Dear All of Us,
What the heck was with
that Mr. Murphy?
Whatever possessed him
to make it law that
"Anything that can go wrong
will go wrong"?
For too many, for too long,
it seems Mr. Murphy
was right about wrong.
And they're doggone ticked
about so much wrong
for so long.
They feel trapped.
They're bone tired and
soul weary of
"pan" everything:
- the viral one and our lack
of oneness in getting
at it and free of it
- major league governments
hopelessly mismanaged by
hapless little league coaches
- a climate about to fry us
out of existence
- religious leaders
without much soul -
a blessed exception
being Papa Francesco
- often fouled up efforts
to make right
all sorts of social
and environmental wrongs.
"What's a mother to do?"
and everyone else
as (not so) well.
This morning an email
came from,
let's make it Jack.
He is a treasured friend.
He has depth and breath
of mind and soul.
Jacks' cared some years now
for a disabled family member -
generously sacrificing self.
And he's really heavy laden
these days and nights
with "pan" everything.
In fact, he's more than
a bit had!!
And he's sure not alone!
Like Jack, we want it like it was,
but of course wasn't.
Like Jack we don't like it
as it is, but of course
it is as it is.
Like Jack we are
worn and weary,
but of course there's
no pep pills in easy reach.
Like Jack we are
pretty darn worried
about what's in the works
and fearful it
won't work out well.
This blog is not at all
an attempted at
some sort of spiritual
"Ask Eloise" column
with its sure fire fixes.
But this an effort to spiritually
clarify and encourage,
and that speaking frankly.
So, here are a few tries
at that given the swarm of
PAM DAMM IT
CONTEXT:
We're active participants
in creation and all its
progressive goodness.
Yet there is sand in the gears.
The Judeo Christian
sense of that is right there
in the get go book of Genesis,
and of our "genesis" with its
early on screw up - to wit,
the first family of the day-
Adam, Eve, their murdered
and murderer sons.
The story doesn't solve things,
doesn't eliminate
the sand in the gears.
But at least it pegs the problem
with a painfully clear metaphor.
A Group Downer early on.
"Apples, apples, we all fall down!"
NAME IT - SOUND OFF:
No avoidance maneuvers.
No faux "Nice Nice" coating
of a bitter pill.
Things stink,
say so and make
some noise about it.
It's called Lamentations.
The ancient Jews turned to
that chapter of the prayer book
with great regularity,
crying out loud and clear
to Yahweh.
Jew Jesus in the
Garden of Gethsemane:
"This sorrow is crushing
the life out of me...
My Father, if there is any way,
get me out of this.
But please, not what I want.
You, what do you want?"
Jew Jesus on the cross:
"My God, my God,
why have you abandoned me?"
Pain pleas specific,
loud and clear.
Matthew 26:39
Matthew 27:46
The Message
translation
MOCK THE HELL OUT OF IT
ON YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN:
One of the seminaries
I attended was a
magnificent structure
in a marvelous setting.
The accommodations
were superlative -
meals to write home about
and linen settings to boot.
Top drawer and name theologians.
AND
the hate and meanness level
in the place was a 9.9
on a rickety scale of
missed Christian actuality.
Rather than go mad,
a few of us planned
and pulled pranks
on the faculty
and the leading
hot shot seminarians
(and we never
got caught
but once).
We also broke the rules
and after The Grand Silence
set in we set out for nightly,
clandestine sessions
complete with blacked out
windows and transept.
Sipping cokes, we spent
an hour mocking
the living hell out of
the madness and
meanness of the day,
muffling our laughs
so as not to get caught
and thrown out.
We ended in prayer
for us and for all, prayer
for healing and strength.
So, frequently get with
some soul friends,
switch out the cokes
for a good wine
and have to!!
Tough times are telling us,
despite the advertising,
there's no such thing as
an "ouchless band aid,"
and despite our longing,
there's no such thing as
a pain free life.
This was recently underscored
for me with the arrival of
Ollie The Younger.
Or daughter and
son-in-law went through
great pain to birth
a beautify life.
Such is life.
With you
in pain
and
in joy.
John Frank
******
PS
The Bishop caught wind
of the madness and
the meanness at that
posh, hell hole seminary.
He transferred our
little survival group
to other seminaries.
I was priviledged
to be placed at
Catholic University
in Washington, DC.-
a great place to be.
PSS
Please consider time and spirit
with the scriptures that follow.
They tell it like it is
and as it will be.
"See" what The Spirit "Says"
to your deep down and
to your right now.
Take some notes and share
with Soul Friends
over a glass or two
of inspirited fruit of the vine.
TO HEAR AND TO PRAY
"God keeps an eye
on his friends,
his ears pick up
every moan and groan...
Is anyone crying for help?
God is listening,
ready to rescue you.
If your heart is broken,
you'll find God right there;
if you're kicked in the gut,
he'll help you
catch your breath.
Disciples so often
get into trouble; still,
God is there every time."
Psalm 34: 15-19
The Message
translation
"Or do you not know that
all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus
have been baptized
into His death?
Therefore we have been
buried with Him through
baptism into death,
so that as Christ was
raised from the dead
through the glory
of the Father,
so we too might walk
in newness of life.
For if we have been
united with Him
in the likeness
of His death,
certainly we shall
also be in the likeness
of His resurrection."
Romans 6:3-5
"When a woman gives birth,
she has a hard time of it,
there's no getting around it.
But when the baby is born,
there is joy in the birth.
This new life in the world
wipes out memory of the pain.
The sadness you have
right now is similar
to that pain,
but the coming joy
is also similar.
When I see you again,
you'll be full of joy,
and it will be a joy
no one can rob from you.
you'll no longer be
so full of questions."
Jesus
John 16:21-23
The Message
translation
"That's why I don't think
there's any comparison
between the present
hard times and the
coming good times.
The created world itself
can hardly wait for
what's coming next.
Everything in creation
is being more or less
held back.
God reins it in until
both creation and all
creatures are ready
and can be released
at the same moment into
the glorious times ahead.
Meanwhile the joyous
anticipation deepens.
All around we observe
a pregnant creation.
The difficult times of pain
throughout the world are
simply birth pains....
Meanwhile, the moment
we get tired in the waiting,
God's Spirit is
right alongside
helping us along."
Romans 8:18-26
The Message
translation
"So let's not allow ourselves
to get fatigued doing good.
A the right time we
will harvest a good crop
if we don't give up, or quite.
Right now, therefore,
every time we get the chance,
let us work for the benefit of all,
starting with the people closest
to us in the community of faith."
("So, frequently get with
some soul friends...
for good wine and have to!!")
Galatians 6:9-10
The Message
translation
******
It's so good to have new folks
join in here each week.
It's so good to have wonderful
regular folks here each week.
Welcome One and Many
A special
Hi Five
to our long time members
from Germany
"frankly speaking"
spirituality for the street
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******
Jesus invites a trust walk right into
THE KINGDOM
Let's help each other
"Get GO"
******
