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Love Unites All

Unity in the Heart of God

Love unites all, whether created or uncreated. The heart of God, the heart of all creation, and our own hearts become one in love. That's what all the great mystics have been trying to tell us through the ages. Benedict, Francis, Hildegard of Bingen, Hadewijch of Brabant, Meister Eckhart, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Dag Hammarskjöld, Thomas Merton, and many others, all in their own ways and their own languages, have witnessed to the unifying power of the divine love. All of them, however, spoke with a knowledge that came to them not through intellectual arguments but through contemplative prayer. The Spirit of Jesus allowed them to see the heart of God, the heart of the universe, and their own hearts as one. It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realisation of the unity of all that is, created and uncreated.



These reflections are taken from Henri J.M. Nouwen's Bread for the Journey.
See http://www.henrinouwen.org/home/free_eletters/

Thought for the day

Christianity is the journey of understanding God as mercy, not judgement.

(Based on something I read in A Monk in the Inner City by Mary Lou Kownacki.
It is an impressive book!)

Remembering

For Veterans’ Day

There are different ways to remember:

There’s the remembering that comes from a photograph:
or words shared and moments lived together
that bring both tears and smiles.

But ours is not a remembering like that.

There’s the remembering that comes from research and learning,
knowing how things work,
the remembering of words and ideas and theories.

But ours is not a remembering like that.

There’s the remembering that comes from everyday life,
the lists we need, the language we use,
the circle of friends we have.

But ours is not a remembering like that.

There’s the remembering that comes from someone else’s experience:
a story passed on that is important enough and vital enough
to become our own story even as we did not live it.

This is our remembering.

It’s not because war
in every time and place and in every guise is the worst we can do to each other,
though that is true,
but because in amongst it all, people turn towards a hope that this will be the last,
that this will be never again.

It is this hope that they will to be passed on.

This hope has been bought at huge price.
It’s not the facts we remember nor the images, but the cost.
It is expensive to remember.
And if we do not accept that cost, and recognise the price,
then our hope is selfish.
This we cannot avoid.

This is our remembrance.

Roddy Hamilton
on http://abbotsford.typepad.com/abbotsford/”

From Richard Rohr

EXPERIENCING THE HOLY


We have put our emphasis on trying to love God, which is probably a good way to start—although we do not have a clue how to do that. What I consistently find in the mystics is an overwhelming experience of how God has loved them. God is the initiator, God is the doer, God is the one who seduces us. All we can do is respond in kind, and exactly as Meister Eckhart said, “The love by which we love God is the very same love with which God has first loved us.”

The mystics' overwhelming experience is this full body blow of the Divine loving them, the Divine radically accepting them. And the rest of their life is trying to verbalize that, and invariably finding ways to give that love back through forms of service, compassion and non-stop worship. But none of this is to earn God's love; it's always and only to return God's love. Love is repaid by love alone.



Adapted from Following the Mystics
through the Narrow Gate

The Giver Should be Thankful

Another way to look at Stewardship. Not that we shouldn't say "Thank you", but what is the wisdom in this story for you?

While Seisetsu was the master of Engaku in Kamakura he required larger quarters, since those in which he was teaching were overcrowded. Umezu Seibei, a merchant of Edo, decided to donate five hundred pieces of gold called ryo toward the construction of a more commodious school. This money he brought to the teacher.

Seisetsu said: "All right. I will take it."

Umezu gave Seisetsu the sack of gold, but he was dissatisfied with the attitude of the teacher. One might live a whole year on three ryo, and the merchant had not even been thanked for five hundred.

"In that sack are five hundred ryo," hinted Umezu.

"You told me that before," replied Seisetsu.

"Even if I am a wealthy merchant, five hundred ryo is a lot of money," said Umezu.

"Do you want me to thank you for it?" asked Seisetsu.

"You ought to," replied Uzemu.

Why should I?" inquired Seisetsu. "The giver should be thankful."

from www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

Then add this thought:

Tzedakah (sa-da-ka) is the Jewish tradition of giving at least ten percent of one’s income to charity. Rather than referring to generosity, it is more related to justice or fairness, giving the poor their due. According to tradition, the spiritual benefit of giving to the poor is so great that the one who receives the aid actually does the giver a favor

More Autumn

Autumn has two phases
The color phase is the one that gets the kinder attention and this year I had more times to enjoy the unique scenery of this season while the maples were in all their glory.
The other phase of autumn is more about the falling leaves.
It's the 'fall" season. Its about the leaves on the ground and I know this has some work involved. Even with all the raking, I remember this part with some warm nostalgia as well. I remember jumping into leaf piles and playing in the leaves when I was young, and then again with our children, Sara and Nick
But when we get to November most of the leaves have been raked up. The trees, accept for the stubborn oaks, or the evergreen varieties, are pretty bare. We will move into the season of the browns, the grays , and yes the white of snow.
But what if autumn is not over until we have listened to its wisdom? Is Auteum done with you yet? Every season has its lessons. and the work of the church is to help us think about our lives. Listen to the spirit. As yourself "Where do I see God? What is God teaching me in this moment? So before we have pushed autumn into its thanksgiving holiday, or set it aside for the start of Advent on November 28think, spend some time , get personal with this autumn prayer.
AUTUMN GOD, the planet turns
and the earth signals a change.
Open me to the transitions I need to face in my own life.
Be with me in the letting go,
the saying good-bye
to habits, relationships, and plans
that stand in your way of growing.
Deepen my trust that as I let go,
like the falling leaves,
I will always fall into your embrace. Amen.
- Larry Peacock
(Openings From p. 303 of Openings: A Daybook of Saints, Psalms, and Prayer by Larry James Peacock. Copyright © 2003 ) by way of Upper Room website