WHAT AN ATTITUDE

This is the first of our Summer Series

         FOLLOW THROUGH

                ******

Dear All of Us,

"What an attitude!"

That can be a complaint or a compliment.

That can be a put down or a lift up.

It all depends.

We can have one hell of an attitude.

We can have one wonderful attitude.

Our attitude can be damning.

It can be redeeming.



Attitude is our approach, our stance,

the trajectory, the angle, the tone of our living.



Attitude is our mode, our manner of

              "be" ing.


It's how we come at life 

and how we position as life comes at us.




Get it right and things are just that.

Get it wrong and that's what we get.


Jesus gets it so completely right.

His character, his living, his teaching

speak it, show it.

They model attitude for us.


These  summer weeks 

here at "frankly speaking"

we survey his Soul Share,

his summary teaching,

The Sermon on the Mount,

and how we can 

Follow Through

by living it.




Before getting into specifics, 

Jesus first sets the tone,

the approach, the stance, 

the manner and mode for living

our Follow Through.

In eight different harmonies

he sings his attitudes on being, his 

         BE ATTITUDES.

All eight are pathways to 

bliss, happiness, blessedness.

Each is a perfect fit for walking life's way.

Each is also so counter cultural that they all seem 

to be like going against traffic on a one way street.

Well, that's so.

Just as so, the Be Attitudes reroute, road right us.

They put us on a completely different life trajectory,

give us a totally new mode of "be"ing.

Let's have a look and listen and a living.




     
      BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT,
      FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN




The only way to be filled up is to empty out.



We need to get free from the grip 

of every notion, effort, item, 

person, place or thing  

we count on for basic and ultimate 

security, success, fulfilment.

That leaves nothing, 

making room for everything.

That poverty clears our spirit

for God's fulfillment  -

complete security, 

total success, 

unlimited enrichment -

God based and given.

It means living in the divine zone -

the very kingdom of heaven.


Sure, we buy food, own a car,

enjoy a good show, save for retirement.

They are elements of our giftedness,

not the whole of it, nor our life base.

They are passing immediacies,

part of a whole, 

while not at all the whole.


"Poor in spirit" means 

we do not allow possessions and powers 

to posses primacy of place,

be they emotional, relational, financial, 

intellectual, spiritual, material, 

our talents, capacities or position.

We hold them all appreciatively and lightly,

never trying to parlay them to 

where they can't go nor take us.

We let go pride of place,

ourselves as the center of things

and all our contrivances.

We let go of everyone and everything

we use as our base and surety

and are had and held by God.

This is the hard part and the best part.

Clutching no one nor anything

we are wide open and 

we are ravished in God's Love.


This first Be Attitude is translated 

into contemporary English as:

"You're blessed when you are 

 at the end of your rope. 

 With less of you 

 there is more of God 

 and his rule." 

        The Message



Being poor in spirit is like giving up 

a McDonald's burger and fries

to enjoy a Michelin Three Star dining experience.


God is wildly in love with us.

God wants to sweep us up into 

an ecstatic, passionate divine dance.

We need to make sure there's no clutter

on then dance floor.

Nothing there means everything -

everything out of the way,

everything and infinitely more 

to then be experienced 

in God's passionate embrace.


It's a big day when we trade in 

our security blanket.

That's the day we get wrapped 

into Lovers' Oneness - God


It's an even bigger day,

a life deciding one,

when we resign 

attempting to be 

Number One.

That poverty of position

opens the way to be factored into

 THE INTEGRITY,  THE FULLNESS

          THE ONE GOD

dwelling now in the Kingdom Come

and forever in the Kingdom Coming.



How blessed, blissful, happy 

are we when poor in spirit.

      WHAT AN ATTITUDE


"The Good Lord willing 

and if the creek don't rise...",

more next week on Jesus and his 

     Attitudes on how to Be

             and our 

       Follow Through.



       I pray we all                
           Be Well,

         John Frank

           ******


A SEGGESTION

   David Brooks preached
   an outstanding interpretation of 
   our current cultural context, 
   and what is at issue as we strive to
           FOLLOW THROUGH

   It is an excellent source for 
          PRAYER AND PONDER.

   It is available online at
          Washington National Cathedral
          Sunday, July 5, 2020


A THANKS AND A SUGGESTION

    My dear friend, Phil Russo, shared
             "Gaudete et Exsultate"
   "On the Call To Holiness In Today's World"
    Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis.

    Many thanks to Phil for this gem.
    It is a superb primer for our spiritual lives as we 
              FOLLOW THROUGH
                    so that
    "I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me. "

     It is available online.
     Print copy is published by 
                Pauline
          Books and Media
               BOSTON

       ISBN 10:0-8198-3143-3
               Vatican Translation

                ******
    
   


It's so good to "be" together here

with new folks each week. 

Among many others this week,

we were  blessed with a large showing 

              from Ireland. 

       Welcome to you and all 

     our other new participants.



          "frankly speaking"

      spirituality for the street


- is posted each Thursday 
  before the dinner hour,
  east coast USA time
  johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

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- past postings are available at
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          HAVE A GOOD WEEK

 ___________________________________________________