Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 10, Give Up, Take On, Pray

I really only love God as much as the person I love the least.

~ Dorothy Day* 1897-1980

      How often do you talk about God in your everyday life?  There are many people, good church-going folks, who have difficulty discussing God, Jesus, religion, and/or spirituality in "normal" conversation.  It's one of the taboos of  polite conversation learned early: "Never discuss religion or politics," ostensibly because it leads to conflict and discomfort in relationships.

      Perhaps it sets us up for debates on right and wrong theologies. Maybe there's an element of proselytizing that we are anxious about giving or receiving.  Or it's just a matter of appropriate time and place. Yet those days seem to be gone, at least for now. Social Media and Communications Media are awash in religious and political debate and diatribe that push away as many as it draws in. We, as a people, seem to have lost sight of the difference between debate and dialogue. In formal debate, one argues one’s position against another’s differing position. Someone wins, someone loses. In dialogue, we discuss our position with each other open to one or both of us changing our minds somewhat or not at all, and walking away accepting your position for you, mine for me, with no loser or winner, simply remaining friends.

    What about privately ~ to yourself?  Do you talk to God ~ in joy and thanksgiving, blame and anger, frustration and supplication?  When is it right to talk about God? 

O God, Holder of my soul, 
         I come to You in my quiet and alone time to speak of needs and wants, for myself and for others. I speak to You during worship along with all the others as we lift our voices in prayer and response. But speaking about You to others outside of the Church's footprint has never come easy to me.  I worry too much about not knowing enough to discuss or fend off debate, or being perceived as some kind of "holy roller."  You don't need me to plead Your cause but I would like to be less constricted in doing so. For today, I will give up being embarrassed in talking about my relationship with You. I will take on finding at least one moment, as a start, outside of Church, to say some small thing about my relationship with You in a conversation with another person, even if only in a casual remark.  I pray to You for the right words at the right moment, and, for me to make things less difficult for myself and others as You would have them be. Amen.

   *Dorothy Day was a primary founder of the Catholic Worker Movement in the 1930s, a pacifist nonviolent organization that continues to aid the poor today. She began and continued as editor of The Catholic Worker newspaper from its founding in 1933 until her death, drawing contributors such as Daniel Berrigan and Thomas Merton. She wrote passionately about women's rights, free love, and birth control early in her life but in the 1940s, she became an Oblate in the Order of St. Benedict. An oblate is a lay person unprofessed as a monk or nun who makes a commitment to a specific Rule of Life ~ often called a Third Order.
    In 2000, Pope John Paul II titled Day "Servant of God" as a person whose cause for Sainthood has been opened. She has been named "a person Worthy of Commemoration" in the US Episcopal Church whose guidelines allow for an official remembrance in the liturgical calendar no sooner than 50 years after death. Day's extensive biographical history is amazing in its breadth and depth. She would never have thought of herself as a saint, but she was most certainly a force to be reckoned with. Her canonization process in the Roman Catholic Church continues, not without some bumps in the path.

 

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 9, Give Up, Take On, Pray

I do not ask my students at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison

about their spirituality — I would not intrude on something so personal.

On occasion, however, they do share their views with me.

For a number of them, perhaps for all, the class creates a setting where,

as one student put it, “For two hours a week, we are no longer prisoners."   

~ Dr. Amy-Jill Levine*

      What does it mean to be a prisoner of unexamined faith?  Have you ever asked yourself, "What exactly do I believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and/or the Bible, the rules and expectations of my particular religious affiliation and practice, and, perhaps more importantly, why do I believe or accept it? What or who has influenced you in your beliefs? Maybe you do have questions but aren’t sure who or how to ask.  Sometimes it is just easier to go with the flow, follow the crowd, and just believe what an authority figure tells you is correct, especially if they’re ordained and/or extremely persuasive. But Lent is a time to begin to look more closely. There are no easy answers but within a trusting community, there are great opportunities to examine your absolutes, your maybes, your confusions, your questions. Maybe you’re curious about other denominations and even other faiths and practices, how they are different and similar yet not certain where to look for dependable and trustworthy information. Ask a librarian, search online, read several articles or books on the same subject by different authors with different backgrounds and credentials to think about. Perhaps you've examined your faith in the past and are confident in all that you believe, great! Yet now and then it is useful to review as in the grocery or hardware store list updates; some things retained, some things crossed off, some new things added. Think about finding or beginning a reading group to discuss, agreeing first that agreement on content isn’t necessary and will not be forced. Lent is the perfect time to check in with yourself again for some self-examination and discovery of what it means to oneself to be "faith-full" even with certainties, doubts, questions, and uncertainties that linger and change.

We have heard with our own ears, O God,
    our ancestors have told us,
What deeds you performed in their days,
   in the days of old ~ **
And those stories are so important in our faith journey and yet, there seems to be so much conflicting information, differing opinions ~ go this way, that's right, that's wrong, don't ask...I get confused. She said/he said/they say, and I like all of them, how can they think so differently?  I think I know what I believe about all the important things but I'm not always sure why or if what I believe is the right thing given all the shouting and controversies. Another moment for a long, slow, deep, breath... Today I will give up going through the motions of believing that I completely understand my faith. I will take on asking people I trust how to begin to sort out what I really believe and why. I will pray for an open mind and for the opening of the gates of my heart and soul to allow for changes in thought if they should appear; and also for the patience to accept that the journey of examined faith will ebb and flow with doubt and certainty and be as long as my earthly life.  amen.


*Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University School of Divinity.  She self-describes as a "Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a predominantly Protestant divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt," Levine "combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating antisemitic, sexist, and homophobic theologies."

**Psalm 44:1  NRSV

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 8, Give Up, Take On, Pray

       Rumi was a 13th century Persian Poet, Teacher, Theologian, and Sufi Mystic. He gives us much to think about this Lenten season and in every day of our lives.  He was described as America's favorite poet in 2007.  I'm slowly realizing, after years of reading Rumi's poems, quotes, and thoughts, that I could be a much better human if I acted on more of his messages instead of merely enjoying them.
     Teaching unlimited tolerance, goodness, charity, and awareness through love, his message appeals to a wide range of creeds and sects around the world. Continuing on from yesterday’s message of love,  people ~ whether they are liked, disliked, loved, hated, or invisible in our sight ~ create all sorts of reactions and responses in our lives. Pay attention to the people you meet today ~ family, friends, co-workers, customers, clients, drivers on the road, fast food workers, store clerks. What words come to mind with each encounter (be honest with yourself!)...is there a lesson for you to think about?  How will you accept or resist them? How will they accept or resist you?


Dear Loving Creator of All Humanity,  
           We, Your people come in all shapes, sizes, colors, temperaments, personalities, beliefs, etc., and we judge them all according to our own sense of right, wrong, or indifference as us and them. Yes, yes, I know I'm not supposed to do that however it just seems to come all too naturally ~ meet, size up (also known as judge), decide, all in a nano-second. For today, I will give up deciding about someone based on a snap-judgment. I will take on an attempt to remember that I do not know the stories behind their eyes from a lifetime or an hour ago, as no one knows mine, and that smiles, disinterest, or anger doesn’t teach me anything about who they are. I’ll try to learn something, especially about myself, from each individual I encounter even if it is only seconds long. I will pray for everyone I see, or as many as I can, even if only with a quick "Bless her/him/them, Lord," even if the moment is unpleasant, or, perhaps because it is. I'll try to change the ugly words that sometimes come into my head in order to be the kinder, more considerate, and thoughtful person I want to be, as You want me to be. Help me, Lord, to remember that each person is Yours as I am, and to be grateful that “we” are in Your Creation together. amen.

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 7, Give Up, Take On, Pray

The Rule of Love for all of us is perfectly simple.
Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbour; act as if you did...
When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.
If you injure someone you dislike, you'll find yourself disliking him more.
Do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less...  

~ C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

         Of course, there's a slight catch ~ Lewis tells us further that doing a good turn to just obey the laws of charity or only to impress God isn't what the rule of love is all about. We are to treat others as equals in the sight of God. Will we fall head over heels with everyone ~ no!  But we can care for them anyway and begin to love them ~ or at least like ~ even if they don't love/like us back or drip gratitude all over any of our attempts at good deeds. Oh and, remember we are told by Jesus in the Summary of the Law [in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke] to love our neighbors as ourselves, that is, as if that neighbor is my self, me. Sometimes we do love our neighbors as, in the same way that, we love ourselves, so, perhaps, while working on loving that grumpy, annoying, irritating, over-extroverted or over-introverted, terribly driving, late night partying, “get off my lawn” neighbor, we need to examine ourselves more deeply within. Perhaps what we don’t like most in others is what we don’t like most in ourselves. It might help if I keep in mind that the only person I can change is me.

*Eternal Spirit, 
Earth-Maker, Pain-Bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all, 
Loving God, in whom is heaven...
      It is always easier to do good things for people I love and like. It is downright difficult and even unpleasant to attempt to do nice things for someone I dislike and all the harder if the dislike is intense!  Sigh....Ok, it's Lent, a time to try on new behaviors, new ways of living into the love of Christ. SO, for today, I'll take a deep breath and give up looking down on people I have decided for some reason that I don't like. I'll take on looking at all people through a different lens, seeing them as children of God just as I am. At the very least a kind word with no desire for or expectation of return would be a start. I'll pray for the tranquility to leave the details of who is right/wrong/good/bad to God. All I need to do is love others as if they are myself (and figuring out just how do I love myself) ~ and seeing myself and another as equal in the eyes of You, our Eternal God. I will definitely  need some help with this so You and I will be talking about this again. amen.


Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) held the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University in England and is considered a significant Christian writer of his time. An author of more than 30 books, he is probably best known today for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters.

*The beginning of an alternative to the Lord's Prayer in A New Zealand Prayer Book

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 6, Give Up, Take On, Pray

“It is true that we cannot be free from sin, 

but at least let our sins not be always the same.” 

~ St. Teresa of Avila  (1515-1582)

     Teresa of Avila: Mystic, Nun, Saint, Author, Theologian, Doctor of the Church, also known as Teresa of Jesus. Teresa founded the Carmelite order along with priest/friar, mystic, poet, and author of The Dark Night of the Soul, John of the Cross. Her writings, especially The Interior Castle and her autobiography The Life of Teresa of Jesus, as part of the Spanish Renaissance Literature are still widely read and cherished today.  Her ecstatic experiences informed her exercise of meditation and provide us with The Way of Perfection. Human and Saint, the often feisty Teresa still offers us down-to-earth yet heavenly advice and direction.

God of Heaven, Earth and every Universe, as I wake each morning my mind and heart intend for me to be a better person, live a better life, and be more faithful to You. By the end of the second cup of coffee, I've wandered off the track again. At the end of the day, I've unconsciously thought and acted in ways contrary to Your love and will for me. For today, I will give up unconsciously doing the same things in the same ways, and I will take on living with a conscious mind ~ thinking carefully and acting thoughtfully, keeping You uppermost in my mind.  I pray for the awareness of Your Presence, the memory of the sacrifice of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, now and always. amen.  

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Prayers of the People: Rebirthing ~ 2nd Sunday in Lent '23 Yr A

For Sunday, March 5, 2023, Readings: Genesis 12:1-4a, Psalm 121, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17

So Abram went, as the LORD had told him... [Genesis 12:4a]

 I lift my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the LORD; the maker of heaven and earth. [Psalm 121:1-2]

 Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness...For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham...through the law but through the righteousness of faith. [Romans 4:3b]

  Jesus answered...no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit...If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?...For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:3, 12, 16]

       Faith takes center stage in the readings for this week. God commands Abram to leave all he knows behind and go to a new land where God will make of him a great nation. Abram went. Later in Genesis, God commands Abraham – formerly Abram – to sacrifice his son Isaac, and he prepares to do just that before the reprieve. Abraham had faith; righteous faith, that is, he was right with God. He trusted God and that trust was demonstrated by his obedience. Some of the stories of Abram/Abraham are overwhelming in terms of the magnitude of his willingness to just obey God, seemingly without question. Farther along in Genesis, we discover that neither Abraham nor his wife, Sarah, were perfect in all ways.

       Paul helps us along by opening us up to the understanding that anyone/all of us can be in right relationship with God even in our less-than-perfect ways. Righteousness of faith and obedience are less about the defined commandments given to Noah and more about commitment and attitude.

      Nicodemus engages Jesus for the first of three times in John’s Gospel in this reading. A high-status member of the Great Sanhedrin, the governing council of the Jews at that time, Nicodemus stands firm in and for Jewish orthodoxy/the Law. Yet something about Jesus and his unconventional path as a religious teacher draws Nicodemus to seek Jesus out, although only at night. It is in this passage that the famous John 3:16, seen on placards at sporting events, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life is found. Martin Luther describes this passage as “the Gospel in miniature.” We aren’t deserving but God is giving us every opportunity to bring our penitent hearts and imperfect faith to this relationship. 

      Following on in John 3:17, Jesus tells Nicodemus that God did not send the Son…to condemn the world, but…that the world might be saved through him. Coming to Jesus begins when we take stock of the earthly “values” that separate us from God and one another and opens us to the realization of the Spirit already shining within us. That awakening is as a new birth and the brilliance within begins to show through us. It deepens our faith and commitment and strengthens us to attempt more obedience, have more trust, and be more faithful to the life that Christ is teaching us to follow. We leave behind the notion of a vengeful god only wanting us to be punished and draw near to the love of God who never leaves us behind.  

      Faith can be shaken and still endure. Faith can be sought even if not understood. Thomas Aquinas, 13^th century theologian/philosopher, whose influence still pervades Christian thought today, said, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” To move deeper into faith and commitment is to journey as Abraham – new land, new language, new life. With the baptism of the Spirit we are reborn, we take new steps in faith, and follow Christ. We aren’t called to be perfect but we are perfectly called by a love greater than mere human words can express, it is our rebirthing that gives us true life.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ O Lord, our Maker and our Help, sustain us in our flawed and uncertain attempts with faith as we seek to know the grace of new birth through Your Holy Spirit. Guide our efforts to be earnest in the desire to live this life as preparation for eternal life with You.

                                                O God of Constant Mercy                                         

RESPONSE:         Deliver us from doubt       

~ O Lord, our Maker and our Help, we lift our eyes to You, in these confusing and unsettled times, to guide us and the leaders of all governments across this Earth, this Nation, and this Community to genuine clarity of judgment and charity of heart. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                O God of Constant Mercy

                                                Deliver us from doubt 

~ O Lord, our Maker and our Help, calm the distress of those who are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and grant stamina to those who give care. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Constant Mercy

                                                Deliver us from doubt     

~ O Lord our Maker and our Help, comfort those who grieve with a foretaste of the joy and celebration enfolding all who now live forever with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Constant Mercy

                                                Deliver us from doubt

~ O Lord our Maker and our Help, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Constant Mercy

                                                Deliver us from doubt                   

~ O Lord, our Maker and our Help, fortify the souls of all who are anointed to lead Your Church as they strive to impart to us the faith of Abraham and the willingness to seek only the heavenly things of salvation through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Constant Mercy
                                                Deliver us from doubt    

        

The Celebrant adds: Living and Eternal God, for the mere price of our enduring faith, You promise us life unending and love without limit. May these reflective days of Lent turn our hearts to repentance as we examine and deepen our commitment to You. We ask this through Your Only Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ; and Your Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier; who live and reign with You, as One God, now and for evermore.  Amen. 

 

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Meditation Moment in Lent ~ Day 5, Give Up, Take On, Pray '23

              Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was an extraordinary human being.  A Jesuit priest born in France and who later lived in New York, he also trained as a paleontologist and geologist and was involved with some spectacular discoveries. Yet, as with others who were ahead of their times, some of his writings were considered contrary to doctrinal teachings in the Catholic church and banned by the Vatican from publication in his lifetime. Today he is widely  praised, including by Catholic hierarchy.  Simply put, one of his beliefs ~ as with St. Paul ~ was that our everyday work in secular surroundings is every bit as important in our spiritual development as our religious activity when we offer that work to the service of God. And, furthermore, all that we do in everyday life is a necessary part of Creation. Are you ready to experience some spiritual growth in your everyday human life?

        Creator God, I'm slowly recognizing that I am truly part of Your Holy Creation. I have had the thought that I had to give full days off to a soup kitchen, spend every possible moment in Church, and be hours on my knees in prayer and, partly, that only those who are ordained or living in monastic communities are truly doing Your work. Today, I will give up feeling spiritually inadequate and take on my everyday activities with a new spirit of dedication ~ each morning when I wake and breathe deeply, I will offer all that I do to Your service, even the most mundane task. I will pray for continuing confidence in my growing relationship with You, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as my Guides. I give thanks for this season of Lent, a purposeful time as a spiritual being to explore my human experience with and for You.  amen.

For more on Pierre click on these links:

Biography: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pierre-Teilhard-de-Chardin

Writings by de Chardin, free: https://teilhard.com/teilhard-de-chardin-resources/

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