally after Easter.

Last night, we had a change at St Wotsit's. We had a devotion called Stations of the Resurrection. 14 candles, not crosses. following the Risen Christ from the earthquake afterthe death, to Paul's conversion. Well received. The change of emphasis was quite refreshing. Must do it again next Eastertide.

And having been so anti Mother Julian, it's only fair to quote some of her most stirring words:

"God revealed that in all things, as truly as god is our Father, God is our Mother. God is the power and goodness of fatherhood; God is the wiasdom and loving kindness of motherhood. God desired Christ to be our mother, our brother and our Saviour, for God knows us now and loved us before time began. In nature, Jesus is our true mother by our first creation and in grace by taking our created nature. All the love of offering and sacrifice of beloved motherhood are in Christ our Beloved. For in Jesus we have this godly will, both in nature and in grace."

Worth keeping her festival for that alone.