BEFORE WE GET STARTED
If you have time this week
please scroll down past
KEEP IT SIMPLE,
which follows here,
or go to Blog Archive
to the right here for
Thursday, FEBRUARY 18, 2021
and take a little
time and soul with
GOD SUNG.
It flowed from my heart.
I would love to share it with you.
I pray it will encourage your heart.
Thanks!
John Frank
Dear All of Us,
How about that Marie Kondo.
She's piled up a lot of
"do ray me"
by showing people
how to throw out much
of what they've piled up
in their living space.
Marie is the diminutive
Japanese hostess of
"Tidying Up"
It's on Netflix and her
KonMari Method
counsels us to simplify,
to keep only those things
that speak to the heart,
and discard what
no longer sparks joy.
Great way to "tidy up" the house.
Great way to "tidy up" the heart.
Great way to "tidy up" the spirit this Lent.
Almost seems that
Marie has checked out
The Sermon On The Mount.
All through it Jesus counsels us
to keep only those things
that speak and spark
joy to the heart -
God's and ours.
He tells us to clean house spiritually,
get ride of what clutters and confines,
clear out the stuff that
piles up and keeps us down,
clean out much to open up for more
SoulSpace
for free and full living.
Again and again and always
Jesus simply tells us to go
to our very center, see and accept
God's presence and embrace there,
return the embrace to the GodLove
who causes us to be and invites us
in on shared divine life and creativity.
Jesus shows us how crucial it is
to get ride of the stuff
that junks up and jinxes us,
so we are clear and clean
for unencumbered living
in God's Love.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
The traditional disciplines
of Lent are
- prayer
- fasting
- almsgiving
In The Sermon On The Mount
Matthew 6:1-18
Jesus tells us to keep them simple.
Unload self serving show.
Deep Six any grand standing at
showy almsgiving,
pompous prayer,
flashy fasting.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
There are some pretty popular
and sneaky ways of doing
just the opposite, though.
We need to watch out for them,
clear them out:
-pledging a bunch at church
or charity and making sure
the powers that be
and as many members as possible hear of it
-being ever so "fetching" and current,
sharing to show off
at spirituality groups,
wrapping in the latest
spiritually fashionable words
and references
-running on when giving
an opening prayer,
dressing it up to be socially,
politically correct and preferred
-ever so subtly calling attention
to the wonders fasting has done
for our spiritual physique and fitness.
-in church groups,
strutting our stuff -
our so wonderous insights
and mystical moments and musing.
It's all too much show and tell
with not much soul to show or tell.
Jesus says forget playing to the crowd.
God wants intimacy, simplicity in our
-prayer
-fasting
-almsgiving
They are meant to be
"GOD US"
living out our deep union.
Be discreet.
Otherwise it's as inappropriate
as someone sharing details
of their marital love making.
I've often visited Pleasant Hill,
The Shaker Village in Kentucky.
It's a place and experience
of beautiful, simple spirituality.
You see it.
You feel it.
It's in the Shaker architecture,
clothing, furniture, tools, farming,
weaving, life style, heritage.
It's in their hymn,
one to often SoulSing
Tis the Gift To Be Simple
'Tis the gift to be simple,
'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down
where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves
in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley
of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and bend
we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning
we come 'round right.
To be simple is to be uncluttered,
free of false self and self promoting,
to be light and open.
It's to be ready for God,
because as Thomas Aquinas put it,
"Deus est simplex."
"God is simple"
so simply One there are no moving parts,
The Oneness of Love That Is God.
We meet and merge
in simple, pure intimacy.
Tis the Gift to be Simple.
Simply yours,
John Frank
******
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spirituality for the street
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