Contemplating Grace

Advent and Liminality, Part 2 A liminal space is the time between the “what was” and the “next.” It is a place of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing. Liminal space is where all transformation takes place, if we learn to wait and let it form us.[1] Last week I defined liminal space … Continue reading Advent and Liminality, Part 2

Systemic Violence, Part 4 (Systemic trauma) is happening right before our eyes; yet the response of American citizens has been muted by the argument that what they are seeing and hearing is not oppression at all; it is compliance with laws. But those laws just happen to be rife with ethnocentrism, rejection of the stranger, … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 4

Systemic Violence, Part 3 Religions, governments, and all corporations and organizations are highly capable of evil while not recognizing it as such – because it profits us for them to be immoral. Fr. Richard Rohr[1] Last week I noted that society has ostracized a relatively new group of people from the fruits of our economic … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 3

Systemic Violence, Part 2 Go to him now, he calls you, you can’t refuse. When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose. You’re invisible now, you’ve got no secrets to conceal. Bob Dylan[1] Last week I noted that our capitalistic economy is a structurally violent system. It is a significant contributor to the … Continue reading Systemic Violence, Part 2

Systemic Violence Cain said to Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Genesis 4:8 We can point fingers of blame at those who commit violence-against-innocents in our society, as we probably should. We should not, however, think … Continue reading Systemic Violence

Mental Illness, Part 6 Serious mental illness is a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder…resulting in serious functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities. American Psychiatric Association[1] Last week I used Figure 4 to illustrate how my brother’s manic episodes seemingly shifted his perceived reality, circle C, outside of … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 6

Mental Illness, Part 5 Bipolar disorder, formerly called manic depression, is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypo mania) and lows (depression)…When your mood shifts to mania…you may feel euphoric, full of energy or unusually irritable. Mayo Clinic[1] It appears our circles of reality, individually and … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 5

Mental Illness, Part 4 We have done the people of God a great disservice by preaching the gospel to them but not giving them the tools whereby they can obey that gospel. Fr. Richard Rohr[1] Figure 5 illustrates a positioning of religion and spirituality in perceived realities. Area A signifies one person’s perceived reality. Area … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 4

Mental Illness, Part 3 We don’t live in the world of reality, we live in the world of how we perceive reality. Filmmaker Bryan Singer[1] Last week I introduced this diagram (Figure 1) as a representation of one person’s reality. Everything within circle A can be perceived by this person – physically, intellectually, and/or emotionally … Continue reading Mental Illness, Part 3

Aggressive Media, Part 3 Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.[1] The form of aggressive media that most exposes my aggressive tendencies is that of sports. This is particularly humbling to confess because I consider myself a non-violent person, even as I faithfully follow and cheer for my favorite teams. When I was younger, I … Continue reading Aggressive Media, Part 3

Aggressive Media, Part 2 The soul doesn’t know itself by comparison and differentiation. The soul just is. The soul knows itself through what is now and everything that is, both the dark and the light. The soul triumphs over nothing and therefore cannot be defeated because it is not in the game of succeeding or … Continue reading Aggressive Media, Part 2

Aggressive Media And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. Matthew 24:6 A few weeks ago I mentioned a common form of non-physical violence which I will expand upon here – that of aggressive media. Violent … Continue reading Aggressive Media

Non-Physical Violence, Part 4 There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and overwork. The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 4

Non-Physical Violence, Part 3 A lot of giving and receiving has a violent quality, because the givers and receivers act more out of need than out of trust. What looks like generosity is actually manipulation, and what looks like love is really a cry for affection or support.  Henri Nouwen[1] Violent, aggressive acts are not … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 3

Non-Physical Violence, Part 2 The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.  Elie Wiesel[1] In last week’s reflection on non-physical violence I focused on verbal aggression and how the words we say, write, and even think can wound in ways as bad or worse than physical acts of violence. Verbal aggression, like its physical … Continue reading Non-Physical Violence, Part 2

Guns and Immaturity, Part 4 Love God. Love neighbor. Love self. Love period.  Rev. Jacqui Lewis[1] Because we are inseparably interconnected with all beings, we cannot mature into our truest nature without first accepting others as possessing equal value and equally deserving of the respect we desire for ourselves. When Jesus told us to love … Continue reading Guns and Immaturity, Part 4

Guns and Immaturity, Part 3 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother … and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…  Matthew 10:35-37 We know that social media sites use … Continue reading Guns and Immaturity, Part 3

Guns and Fear, Part 4 Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay…And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability – and that it may take a very long … Continue reading Guns and Fear, Part 4

Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 4 And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Matthew 6:5 According to gospel accounts, Jesus divided his waking hours among three activities: prayer, … Continue reading Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 4

Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 3 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 Last week I noted that Jesus divided his waking … Continue reading Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 3

Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 2 …strive first for the kingdom of God and (God’s) righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Last week I suggested the church may be canceling Christianity by the practices and teachings it has adopted as standard church fare. What I mean … Continue reading Is the Church Canceling Christianity?, Part 2

Is the Church Canceling Christianity? Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:15-16a Wikipedia defines cancel culture as “a form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles.”[1] I began this series of Life … Continue reading Is the Church Canceling Christianity?

Reborn into Ordinariness “I was reborn into ordinariness, but what more could one ask for?” Kevin Kelly[1] The annual Christian celebration of Easter is over. Easter Sunday, even in the post-pandemic days, is one of the few times that people flock to church in unprecedented numbers (the other being Christmas Eve). Easter is an unusual … Continue reading Reborn into Ordinariness

Guns ‘n Moses, Part 2 You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take … Continue reading Guns ‘n Moses, Part 2

Exclusivity, Part 3 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 Prior to concluding my thoughts about the exclusivity that has become an identifying characteristic of churchianity under the guise of Christianity, I wish to reflect upon why exclusivity has become so … Continue reading Exclusivity, Part 3

Exclusivity, Part 2 As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us. John 17:22 One of the reasons I do not believe Jesus’ seemingly exclusive statements like “No one comes to the Father except through me” are as exclusive as many believe (other than them being inconsistent … Continue reading Exclusivity, Part 2

Exclusivity Whoever is not against us is for us. Mark 9:40 Arguably, the most egregious sin of Churchianity is in its professed exclusivity, by which I mean the portrayal of Christianity, as understood and practiced by certain churches, as the only path to truth, the only hope for salvation, and the only way to God. … Continue reading Exclusivity

Russia, Ukraine, and Lent Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25 Contemplative author … Continue reading Russia, Ukraine, and Lent

God as Being, Part 4 Once the wave realizes she is the ocean her fear dissipates. Thich Nhat Hanh[1] In the past few weeks I have explored the concepts of God as a being, as a non-being, and as love. Another imperfect analogy for God’s nature, one I find intriguing, if not difficult to wrap … Continue reading God as Being, Part 4

God as Being, Part 3 God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16 While I find it problematic to picture God as a being, particularly as a human being, I find imagining God as a form of attracting, influencing energy and/or relationship to … Continue reading God as Being, Part 3

God as Being, Part 2 Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed…” Luke 17:20 If we cannot accurately liken God to a human being, what sort of being is God? Is God … Continue reading God as Being, Part 2

God as Being I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I believe that prayer changes us and we change things. Mother Teresa[1] Perhaps the most egregious outcome of anthropomorphizing God is in our imagining of God as a human being. Our patriarchal societies since biblical times have portrayed God as a man … Continue reading God as Being

Anthropomorphosis, Part 4 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.. John 9:1-3 … Continue reading Anthropomorphosis, Part 4

Anthropomorphosis, Part 3 Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourself that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, … Continue reading Anthropomorphosis, Part 3

Anthropomorphosis, Part 2 For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard…  Matthew 20:1 When we anthropomorphize God – attribute human characteristics to God – we not only create God in our own image, but we also mislead ourselves and others about … Continue reading Anthropomorphosis, Part 2

Anthropomorphosis But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Mortals do not know the way to it, and it is not found in the land of the living.  Job 28:12-13 When we anthropomorphize something, we attribute human qualities to it and judge it based on human values, experiences, and understandings. … Continue reading Anthropomorphosis

Savior She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 One of life’s puzzling mysteries – on par with how Santa makes it to every house in the world in a single night – is the claim that Jesus came to … Continue reading Savior

An Extraordinary, Ordinary Christmas Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Luke 12:6 Our challenge at Christmas, as every day, is to stop discounting the ordinary in search of the miraculous so we can see the miraculous in the ordinary. The Christmas stories of … Continue reading An Extraordinary, Ordinary Christmas