3rd Advent 2021, Awaken

 Advent, 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th

Matthew 25:1-13

Eugene Burnand

The kingdom in the heavens will be like ten maidens who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were dull of soul, and five were alert and prudent. The foolish took their lamps without taking any oil with them. The wise ones took flasks of oil for their lamps. Now, because the bridegroom was a long time coming, they all became drowsy and were sleeping. But in the middle of the night, the call went up, "Behold, the bridegroom! Go forth to meet him!"

Burnand

Then all the maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out."

But the wise ones said, "No, the oil would not be enough for us and you as well. Rather go to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves."
And while they were away buying, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready to receive him went with him into the wedding feast, and the doors were shut.

Afterward, the other maidens came also and said, "Lord, Lord, open to us!"

But he replied, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you."

So be alert of soul, since you do not know the day or the hour.

3^rd Advent

Matthew 25:1-13

December 12, 2021

When we go on a journey, we have a destination in mind. Our plans include maps and rest stops. We check the oil, fill the tank, buy the ticket. We exercise our capacity of foresight.

Today's reading is about humankind's great collective journey, a journey toward union with the Divine Bridegroom. It, too, requires foresight. Since it is a spiritual journey, our preparations include each of us providing ourselves with an ample supply of the light gained through a practice of prayer and meditation. For as the story implies, trying to gather a supply once the call arrives is too late.

One might be inclined to fault the prudent ones for not sharing. Earthly goods can be shared. But the oil of prayer and spiritual light can only be acquired individually. One can only prepare one's own capacities for the Divine Marriage. What is required in this case is not charity, but foresight, spiritual preparation, and readiness. We are resting in the darkness, not knowing when the wedding will take place.

The poet Antonio Machado said:

Thomas Cooper Gotch

…Jesus… said to us:

heaven and earth will pass away.

When heaven and earth have passed away,

my word will still remain.

What was your word, Jesus?

Love? Forgiveness? Affection?

All your words were

one word: Awaken*

 

 

*adapted from Antonio Machado, translated by Robert Bly, in The Soul Is Here For Its Own Joy

www.thechristiancommunity.org

2nd Advent Sunday 2021, An Invitation

2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Advent

Mark 13:24-37

 

"In the days after those hardships,

'the sun will be darkened,

the moon will no longer give its light,

the stars will be falling from heaven,

and the powers of the heavenly spheres will be thrown off course.'

"Then, the coming of the Son of Man will be visible in the realm of the clouds, invested with power, illumined by the light of the revelation of the world of spirit. And he will send out the angels to gather in all those who feel themselves united with him, from all four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

"Learn from the parable of the fig tree: When the sap rises through its branches, and it puts forth leaves, then you see that summer is near. So also when you see these things coming about, you shall be aware that the revelation of the Son of Man is near, at the very door. Yes, I say to you: Even before the time of human beings now living shall have come to an end, all this will begin. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. No one knows anything about that day or that hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

"Be observant and be awake, for you do not know when the time will be. It is like when a man goes on a journey and leaves his house. He gives his servants authority, gives each one his task, and tells the doorkeeper to be alert. So you, too, be alert. You do not know when the master of the house will come, whether in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow in the morning. Take care that he does not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. And what I say to you applies to all human beings: Be alert!" 

2^nd Advent

December 5, 2021

Mark 13:24-27

 

The Advent prayers at the altar speak of the chariot of the sun.
The path of this chariot inscribes an arc in the heavens. The mention of a chariot implies a Being that travels in it. In Greek mythology He is called Helios. Daily he rises from the edge of the world, dispelling the darkness. At the end of the day he sets into the darkness, to rise again, moving time forward.

The prayers also speak of the bow of color, the rainbow, which also inscribes an arc. The interplay of light and darkness, of water and air, of Helios and Earth create a many-colored bridge, the rainbow.
The Greeks called her Iris, the winged messenger of the gods. Her message has always been filled with hope and promise; Helios and Iris, bringers of light, color and hope.

Ookami Kouu

Our deepest hope is that one day, heaven and earth will become one; that the wounds of worlds will be healed; that love and peace will reign because the sons and daughters of sun and earth will have fulfilled Iris’s promise. Her message continuously calls us, inviting us to work on the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. All of creation is waiting for us. As the poet Mary Oliver says

 

There are days

when the sun goes down

like a fist,

though of course

 

if you see anything

in the heavens this way

you had better get

 

your eyes checked

or, better still,

your diminished spirit.

The heavens

 

have no fist,

…

 

Instead: such patience!

Such willingness

 

to let us continue!

David Newbatt

To hear,

little by little,

the voices -

 

only, so far, in

pockets of the world -

suggesting the possibilities

 

of peace

 

Keep looking.

Behold, how the fist opens

with invitation.*

---

*Mary Oliver, “The Fist”, in Thirst

1st Advent 2021, Am I Lost?

 1^st Advent

Luke 21:25-36 

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth, the nations will be constricted with anxiety and doubt with the advent of these spiritual revelations, as before a roaring sea and waves. And people will lose their inner strength of soul out of fear and foreboding of what is coming over the living earth: for the dynamic powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, in the sphere of life, with dynamic power and great radiant glory. 

And when these things begin to happen, stand upright and lift up [or, raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near. 

And he gave them a comparison, saying, "Observe [or, behold] the fig tree and all the trees when they burst into leaf. Seeing this, you know yourselves that summer is near. So also, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 

"Amen, the truth I say to you: this present age of being human shall not pass away until all has happened. 

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 

"Guard yourselves lest the perceptive power of your hearts be smothered by an excess of food and drink and by over-concern with the cares and worries of life, and the light of these spirit events break upon you suddenly like a snare; for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the whole earth. So be awake in the spirit at all times, praying, so that you may have the strength to live through all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

1^st Advent Sunday

Nov 28, 2021

Luke 21:25-36  

Cordoba Fresco

A woman about to give birth is seized by fearsome convulsions; she feels dragged along by the overwhelming forces of birth. Yet knowing of the imminent arrival of the child can give her the strength to endure the intensity of the transition. 

Humankind is now being seized by mighty convulsions of change. The dynamic powers of heaven are being shaken, for we are all in the midst of a new birth. The kingdom of the heavens, the realm of divine love, that wants to be born in human hearts, is approaching. 

We are feeling the convulsions most especially in the economic sphere because it is the sphere of brotherhood. Worldwide we hear the cries for human dignity, for equitable standards of living, and care for all. What humanity is laboring to bring to birth is the compassionate Son of Man within our hearts, the One who comes willing to sacrifice His entire life and being for others. For the present, it is our task to remain upright in the midst of the cataclysms. We are beginning the labor of bringing Him to birth. We must endure. For as Vaclav Havel says: 

It is I who must begin.

Once I begin, once I try --

here and now,

right where I am,

…I suddenly discover,

to my surprise, that

I am neither the only one,

nor the first,

nor the most important one

to have set out

upon that road.

 

Whether all is really lost

or not depends entirely on

whether or not I am lost.*

 

 

---

*Vaclav Havel, “It Is I Who Must Begin”, in Teaching With Fire, ed. by S.M. Intrator and M. Scribner

 

4th Trinity 2020, Water of Life

 November Trinity

The end of Revelation 22:12-21 

"Keep watch. I am coming soon, and I will have my rewards with me to give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the goal.

 "Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life, which overcomes death and may go through the gates into the Holy City. Outside shall remain those bound to low senses, those who serve evil powers, who walk impure paths of soul, who spread death around them, who give themselves up to demonic forces, and who, through their ways and deeds, falsify their true being. 

"I, Jesus, sent my angel to report these things to your assembled communities. I AM the root and stock of David, the star who unfolds his brightness in the morning." 

And the Spirit and the Bride, the Holy City, say, "Come!" 

And may whoever hears also say, "Come!" And may the thirsty come, and may everyone who wants it get to drink the Water of Life freely, as grace. 

Everyone who hears can find their inmost being strengthened in the prophetic words of this book. Whoever does not yet sense its greatness and truth, God will lead them to full knowledge through the trials of destiny written in this book. 

And whoever diminishes the words of this prophecy, God will remove from them their share in the Tree of Life that overcomes death and their share in the Holy City written about in this book. 

He who lends these words their power says, "Yes, I am coming quickly!" 

Yes, so be it. Amen. Come, Jesus our Lord. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all!

4th Trinity

November 21, 2021

Revelation 22:12-21 

There is a great wellspring, a tree-shaped fountain that exists just behind the veil of the senses. Bright waters gather and rise powerfully, release in a great showering crown, and fall in sparkling color back to the Source, to rise again, ever-changing, ever renewed. 

artist unknown

Within this shimmering fountain-tree, there appears One who gathers substance and rises in birth, whose arms, outstretched like a cross, shower the blessings of His love's light, who falls into death and then gathers himself and rises anew. He gathers and ascends again in ever greater cycles, joining heaven and earth. 

He is the pattern for all life. The flowing rise of energy, the sustained spreading release of the crowning, the falling back to the Source; this pattern underlies the flow of our day, the rising and falling of the phases of our lives, the arc of an entire lifetime, and of lives in succession. 

He says, "Blessed are those who cleanse their garments so that they will have power in the realm of the Tree of Life which overcomes death." 

We all wear inner garments of soul, garments woven of habits, thoughts, feelings. We have stained them in our everyday lives. 

Roland Tiller

But beyond the veil of the senses, we hear the voice. He who shines with the brightness of morning encourages us to dip our soul garments into His fountain so that we can overcome our earthbound tendencies. He encourages us to rise with Him in enthusiasm, to release His love and light into life, to return with Him, who is the Source, the true spirit of the earth. 

"Keep watch," He says. "I AM coming soon. You (He says) who have washed your soul garments in the knowledge that the sense-world is not all that there is;

You who have felt My power flowing through the veins of your life;

You who have worked to rise above the death of your soul, your reward shall be to join me in the Fountain of Life, to partake of my renewing life at its Source, for everyone who wants it may drink of Me, the Water of Life, freely, as grace."

www.thechristiancommunity.org