If I can see with the same eyes as I did as a child, simply looking in awe and wonder - if I can desist from judging, accepting the moment for what it is - then I will know what it is to be truly human.
(Confirmed to me on watching children around a pond)
Maybe one of the biggest mistakes in the history of Christianity is that we have separated spirituality from theology and scripture study. In other words, we put the Scriptures in the hands of very immature and unconverted people, even clergy. We put the Scriptures in the hands of people at entirely egocentric levels, who still think “It’s all about me,” and who use the Bible in a very willful way. It is all dualistic win or lose. The egocentric will still dominates: the need to be right, the need to be first, the need to think I am saved and other people are not. This is the lowest level of human consciousness, and God cannot be heard from that heady place. Perhaps it is not accidental that we place the ashes of Ash Wednesday precisely on the forehead.
Richard Rhor
When did the incarnation begin? It began with the “Big Bang,” 14.5 billion years ago, and you’re the first generation that’s ever known an approximate date for the materialization of the mystery. Our particular “earth” came along around 4-5 billion years ago—much later, it seems. What was God doing 5 billion years ago? What was God doing 10 billion years ago? Was God really waiting for the Pope to appear? Was God waiting for the King James Version of the Bible? All of which happened only in the last nanosecond of geological time. God sure is impractical and terribly inefficient if His or Her goals are the same as ours. Who is this God?
As humans we do have the advantage of what we call “consciousness,” but that doesn’t mean that other things do not also share in some rudimentary form of that consciousness. Maybe it’s a quantitative difference, but not a qualitative difference. Paul often calls us the “first fruits” of salvation or redemption, but that does not mean we are the onlyfruits. The little sheep and the big dog certainly have some degree of consciousness, too; in fact they sometimes put us to shame, and reveal the union of matter and spirit much better than we do, as does all of nature.
Adapted from Soul Centering Through Nature: Becoming a True Human Adult(webcast) (CD/DVD/MP3)
“Global drama of Olympics” “glory of Queen’s jubilee”. If you need to explain meaning of ‘bread & circuses’, start with David Cameron’s New Year message. — (@quakerpen)
An excellent article by Giles Fraser. -especially for all of us who have to spend time worrying about Church buildings
General ramblings of a 60 something Anglican and Third Order Franciscan who seeks the mystical path to knowing God.
In truth, I would like to be a solitary. Sometimes I find public worship distracts me from God. I know it is not supposed to be like that but for now I have to accept that is how it is. Many a time I think I would be better off with the Quakers.
For now, here I am with the Anglicans, who seem to accept the odd 'nutter'.
