Chewing with Qoheleth and the Caterpillar

Lately I've been watching the progress of this year's crop of "our swan plant's temporary residents" -- so snapped them this morning . . . 

they are living, and continuously eating while in a trans-formative journey . . . 

just like us humans, who according to Qoheleth* in his wisdom-observations defines that eating, drinking and getting on with living is good within the trans-formative struggle called "life" . . . 

As I "chew-my-way-through life" do I live-life as intuitive, instinctive, or instructive . . . OR????

*The Book Ecclesiastes is presented as an autobiography of "Kohelet" (or "Qoheleth")

Fear of the Lord—Positive yet serious

Recently I read and reflected on the chapter entitled “Of Heartful Remorse” in Thomas A’Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ” – passing on my reflection . . .

The phrase “fear of the Lord” is positive language, positive through serious. 

When I consider the phrase through the term “holy awe”, its meaning becomes even more clearly focused.  

The question of positive response to the Lord by holding Him in holy awe is best understood “the Awesome of the heavens above is still awesome when He is within my life and experience”. 

 In this inner-knowledge my repentances, cryings and commitments to change, flow as “heartfelt remorse without regret, for they are grace from the awesome God – my Lord”.

As I re-read the above, I’m moving from reflecting to rumination – JD J

Election Day Saturday - Sunday the Sun will rise

New Zealand's national election day on Saturday won’t go away—it will occur and merge into the country’s national history. The sun will rise on Sunday, just an hour earlier.* Both events call for some considered action on one’s part. The first, decide to vote and vote your decisions. Secondly, change the time of any household clock or device that isn’t smart enough to do so for itself. Life will actively continue.

BTW the sun won’t actually rise at any time different to that which is normally does. My changing of clocks and devices, doesn’t rearrange universal reality—we live in an ordered universe. Neither will my voting; though both actions affect the rhythms in personal and national life.

“Election season”—a bit like “Duck season’s” limited, loud, and intense activity—now officially over, leaves us with questions and perspectives for living in the light of day. We live in a-time-of-questioning, not just through it. Some questions are common to daily life. Such questions either orient, or reorient us—their voice calling us to fresh considered action. For Jesus and His disciples questions worked that way in John 9:1-4 . . .

Passing by, they saw a man blind from birth . . . 

His disciples asked him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?”

 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned—this came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him . . .   Jesus answered . . .

We must do the works of him who sent me while it is day . . .  Night is coming when no one can work . . . 

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Our questions, often framed as alternative answers close us up to considering a different perspective of life and societal problems; Jesus answers “our or” with “His neither-nor”. He reorients to working together in the light He is in the world in which we are.

It’s daylight using time . . .

* NZ's Summertime daylight saving time commences 24/09/2017

React or respond; it’s over to you . . .

I’ve been reading; actually re-reading in some of Paul’s latter letters . . . 

               It’s gotten into ruminating . . . 

Have a read, ruminate, and “summary reflection” with me . . .

”I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:11-12

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Grasping gratitude . . .

This morning, Raewyn; a ministry colleague, made a Facebook-post concerning the “spiritual discipline of gratitude” . . .

Got me thinking, looking, and finding . . .

Here’s what I found; a “portable rumination into my day" – its Monday in New Zealand . . .

“Gratitude, as a discipline, takes desire, commitment and a plan. Like any good discipline, it can free us from what is bad and free us for what is better. Gratitude can help preserve us from sin and form us for holiness.”

Fr Robert McTeigue, SJ ( Jan 04, 2017)

Praying and Church

Praying is the most common human practice for communicating with the Divine . . .  

Prayer occurs through all kinds of situations, experiences, and locations; one of them is at churches.  Not just in churches, but at churches.  You can go to a church and pray, if it’s open. You can go to weekly scheduled church services and participate through the liturgy’s prayers. You don’t have to go to church to pray, but you can pray there with others.

I, and maybe you have heard a statement like “you don’t have to go to church to pray; you can pray anywhere.” True. Yet praying is both personal and communal engagement of God by humans. The possible values of prayer are both instinctive within us, and inspired beyond us; the Bible and human history abound with accounts of prayer and praying; think about it. In the stories of the bible people pray personally, collectively, constantly, and commonly.  Personally we speak to and listen for God. Collectively our prayers are made for Divine intervention, and daily wisdom in life’s many challenging situations. 

Praying constantly isn’t quitting our work and life-responsibility to “just pray,” it’s not quitting on praying as a normative practice; remember while God who is not late, from our perspective often seems to miss an opportunity to be early! Keep praying. Both the Bible and historical stories of nations and whanau say, “Prayer is commonly practiced.”

Bear in mind you can pray without going to a church, but you won’t go to a church or its services without praying. That’s the norm of Christian faith. 

Praying is a normal human practice for communicating with the Divine.  

John Douglas - March 2017

Christian spirituality’s both intentional and normative . . .

Christian spirituality is the holistic relating of one’s entire life as understood, felt, imagined, and decided upon in relation to God as Father; united through Jesus Christ, and empowered within the Spirit’s indwelling presence.*

It’s characterized as, “the quest for a fulfilled and authentic Christian existence; involving a bringing together of the fundamental ideas of Christianity into the whole experience of lifelong-living on the basis of and within one’s Christian faith.”** 

It is dynamic, living, developing, evident, and nurtured. 

It is not self-perpetuating; it’s intentionally pursued and supported engagement. 

It’s the living and nurturing of a growing faith. 

Check it out in biblical narratives, spiritual growth is (1) normative, (2) intentionally nurtured, (3) behaviourally observable, and (4) modelled and mentored.

While you’re checking biblical narratives, pick up with Saint Peter’s words . . .

 “So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books”

 - 1 Peter 1:5-9  (Message Bible)

 

*John C. Douglas, “The Effectiveness of a Rule of Life as Growth Processing Framework in the Development of New Zealand Evangelical Church Leaders’ Spiritual Discipline Behaviors”. (Denver Seminary: 2013), 29

**Alister E. McGrath, Christian Spirituality: An Introduction (Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 1999), 1.