Wherever we are in the world, there is a church. Whether you attend or don’t, enjoy your Sunday because God, being omnipresent, is not only in a church he is wherever you are.
Day fifteen of the #everydayinspiration challenge suggested taking a cue from your reader for this blog. The reader I chose is arwen1968 who, in response to my June 30th blog, “To Write or Not to Wrie” suggested many things to write about including books. I chose books by one author in particular…Frederick Beuchner…mainly because of one of his quotes: “You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.”
Another reason I chose this author was due to a Facebook comment that took exception to another of his quotes, surely due to misinterpretation.
I have posted about Frederick Beuchner once before, with good response, and a few questions about the man, so included in this blog is a bit from Wikipedia:
Carl Frederick Buechner (born July 11, 1926) is an American writer and theologian. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister and the author of more than thirty published books.[1] His work encompasses different genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays and sermons, and his career has spanned six decades. Buechner’s books have been translated into many languages for publication around the world. He is best known for his works A Long Day’s Dying (his first work, published in 1950); The Book of Bebb, a tetralogy based on the character Leo Bebb published in 1979;Godric, a first person narrative of the life of the medieval saint, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1981; Brendan, a second novel narrating a saint’s life, published in 1987; Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner (1992); and his autobiographical works The Sacred Journey (1982), Now and Then (1983), Telling Secrets (1991), and The Eyes of the Heart: Memoirs of the Lost and Found (1999). He has been called “Major talent” and “…a very good writer indeed” by the New York Times, and “one of our most original storytellers” by USA Today.Annie Dillard (Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek) says: “Frederick Buechner is one of our finest writers.” [2]
Buechner’s work has often been praised for its ability to inspire readers to see the grace in their daily lives. As stated in the London Free Press, “He is one of our great novelists because he is one of our finest religious writers.”[3] He has been a finalist for the National Book Award[4]Presented by the National Book Foundation and the Pulitzer Prize,[5] and has been awarded eight honorary degrees from such institutions asYale University[6] and the Virginia Theological Seminary.[7] In addition, Buechner has been the recipient of the O. Henry Award,[8] the Rosenthal Award, the Christianity and Literature Belles Lettres Prize, and has been recognized by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.[9]He is continually listed among the most read authors by Christian audiences.[citation needed
To you, arwen1968, I say, “Thanks for the cue.”
Dear You:
By “you” I mean the me I used to be. I miss you…I mean, really miss you. I miss your energy, stamina, strength. I miss the loves you shared and what those loves encompassed; caring, sharing, camaraderie, hugging, kissing, loving, walking, talking; in fact, just being together.
Do you remember those wonderful years of dancing, romancing, cottaging, boating, traveling…remember breakfast in bed? Of course you do or this letter would not be taking shape.
The years of motherhood and entrepreneurship were so time consuming and fulfilling…so satisfying and all encompassing.
The me I used to be no longer exists…instead, another me has emerged; quieter, more patient, slower in movement and thought; still gregarious but less so; more spiritual, maybe more thoughtful; still have the love, but no one to share it with.
And so, it is with fond remembrance that I write to you, to tell you that I appreciate all that you were, and will never really say goodbye to…
The Me I Used To Be
Here’s part of a piece that was tucked away in one of my spiritual notebooks. It was written in the Toronto Star, April 16, 2000 by Reverend Deborah Vaughan. It was an Easter article that year.
“Every time we let something go, something new and wonderful can fill our empty, waiting hands. Life is full of little deaths, denials, griefs. Every beginning marks the end of what has gone before. This is the cycle of life. No beginnings without ends. No ends without new beginnings following after. “Rejoice, all is not lost. Something better, something you cannot imagine is coming to you.” (Angels at the Tomb)
I found this little blurb about Rev. Vaughan on the Internet:
Deborah is now the Presiding Bishop of the Community Catholic Church of Canada (Old Catholic). Deb is a graduate of Trinity College and has a degree in Journalism from Ryerson. An Anglican priest for almost 20 years, she has enjoyed ministry in diverse congregational settings.
I’m so happy to have found out about this lady and her writing…she really is a person of interest.
As promised yesterday, here is the second part of Inna Segal’s internet article on spirituality.
People who say that as you become more spiritual, life becomes more serious; have a lack of understanding of real spirituality. The more connected you become to the spirit within you, the lighter things get, as you develop an ability to laugh at yourself more and to recognize that this world is a playground for exploration.
You also realize that joy, happiness, fun and laughter are integral parts of your life and are necessary for your overall wellbeing.
I would often say that healing has to be fun for it to work. The more fun something is, the less resistance we have to experiencing it. When there is no resistance, life, wellbeing, joy, wonderful opportunities and abundance can flow effortlessly into our lives.
The more spiritual you become, the more freedom you feel to be yourself and to allow others to be themselves. Your need to criticize others, dramatically decreases and compassionate understanding takes its place. You will also become softer with yourself and the people around you. You may even find yourself drawn to people you would usually have little interest in. Thus, you unlock the gates to the most fascinating, expansive, delicious connections with others and love, care and sweetness you could only dream of. Synchronicities become a regular phenomenon and life becomes a real adventure.
How fantastic would it be to wake up every day and know that anything is possible? You may meet a person who will change your life, receive an amazing job offer, discover an important piece of information, receive a positive surprise or have a deep spiritual experience.
There is a well-known saying that ‘spirit works in mysterious ways.’ Wouldn’t you want to be part of the mystery, knowing that everyday holds an opportunity to transcend the ordinary and enter the realm of the extraordinary? The most beautiful thing is that you don’t have to work out how things will happen, just be open to amazing opportunities entering your life.
As you come into a spiritual communion with your Divine essence, you begin to attract people into your life, who will have a deeper connection and an understanding of who you are and what is important to you. Thus, you may expand your circle of friends, from people who are close to your age and your experience of life, to people from all walks of life who will offer different perspectives than what you know.
Integrating spirituality into your life is a unique process, which requires time, connection with yourself and deep and profound exploration.
A way that you know that you are moving forward in your life is that you feel that you are growing and expanding.
“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong.” ~ John Lennon
As I said yesterday, I believe we can glean little nuggets of learning from other people, no matter what path they are on. It is one of my pleasures in life to explore spirituality.
There is an abundance of things to write about but they don’t always come to mind when a writer needs them. So we go searching for something to write about. Or, like me, sit in a chair and say, “Okay, Muse, let’s write something.” God, Spirit and Jesus also get this request from me on many occasions. Yesterday I went searching, and found the following.
It is about spirituality in our everyday lives, which came about by researching this topic. Following is an article I found. It is on the Internet and was written by Inna Segal in December, 2013. Some may think I am straying from my Christian principles here but I believe everyone has some nugget of worth to teach and as long as we remain open-minded and true to our beliefs, each nugget could enhance our spiritual lives in some way. The article is called “The Benefit of Integrating Spirituality into Your Daily Life”.
“In order to experience everyday spirituality, we need to remember that we are spiritual beings spending some time in a human body.” ~ Barbara de Angelis
Exploring your spiritual, deeper, more mysterious side can be one of the most exhilarating experiences of your life. Spirituality can give you clarity, vision, and guidance where you had confusion, disappointment and lack of purpose. It can awaken your senses and arouse your intuition.
Spiritual truths can answer many important questions and give you the ability to see things beyond the surface. Everything begins to take on a deeper significance and your choices no longer stem from ignorance of the universal spiritual laws.
Rather than blaming everyone and everything for what you do not have you begin to examine your thought patterns, emotions, behaviors and overall ways of relating to the world. You become aware that as you shift your perspective, your experience of the world can transform speedily and drastically.
I think this is a good start and tomorrow I will post the rest of her article. I think you’ll like it…or not.
My own spirituality does, and always has come from the “still small voice” of God, through prayer, scripture and worship…and I never know from whence that voice will come.
Every once in awhile I come across blogs or articles that touch me so much that I like to share them. While clearing out my “in-box”, I came across this one from UP! A Daily Devotional by Matthew Ruttan (MatthewRuttan.com/Up). It’s about Holy Spirit. Matthew talks about how Holy Spirit can be vague or confusing to some people, or indeed, many people, and then goes on to write an analogy to encourage better understanding of this spiritual being. And so I give you “Come, Holy Spirit”.
August 26, 2015
Come, Holy Spirit
Psalm 51:11
“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me” (NIV)
Thought
The Holy Spirit doesn’t get talked about very much.
And yet…
The Holy Spirit is God, a part of the Trinity, the Lord’s renovating personality and power… but we shy away from talking about him.
Why?
To some people the Holy Spirit seems vague or confusing—and so, not knowing much about him, they stop inquiring.
So today I want to encourage you like this:
Imagine I’m walking down the street with my son, Benjamin. Then I pick him up in my arms, tell him I love him, and hug him. We just enjoy each other’s company for a few minutes. Then I put him down and we keep walking.
Was Benjamin more my son when I held him in my arms than he was when he was just walking along? Of course not. But in terms of his awareness, there definitely was a difference. No question.
Why?
Because in my arms, he was directly aware of and experiencing his relationship with me.
This analogy comes from a 17th century pastor named Thomas Goodwin. And I love it. Here’s how it applies to you.
When the Holy Spirit becomes a part of your life, you can sense the embrace and love of your true Father. You are aware that you are his child. Therefore, you develop intimacy with him.
Today, why not invite the Holy Spirit inside of you, and ask him to make you aware of the embrace, love and steady guidance of your strong Father in every step.
It’s not necessarily a feeling—but it is a personal awareness.
Is that missing in your life right now?
If you’re standing in a room in the dark, the dimensions and furniture remain the same. But everything changes when you turn on the light.
Come, Holy Spirit…
by Matthew Ruttan
I invite you to extend the invitation…you won’t be disappointed.
Why did Jesus weep? Was it because his friend Lazarus had died? I don’t think so, because Jesus knew that he was going to bring Lazarus back to life. No, I’m sure it was because Mary and Martha, their friends, and even the disciples, after everything they had seen of Jesus performing countless miracles, still did not believe in him.
Jesus had many reasons to weep throughout his short ministry, and even to this day.
He weeps when he sees one human being beheading another. He weeps when we fly airplanes into tall buildings, killing thousands of innocent people. He weeps when bullets are pumped into human bodies by their fellow man. He weeps when his name is trashed; used as a curse instead of a blessing. He weeps when he reaches out to us and we turn our backs on him, or ridicule him, or deny his very existence. He weeps when we lose patience with family and friends, and when we fail to offer kindness and understanding instead of derogatory remarks. He weeps when lives are lost to cancer, humility is lost to vanity, and his love is tossed to the winds, instead of being embraced by humanity, to whom he freely gives.
John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible…just two words: Jesus wept. Two words to show the true compassion of the greatest man who ever lived.
It’s enough to make me cry.
Years ago, I wrote a poem called A New Dimension, which I will post here.
After I wrote it, I wondered what that new dimension was, never being sure of the words that came to me. In church last Sunday, spirituality was mentioned and how there are those who never accept, or experience it.
Spirituality could definitely be viewed as another dimension of our life experience, I thought, remembering my poem of 1979.
Didn’t Jesus say, “…seek and you shall find…”? (Matthew 7:7)
Here then, is:
A NEW DIMENSION
Somewhere between each rising
and setting of the sun
a new dimension opens up
to each and everyone.
It’s there for us to welcome
a new challenge, a new day
we need only make ourselves aware
in every subtle way.
We need only make our senses
come alive, alert and more
responsive to the little things
we usually ignore.
So seek that new dimension
it’s there for everyone,
somewhere between each rising
and setting of the sun.
©1979
…to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Romans 8:6) KJV
So, seek that new dimension…why not?
My Precious Life 