2nd Advent 2013, Gentle Kindliness

2^nd Advent

Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

Therefore my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown of glory, stand firm in the power of the Lord.

Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord at all times! And I say it again: Rejoice!

Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near! Let not worry have power over you; let your concerns in all things be known to God by sending your supplication and prayer upward in thankful thoughts. And the peace of God, which transcends anything that the intellect can grasp, will keep your hearts and thoughts safe in the Being of Christ….

And lastly dear brothers I say to you:

all that is true,

all that is worthy of reverence,

all that is good and holy,

all that is lovely to look at and beautiful to hear,

all that has virtue and deserves praise:

let these be the content of your conversations and thoughts. All that you have had handed on to you, what you have heard from me and seen in me—put all this into practice; then the God of Peace will be with you!

2^nd Advent Sunday

December 8, 2013

Philippians 4:1, 4:4 – 9

The reading today encourages us to rejoice in the nearness of the Lord. It can be hard to sense His approach, His presence in these troubled times. Yet somehow we are to find Him. There is an old story on this theme.

Once a synagogue had fallen on hard times. Only five members were left, all over 60 years old. In the mountains nearby there lived a retired rabbi. It occurred to the five to ask the rabbi if he could offer any advice that might save the group. One of the members and the rabbi spoke at length but when asked for advice, the rabbi simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is, the messiah is one of you." This member, returning, told the four members what the rabbi had said. 

In the months that followed, the old members pondered the words of the rabbi. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off-chance that, one among them might be the Messiah ... and on the off-chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care. As time went by, people visiting the synagogue noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small group. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to worship at the old synagogue. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. 

Within a few years, the small group had once again become a thriving congregation, thanks to the rabbi's gift![1] 

We are in fact, each and every one of us Messiahs, Anointed Ones of God. The Lord is as near as our neighbor, as near as our own heart. Therefore we will 'Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings we encounter. The Lord is near…. and the God of peace will be with us.'

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] The Rabbi's Gift, author unknown. There are several versions of this story. One was published by M. Scott Peck in A Different Drummer. This Jewish version is  available on http://www.community4me.com/rabbisgift.html

1st Advent 2007, Eye of the Storm

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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

December 2, 2007

Luke 21.25-36

A hurricane is a fierce circular storm. As we pass through it, we go from intense turbulence into the calm eye in the center. If we could remain centered in the calm eye, we would be safe.

The Advent season presents us with a paradox. On the one hand, the gospel speaks of a storm of cosmic proportions. “The dynamic powers of heaven will be shaken.”[1] This turbulence unleashes soul storms of fear, anxiety and foreboding. At the same time the seasonal epistle speaks of world calm, of quiet comfort, of salvation. It is a calm eye in the storm.

The gospel hints at ways to remain in the calm center in the eye of the storm. The first hint is finding the place within us that connects us in inner uprightness to what is above. “Stand upright and raise your soul to the spirit!” [2] it says. Rising through this spiritual vertical connects us to the place above where the storm funnel widens out, to the place where help comes from.

A second hint is to avoid putting our heart’s eye to sleep through the physical and material excesses that are so available this time of the year.

A third way of losing the center is to become distracted with inessentials, through ‘over-concern with the cares and worries of life’[3] as it says. The “too-muchness” of western culture provides an overwhelming abundance of such distractions.

Maintaining the center, keeping the heart’s eye prayerfully awake, not being pulled off-center by non-essentials, is our soul’s preparation for the coming of Christ. Remaining strongly and calmly upright amid the season’s turbulence is our task for surviving the coming of the living Son in His dynamic power and great radiant glory.

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Luke 21.26

[2] Luke 21.28

[3] Luke 21.34

1st Advent 2008, Calm Watch

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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

November 30, 2008

Luke 21: 25 – 36

One can watch a rose in the process of blossoming over time: what was enclosed, inside the bud, opens and unfurls in a profusion of petals. In the center is a crown with pollen. What takes place there at the center with pollination is gradually drawn down and inward again. The crown draws inward, becomes the cluster of seeds enclosed in the fruit.

Our experience of the world at any moment is often divided into polarities like inner and outer. But we can see, if we look closely, that, over time, like the rose, inner becomes outer and outer becomes inner, in a kind of breathing.

Today’s Gospel reading has something of this same quality. It starts with a profusion of outer signs, in sun, moon and stars. They are transported inward and become fear and anxiety. But at the same time, like the crown of the rose, the Son of Man appears ‘in great radiance and glory.’ He seems to come from outside, ‘in a cloud’. And yet His qualities, His uprightness, His soul rising to the spirit, can also be absorbed inwardly by human beings. The outer becomes inner. He gives inner strength and uprightness and awakens prayer.

The reading makes it clear that the quality and accuracy of our perception is of utmost importance. For perception is the doorway, the entryway into our souls. We are to keep the threshold clear and free of the debris of material excess and free of worry. We are to keep calm and open watch at the doorway of the soul and recognize the signs: just as new leaves signal summer’s return, so do dire outer signs signal the approach, the nearness of the Divine Human Being. We are to perceive His presence. We are to invite Him into the soul’s house, take Him in. For He is our heart’s calm center.

Sanz-Cardona

Meister Eckhart wrote,

What is the prayer of a heart grown calm

in the peace of God?

From such a purity one no longer prays

as we are wont to pray.

…A heart in calm detachment asks

for nothing, nor has anything

it would wish to shed.

Its prayer is finally only for uniformity

with God. This is its entire prayer.

…With such a disposition you

can easily accept honors and ease.

Should hardships and disgrace arrive,

you will bear them also, and be

oddly pleased to bear them.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Meister Eckhart, “The Prayer of a Heart Detached”, and “Unburdened”,  in Love’s Immensity, Mystics on the Endless Life, Scott Cairns, p. 99.

1st Advent 2009, Core of Uprightness

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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

November 29, 2009

Luke 21: 25 – 36

He Qi

Novice sailors need some time to learn to remain upright with the pitch and roll of the boat. For the great sea, the mother of all life, is only sometimes a calm, smooth place. Unlike solid ground, she is in constant movement.

There is the well-known incident in Matthew’s gospel (Matthew 8: 23-27) Jesus and his disciples have mounted a boat. It is the end of a long day, and Jesus falls asleep. A sudden squall erupts and the waves start to swamp the boat. His disciples wake Him—“ Lord, save us! We are going to drown!” Jesus notes the smallness of their trust, and calms the wind and the waves. Their fear gives way to amazement.

Times of great change such as ours require us to become sailors on life’s high seas. It is clear that fear and foreboding are of no help. We need to find an inner center, a core of uprightness and calm. This inner stabilizer is the Christ in us. When life becomes unsettled, begins furiously to change, He is our calm center, the core of our uprightness

Today’s gospel reading talks about life’s heavy weather. The poet says:

  

I can't talk about God and make any sense,

And I can't not talk about God and make any sense.

So we talk about the weather, and we are talking about God.

Pause with us here a while.

Put your ear to the wall of your heart.

Listen for the whisper of knowing there.

Love will touch you if you are very still. [1]  

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1] Tom Barrett, “What’s in the Temple?”, in Keeping In Touch.

1st Advent 2010, Surrounded by Angels

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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

November 28, 2010

Luke 21: 25 -36

A woman who is about to give birth is racked with pain. Wave after wave of contraction sweeps over her, for giving birth is hard labor. It requires endurance and strength. But at the end she and all around her experience the radiant wonder that a tiny human being, surrounded by angels, has arrived on earth.

Today’s reading is a description of the birth pangs of humanity; constriction, anxiety, and doubt wash over us as world events, earth events, sweep over us. They require our strength and endurance. For the outcome is the birth of the Son of Man.

They also require our wakefulness. For this birth is not a physical one. It happens rather in the realm of life that permeates both us and our earth. It happens within perceptive human souls. To perceive this birth, we struggle to stay awake amid the excesses of the season. We are surrounded by angels.

Many are the human beings who, in their hour of extreme need, have raised their souls to the spirit in prayer. And in their soul is born the power and radiance of a paradoxical peace. A calm settles over them, and they feel the nearness of God. They are surrounded by angels.

As David Whyte remarks:

These are hard paths we tread

…..

I know that …

Sulamith Wulfing

storms break over,

…and you will not move

while the voice all around

tears the air

and fills the sky with jagged light.

But sometimes unawares

those sounds seem to descend

as if kneeling down into you

and you listen strangely caught

as the terrible voice moving closer

halts,

and in the silence

now arriving

whispers

Get up, I depend

on you utterly.

Everything you need

you had

the moment before

you were born.[1]

www.thechristiancommunity.org

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[1]  David Whyte, “Waking”, in Where Many Rivers Meet

1st Advent 2011, Sphere of Brotherhood

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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 27, 2011

Luke 21:25-36

A woman about to give birth is seized by fearsome convulsions; she feels dragged along by the mighty forces of birth. Yet knowing of the immanent arrival of the child can give her powers of endurance.

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. We hear the cries for human dignity, for equitable standards of living and care for all, not only here, but elsewhere in the world as well. What humanity is laboring to bring to birth is the compassionate Son of Man within our hearts. For the present, we must stand. We must begin the labor of bringing 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.[1]

 www.thechristiancommunity.org

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

1st Advent 2012, Tree of Life

1^st Advent

Luke 21:25-36

Roland Tiller

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 men 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 [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your deliverance draws near.

And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe [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 Man’s being 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 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

December 2, 2012

Luke 21: 25-36

Yggdrasil, Tree of Life

Although we are approaching the depth of northern midwinter, Christ, oddly perhaps for us in the north, speaks of the coming spring, and the fig tree bursting into leaf. The fig tree in His time was the tree, like the bodhi tree, which represented a broader, enlightened awareness.

This reading images for us the content of a higher awareness: the living Son of Man, radiant and powerful, coming toward us in the realm of the clouds, the biosphere, the realm of life.

This year has been seen as a year in which a shift of awareness is anticipated. There are signs…signs that human beings are moving into an anxious awareness of the wholeness of the living earth, into an heart awareness that humankind is all one family; signs that the kingdom of God is arising in human hearts. The angels are watching closely.

Denise Levertov says

Sometimes the mountain

is hidden from me in veils

of cloud, sometimes

I am hidden from the mountain

in veils of inattention, apathy, fatigue,

when I forget or refuse to go

…to reconfirm

that witnessing presence.[1]

We are urged to pay attention, to stand, awake and at the ready. For He who is the living Spirit of the Earth is drawing near.

www.thechristiancommunity.org 

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[1] “Witness”, by Denise Levertov in Selected Poems