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The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived. Like all life, it grows sick and dies when it is uprooted from its proper element. Grace is engrafted on our nature and the whole man is sanctified by the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual life is not, therefore, a life entirely uprooted from man's human conditions and transplanted into the realm of the angels. We live as spiritual men when we live as men seeking God. If we are to become spiritual, we must remain men. And if there were not evidence of this everywhere in theology, the Mystery of the Incarnation itself would be ample proof of it. Why did Christ become Man if not to save men by uniting them mystically with God through His own Sacred Humanity? Jesus lived the ordinary life of the men of His time, in order to sanctify the ordinary lives of men of all time. If we want to be spiritual, then, let us first of all live our lives. Let us not fear the responsibilities and the inevitable distractions of the work appointed for us by the will of God. Let us embrace reality and thus find ourselves immersed in the life-giving will and wisdom of God which surrounds us everywhere.
-Thomas Merton; Thoughts in Solitude, chapter 10
posted by + Alan @ 10:37 AM :: 1 comments
5.25.2004 A Good Reminder “You have to learn to praise God for who you are.”(Father Damien, Abbey of Gethsemani)
posted by Bryan @ 8:27 AM :: 5 comments
5.22.2004 Anointing and Praying If you've read my blog today, you'll know that my allergies are raging again. What's this like the tenth time this spring? I've lost count. Any more, it seems like I'm suffering about every other week. I do have a request - the next time we get "together", I'd like to be anointed with some oil, if that's cool. So, get ready for some anointin' and pray'in. :-) Thanks.
posted by Bryan @ 7:13 PM :: 1 comments
5.21.2004 spiritual maturity I thought I would put those quotes from John of the Cross on here just to have them here for us. Nobody seems to have paid much attention to them on my blog. I think it was too much. Anyway, there are always times when we feel like goofs - like we aren't spiritually mature at all. Sometimes it's because we've done something stupid or maybe it's because we don't feel anything going on inside us - we don't feel like we're connected to God. Real spiritual maturity is mostly having a realization of what really is. I mean to say, to be truly spiritually mature is to have a good grasp on reality - real reality. OK, here we go - Spanish mystics rock!
...many of these, lured by the sweetness and pleasure which they find in such exercises, strive more after spiritual sweetness than after spiritual purity and discretion... the gluttony which they now have makes them continually go to extremes.
These persons, in communicating, strive with every nerve to obtain some kind of sensible sweetness and pleasure, instead of humbly doing reverence and giving praise within themselves to God. ...when they have received no pleasure or sweetness in the senses, they think that they have accomplished nothing at all.
These persons have the same defect as regards the practice of prayer, for they think that all the business of prayer consists in experiencing sensible pleasure and devotion and they strive to obtain this by great effort, wearying and fatiguing their faculties and their heads; and when they have not found this pleasure they become greatly discouraged, thinking that they have accomplished nothing.
...They are, in fact, as we have said, like children, who are not influenced by reason, and who act, not from rational motives, but from inclination. Such persons expend all their effort in seeking spiritual pleasure and consolation; they never tire, therefore, of reading books; and they begin, now one meditation, now another, in their pursuit of this pleasure which they desire to experience in the things of God.
These persons who are thus inclined to such pleasures have another very great imperfection, which is that they are very weak and remiss in journeying upon the hard road of the Cross; for the soul that is given to sweetness naturally has its face set against all self-denial, which is devoid of sweetness.
posted by + Alan @ 9:43 AM :: 0 comments
5.19.2004 confirmation Good time last night, I thought. Great discussion around those two quotes. They seemed to bring several things out that really confirmed the "kind" of faith we are practicing. I really appreciated what everyone said. Good stuff. Thanks, too, Matt, for teaching me the chords for Holy Holy Holy - I'll be working on that.
Retreat: I'm thinking we'll stick with June 11-13 unless things just get too funky and nobody can go. I'll get them to send the registration form - it's not confirmed until I send in the money. Once again, let's all really try to make it. Thanks. Pax vobiscum.
posted by + Alan @ 9:17 AM :: 4 comments
5.18.2004 Another quote to ponder I got this in the CQOD daily email the other day. Since it refers to group dynamics, I thought it'd be good to post here to ponder:
"Above all, the group must keep remembering that true growth in grace is not to be achieved by our own efforts or contriving, but must be received as the gift of God's Spirit, working in and among us. The work of the group is to keep open the channels of receptiveness through study, discipline, prayer, and self-offering. When a group learns to live in this faith, it can keep the lines of endeavor tentative and sensitive to new headings and possibilities, on the one hand; and, on the other, move forward resolutely under such light as is now given."
~John L. Casteel, Spiritual Renewal through Personal Groups [1957]
Just a thought of encouragement as we gather tonight.
posted by #Debi @ 6:58 AM :: 1 comments
5.16.2004 Anxiety A Quote from Thomas Merton
In our age everything has to be a "problem." Ours is a time of anxiety because we have willed it to be so. Our anxiety is not imposed on us by force from outside. We impose it on our world and upon one another from within ourselves.
Sanctity in such an age means, no doubt, traveling from the area of anxiety to the area in which there is no anxiety or perhaps it may mean learning, from God, to be without anxiety in the midst of anxiety.
As I've read this over and over, I have no doubt that I sometimes struggle with anxiety. I don't like being anxious. I don't like feeling stressed. I agree with Merton that I think some of that we certainly bring on ourselves but the bigger question to me is how do we learn "to be without anxiety in the midst of anxiety?"
Thoughts?
posted by Bryan @ 9:47 PM :: 4 comments
the Psalter I thought it might be helpful for some of you who have the smaller Liturgy of The Hours prayer books, for me to post which week we are in following the Psalter. As far as seasons go, it is the 6th Sunday of Easter. We are starting today, Week 2. You should be able to follow from there.
posted by + Alan @ 7:49 PM :: 0 comments
5.15.2004 I'm On, Too! I'm here. I'm posting. More later.
posted by Matt @ 1:52 PM :: 0 comments
5.14.2004 I'm On! Looks like I can post to the blog! Woo hoo! Get ready for more stuff to come . . .
posted by Bryan @ 6:27 PM :: 1 comments
evolution on the horizon Hey. Since we're back on here I thought I'd lay a few thoughts down about the community I've been having lately. In a few conversations here and there I've said to all of you who are a part of this thing that I feel like, sense, whatever, that there are some evolutionary changes coming soon for Vine & Branches. I think these are going to be good things - things that God will use to help make us more the community He wants us to be - moving closer to the goal of transformation in Him.
Part of it will be a bit of stepping up of what we are already doing as far as liturgy goes. This goes along with the "life of liturgy" thing that I've been talking about. Part of that is me and part of it is this whole community. It's not so much a total shift as it is just "kicking up a notch or two" where we're already headed. Folding into our community life more of the rhythm of the liturgy where we can.
I believe part of it, too, will be just a ramping up of our common "owning" of the vision for vbcc. I do need and want to lead properly and part of that means to listen and then lay out overarching vision for what's going on. But it's not just about me for sure. We all need to walk into it - live in it. All that is just to say sort of taking a step further into what we already are and want to do.
Sooo - this Retreat... I'm still waiting to hear from The Ark in Berea about going there June 11-13 - our original date. It's much closer but a little more expensive than The Close, at $45 a night per person. I'm pretty sure meals are included though. And, they have air conditioning, I think. Let's try hard to all do this thing. Dave and Jody Nixon from Vineyard Central are going to come down and lead this thing for us and bring a couple of the interns that are living in their house. This will be a very cool time.
posted by + Alan @ 9:02 AM :: 0 comments
5.12.2004 meeting on the deck
We had a great time meeting on our deck last night. The vbcc crew hadn't been together like that in a while. We decided to put the deck furniture to work for the community, and perfect weather helped. It was a very good time of hanging out, prayer, and discussion. I can feel more times on the deck to come. I put more photos on my fotopage this morning - check it out.
Part of the Psalm from last night: May the Lord answer in time of trial; may the name of Jacob's God protect you. ... Some trust in chariots or horses, but we in the name of the Lord. They will collapse and fall, but we shall hold and stand firm.
Last night's Reading: Come to the Lord, a living stone, rejected by men but approved, nonetheless, and precious in God's eyes. You too are a living stone, built as an edifice of spirit, into a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. -1 Peter 2:4-5
There was more, but these are a couple of the things that jumped out at us as we prayed the evening prayer last night. Another night of God inhabiting the liturgy for us - the Psalm being perfect for where most of us are at in our lives right now - very encouraging as we read it back and forth to each other. And the big thing in the Reading from 1 Peter that stood out was, "You too are a living stone..." Wow. That's gigantic. We too, like Jesus, are living stones. We are being built into a building of the spirit - to house and show forth the Life and Nature of God on the earth. That's what it's all about - that's the huge thing we're all doing. And it's not necessarily spectacular or visible at all - not in the way we think of things being "visible." It is the regular life we have all been called to live. The real life of the Spirit that was created for us in the beginning. I said at one point last night that my great desire for the community of vine & branches was to see us get the regular, long-haul Spiritual life - that our lives are about this constant transformation in Christ - into who we were created to be. If we get that and live it, that would be so huge. That would be miles beyond even being healed of a disease - it really would.
Oh, and there's that part about, just like Jesus also, "...rejected by men, but approved, nonetheless, and precious in God's eyes." I suppose we should not be surprised about the first part, but also not be so discouraged about it either because of the second part. Good stuff.
posted by + Alan @ 10:39 PM :: 1 comments