Wednesday, December 28, 2022

GIVE IT UP

Dear All of Us,

Now, I have a friend 

who can talk people into anything. 

He could sell folks the socks 

they've been wearing for a week

at twice what they paid for them

while the socks are still on their feet!


That's a feat not for me.

Yet, I want to talk us all 

into something way harder

and I sure don't know how.

         So, let's let 

         The Spirit 

         do the sell.

      

Here comes a spank'n brand

            New Year

Another shot at getting things 

          Bright Right

        A good time for

       a refresh, a reset.


  How's that for a lead into a

   A New Year's Resolution?


       Now the hard part.

              "THE"

               best 

resolution, refresh and reset 

              for our

             New Now

           is to actually, 

            practically.

         really, radically,

               totally,

       for sure and forever 

           "Give It UP"

             Surrender

  every bit and all of ourselves 

                  to 

                 God.


Phew!

There! 

I said it!

Now, let's do it!


If we clutch what we think 

we are and have,

in no time 

time will rip them away.

We were created by

    Infinitely More 

           for

    Infinitely More

     If we lighten 

          UP

    "Give It UP"

          to 

 The Infinitely More

 The Limitless Good

         God

  we're wrapped in,

  God Good To Go.


The flip here is that this 

        Surrender

   is the opposite of 

   our fear of surrendering,

   our fear of losing,

   our fear of being had.


          When we 

         Give It Up 

              to 

            God

     We lose illusion.

     We gain inclusion.

  

The word surrender says itself

           so ever well:

    (L) rendere = give back, return

    (L) sur = over

We "give back" 

we "hand over" to God 

who and how we are, 

what we have.

We Trade Up 

the starter kit

God gave us

at our beginning

rather than  

staying starter,

trying to go it 

on our own alone

and be hellishly 

isolated and minimal.

We accept the invitation

to union and fullness.

We embrace 

The Goodness

that embraced us 

into being.

It's a Love Wrap.

We are divinized!

"The sky is limitless."


It's like investing 

our little piggy bank

in Warren Buffet's portfolio,

and doing that 

times beyond number

over the span of our years.

Fully invested,

completely incorporated,

full folded in,

we do God's will 

God's way.

We're UP for it.

We're life enriched

and life enriching.


    The Wonderful Way

           of it all

         is shared 

       in the living 

         and the 

       Living Word 

        of Jesus. 

His Promised Present Spirit

  guides, energizes us

        

Every day, all day,

Everywhere

Always,

All ways.

          It's not

 "What would Jesus do?"

            but

   what will Jesus do 

    in and through

us in our here and now?

   For us as for Paul:

   "I live now not I,

 but Christ lives in me."

    Galatians 2:20

    

May it be so for each of us.

May it be so for us 

gathered as church.


       "Give It Up"

     and UP we'll be.


         HAPPY

       NEW NOW

     Your brother,

      John Frank

        ******

                2023

           Good Wishes

                 and 

             Welcome

               as we 

   from many lands and ways 

     come together here at

        frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


             BEST DELIVERY

                   Email

            Delivered Fridays

  Sign Up top right online posting


          PAST FIVE POSTINGS

Scroll down below the current posting


             ONLINE POSTING

               Wednesdays

               By mid-day

          East Coast USA time

                  ******

             We Surrender 

           as lovers do unto 

                 Oneness.


          See you all next week

             indeed next year, 

           would you believe

              already yet?!

                ******






.





      


Wednesday, December 21, 2022

LOVE ABORNS


 CHRISTMAS

     2022


Dear All of Us,

Love doesn't wait 

for some sort of 

just fine time,

for some sort of 

just right setting,

to come alive.

Love is way 

too vigorous 

for that.


Love came alive 

two thousand years ago

in the midst of horrid 

corruption, chaos and conflict 

in occupied Israel.

Love is coming alive right now

in the midst of horrid

corruption, chaos, conflict

in our distressed time and place.


Love doesn't duck or defer.

Love is way too vigorous for that.


     Love aborned in Jesus.

     Love aborns in us.


        Thank God 

            for

    Vigorous Lovers.

  It's so darn divine!!

        ******


          This was under 

       The Christmas Tree

           

            For: You 

            From: John Frank

                With Love

             Christmas 2022

           

           

       HIGH HOPES

Dreary dark

      inside out

Weary worn world

      wronged wronging

      chilled still unreal

Pain puzzled people

      long looking hope

      there then

      as here now


Look lowest for

      Hope Highest

           Look

Down backest of back streets

Down lonely lanes of 

       nobodies of no account

There through dreary dark

            Dawns

        Baby Sparked 

        Hope Highest

        wrong righted real

The Son in a ray human

        Flesh to flash fire free

Weary worn world warmed

            Son Bright

Look low

Look down lonely lanes of

           nobodies of no account

 Right there here now 

          aborns 

      HIGH HOPES

             ******

             


    

    



Wednesday, December 14, 2022

PRESENCE AND PRESENT

Dear All of Us,

You know what?

If I were preaching these days, 

I'd hurry up and give

a happy little sermon 

     - Come on now!   

       I'm short and I'm happy.

       My sermons can be too! -

a happy, little sermon about how 

God just can't sit still.

Yep, God is flat out

turned on and up,

too excited

to call a time out,

to sit it out a bit 

and chill.

God's having a ball.

We call it creation.

It never stops.

It just gets better and better. 

It's full torque, high frequency,

          a blessed blast.

God keeps finding wonderful ways 

             to share

     Who and How God is. 

          


            Speaking of 

                "is" 

          please pardon 

       a touch of theology.

              It's this.

     God is "IS" ness Itself  

        (ex -"IS"- tense)

               and 

      God "is" sharing it 

   widely, wildly, joyously, 

   imaginatively, variously,

           uniquely. 

            Every 

    person, place, planet, 

       proton, protein,

   puppy to professional

               ALL

              "IS"

  a presence and present 

            of the 

      LOVE and LIFE

        GOODNESS

            that 

            "IS"

            GOD


On top of all these marvels

is the joy that God is no loner.

God wants company.

God wants us up front, in tight.

God wants us in on the 

     Swirl and Sway

         of it all.

We are a presence of God 

   that presences God

   and God's presents

        to others.

       God asks us 

to pray/play it forward.

      We've all got 

 varied and vigorous

   gifts and graces

 received from God

   to lavishly give 

      to others as

      God Gifts.

  They make God 

  clear, immediate -

Presence and Present. 

Everything about us 

      is in on it:

all our actions and reactions,

the way we walk and talk,

the way we cook and drive,

what we ware and 

how we share,

how we listen and 

how we respond,

how we bond and blend,

how we invest and divest,

how we react to privilege 

how we react to pain,

how we enliven,

how we pause and 

how we pray,

how we "all and everything."

We are invited to be a 

 Presence and Present 

        of God 

  "I live now not I, 

 but Christ lives in me."

   Galatians 2:20

"Serve one another 

with whatever gift 

each of you has received." 

      1 Perer 4:10


Each of us is one of a kind.

God wants to shine out 

from our centers

in all the hues and tones 

of our God given uniqueness.

That will vary as we mature 

and as our circumstances do.

There's a time to be out and about.

There's a time to be mellow mild.


A minor league metaphor:

We are like conduits 

through which the electricity,

the Grace, the Energy, 

the Goodness, 

the Power of God pulsates

energizing, empowering,

      enlightening.


If you can stand it,

one more minor league 

metaphor, well ok,

a Little League one:

We let God be local -

   a personalized

Presence and Present

    through us.


             In a word

    -why didn't I think of this 

         in the first place?? -

wherever we are, however we are,

    God is busy being beautiful,

     being creative, a positive

        presence and present

            to that space.

God is a light that wants to shine 

      in us and through us

 "I am the light of the world."

             John 12:8

 "You are the light of the world"

           Matthew 5:14


Well, I'm not preaching these days,

but I sure am happy we could 

            Soul Huddle

              just now

   God's got lots to be and do

              for us

               and 

           through us -

         a truly divine

    Presence and Present


         Love to us all

         from here in 

       Washington, DC

         John Frank

           ******


A Spiritual Best Practice:

When we slow down,

Settle Center,

Soul Sense,

we survey the 

people and places,

ways and wonders 

by which God

presences and presents us.

We then do the same as we

      Soul Sense 

how God is present 

and presents to others

through us.

We let warm gratitude

flood our Centers.

We praise Goodness.

We pray for a lover's 

wide openness.

Let The Son shine!

    ******


It's a surprise 

and joy each week

to see that new folks from 

here, there and everywhere

join in with us here.

            WELCOME

                 to

        frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


         BEST DELIVERY

               Email

           Every Friday

             Sign Up 

    top right online posting


      PAST FIVE POSTINGS

     Just scroll down below 

         current posting


       ONLINE POSTING

       Each Wednesday

       By mid-day

       East Coast USA time


      A word of thanks to

         Nick Minnick

      for his continuing 

         tech support -

        freely given, 

      much appreciated!


Thanks, also, to everyone 

     who is sharing 

   "frankly speaking" 

      with others.

   You are a big help!

Thanks to you, there has been

  a significant increase of 

       new folks here

   in the last few weeks.


  See you all next week.

          ******

     








  












 





 

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

DIFFERENCE


Dear All of Us,

Your grandchild showed up for

Thanksgiving dinner 

with florescent orange hair.

The neighborhood crank 

throws a block party,

everybody welcome,

everything covered.

The pastor gives 

a super sermon 

in under ten minutes.

Fun examples of

  "Well, that's different!"

And it is. 

And it has a bunch of cousins!

And they pop up all over the place.

Some easy does it.

Some tough as nails.

Lots of them, lots of times.


At the deepest level

      Difference 

is a dynamic of creation.


Simple example - our legs.

They sure are different.

Their difference means 

we get to dance,

and stand, and move,

and run and lift.

   A wonderful

   Difference


Difference gives 

dexterity to life.

Difference shows us 

endless views and angles 

on what is and as is.

Different tonalities of 

understanding and feeling

sound ranges of reality for us.

Different shades of enlightenment

color our sight inward and outward.

Different traditions, politics, 

religions, sexualities, ethnicities, 

customs, arts, ideologies, languages,

landscapes majestically different - 

geographic, ideological, 

societal, spiritual.

- each speak a spark of 

      what is, how is

   and they all do that 

 in their different ways.

      It's like our 

 ten different fingers.

Their difference helps us 

       get a grip.

So difference does 

for us in life.

Hydrogen and oxygen 

are quite different.

When they share 

their differences 

we are life sustained.

We come in all sizes, shapes,

sorts of souls, personalities, 

traits and ways - 

marvelous differences.

Difference - a dynamic of creation.


Difference isn't dangerous 

unless we deny it's goodness 

and damage it.

Sad to see and say, 

such is so and 

too much so just now.

Yet, very much in the mix 

are the embrace and blessing 

of complementing differences.


Look at all the differences 

surfaced in the span 

of our three generations 

these days

 -  young, adult, aged -

Since the Second World War

       (my childhood)

The Marshall Plan in Europe.

The benefit of an

expanded middle class

with the G.I Bill and college, 

Levittown's with 

a Chevy in every driveway.

A narrow sector of vast wealth

for the privileged few. 

Both booms somewhat, if not more,

at the expanse of a vast class (caste)

of not so camouflaged 

enslaved workers world-wide, 

suffering grinding poverty

(as they make our pajamas 

       in Bangladesh).

        Differences 

Some life enhancing.

Some deadly because 

they twist their good wrong.

    

      Differences

Women's rights 

honored and denied.

Social stretches struggling 

to make a difference

for racial justice,

to understand and integrate 

a more differentiated landscape 

of sexual understanding,  

living and loving.

A liberalizing of law and social norm.

A Media Sunami flooding communication,

a difference distracting and conflictual

and yet opening positive connections

(e.g. the media that connects us here).

The diluting of truth - a terrifying, 

destructive, deadly difference.

The Common Good regularly relativized 

to chaotic individualism.

Religion in the comfortable pew

shown to be more ritual than real,

more a belonging station

than a Beloved Community 

and now largely rejected.

Giant leaps in science, 

space exploration and travel,

in medicine, many making 

significant differences 

for shared good.

Capital stormed, democracy damaged,

Education confused and confusing.

Domestic and foreign terrorism.

Instead of "A chicken in every pot,"

a gun in every other hand.

Wars world-wide and widening

in the shadow of possible

nuclear incineration. 

Lies used to claim lies 

that don't exist.

The land raped and yet 

a growing therapy of Earth Care.

The atmosphere poisoned,

some alarm at Climate Change

with movements to modify.

A surge in spiritual seeking.

And so much more..!!!


The whole era 

from my childhood to that 

of my Grand Son, 

Ollie the Younger,

has experienced

seismic differences,

a lot of good, 

a lot of damage.

It's like a societal rubber band

stretched and stretched by

decades of decided differences

and now snapping in contraction.

Less and less stretch.

Difference Fatigue and Fear.

Difference Dunning.

Fearful folks cluster in 

ideological, excluding, communities 

locking out difference and other.

That's so dangerous.

It amputates wholesale sectors 

of human excellence 

in their wondrous variety 

of differences.

In difference denied, 

fullness and communion are aborted.


What can we do?

Well, here are a few things 

I find positive and practical.

Perhaps they might 

prime some pumps.


Being basically 

progressive traditionalist,

I make it a point to mix it up 

with associates and friends 

definitely different than I am,

ones far to the left 

and far to the right

of where and how I am.

We need each other 

to balance out right and stable.

We all have different instruments 

to play in the Symphony of Society.

There's no such thing as 

a solo symphony.

I read and watch documentaries

about people and groups 

quite different than I am.

They have parts of the story to tell 

that I haven't head yet.

I hold in loving prayer 

people and groups 

who are twisting 

difference destructive.

I try to model openness 

and respect for the

wondrous differences all about,

the many fibers in the fabric of Us.

In younger days, 

I hosted dinners of opposites 

- people of different religions or none,

conservatives and liberals -

just to enjoy meals, 

get acquainted, 

talk shared interests - 

kids, sports, movies, music.

If the group clicked after a time, 

I invited us all to invest 

time and sweat together

on some Saturdays working at 

Habitat for Humanity.

After a good while, 

when we were safe enough, 

we shared our deeper 

and different selves.

I arranged a Speaker Series locally

always focusing on the positive, 

what we had and valued in common 

and only later delved into 

our different persuasions, religions, 

customs and even later 

our fears and concerns.

There were shared prayer groups,

sacred scripture studies,

visits to each other's spiritual services.

We were different and 

we were complimentary to closeness.


Differences don't divide.

They expand and unite.

God has lots of different ways 

to be present, inviting, 

creative and unitive.

Rather than running away,

locking out, or destroying,

embrace of other makes

        A WORLD

            OF

      DIFFERENCE

     

     Your brother,

     John Frank

       ******


   Please be sure to see

   WHILE WE'RE AT IT

below the last of this posting.

            Thanks!!



  A Warm Welcome 

       To Us All

     Interestingly, 

today as I write this 

we are gathered here from

Australia, Canada, 

Germany, Netherlands, 

Singapore and the USA.

It varies from day to day,

   always, though, a 

Blessing of Difference

        ******

    "This just in!"

 For the first time 

 we were just joined 

 by folks from Hungry.

      WELCOME

  We are blessed!!

       ******

      frankly speaking

  spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

              

       BEST DELIVERY

            Email

       Arrives Fridays

          Sign Up: 

  top right online format


   PAST FIVE POSTINGS

    Scroll down through  

     the online posting


       ONLINE POSTING

        Wednesdays

        By mid-day

   East Coast USA time

          ******

 Please consider sharing

     frankly speaking

   with family, friends, 

      colleagues, 

  fellow congregants.

     It's the only 

advertising affordable 

      given the 

non-existent budget 

       here!!

      Thanks

      ******


         "WHILE WE'RE AT IT"

A while back I experienced a surge of

             rampant aging

  and shared that these sharing's

       might need to be a touch 

       less frequent and briefer.

       Well, we haven't missed 

          a week of postings 

  and some of them are decidedly 

          not all that brief -

     this one a prime example.

        While my body slows 

         my mind and spirit

           can still outrun 

   anyone in the neighborhood.

                     SO

         this happy old man 

     will give you what I've got.

 That will be the long and short of it.

    Thanks for your patience 

   while I learn how to be old.

          Love you all


       Looking forward to 

       our time together 

       here next week.

           ******









           



 




 












Wednesday, November 30, 2022

AD RANDOM

    

Dear All of Us,

Some random reflections.

Let's pray - muse together,

no hurry, prayerful pondering,

    open to free, freeing

          Spirit Sight.

            ******


Doctrines, dogmas, 

creeds, catechisms

tell us what to see.


Mysticism shows 

us how to see.


Doctrines, dogmas,

creeds, catechisms

are somebody's 

frozen concepts

about what is -

idea knowing.


Mysticism is

participation in

what is -

a lived, 

dynamic knowing.


Sex manuals tell us 

about love making.


Love making 

is getting lost

in love -

a dynamic,  

love lived knowing


BIG DIFFERENCE!!


Mysticism is 

getting lost in

  The Love 

 That Is God

 right where 

   we are, 

  as we are 

bills, dishes, job, 

relatives, talents, 

weaknesses,

gifts and graces,

"Sweet Sweaty Real"

 lost in living Love - 

   "God is love."

    1 John 4:8

    ******


Love is being present to 

the innermost of the other. 


Relating surface to surface

is limited, limiting and lonely.


Relating center to center

is unitive, intimate -

altogether divine.

   

   "Abide in me 

 as I abide in you."

     John 15: 4

       ******


We pray with 

words and ideas 

to get started.

They are like 

a booster rocket.

Once in orbit,

words and ideas

drop off

in favor of 

the vastness of

Spirit Space.

   ******


Creation is the 

passionate evolution, 

the joyous unfolding 

of Love Intoxicated

    Goodness

     ******


I'm not sure of who said it,

I am sure of what was said:

the second coming is 

the rest of history.

                   ******


Expanding Consciousness


As Mother God nurtures us,

grows us fuller and freer,

we see and sense 

more and more 

the wonders 

of our home

here in Creation.

Just a bit ago

we reckoned there were 

six stars in the galaxy 

for each one of us.

Now we know there are 

at least six galaxies

for each one of us. 

As my year and a half old 

Grand Son, Ollie the Younger, 

says

  "Wowwwww!

Wonder to behold.

Wonder to be held.

       ******


Thanks for letting me share. 

These reflections are freely,

 and I pray freeingly, 

         random.

There is nothing random, 

         though,

about my love for you.

     It's centered, 

  deep and constant.

     Your Brother

      John Frank

         ******


      frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfranshares.blogspot.com


         BEST DELIVERY

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  By mid-day Wednesdays

    East Couse USA time

            ******


      Just about every 

    church and charity 

           in town 

       right now are

     pitching pledges 

            and 

      contributions

.

Well, hang on to your money, 

        but if you can, 

        gave a hand,

        by letting 

        others folks 

        know about

     frankly speaking.

  That would be great

 and greatly appreciated.

         Thanks

          ******

      

    MORE THANKS

  Like so many of us,

I am deeply grateful for 

      Richard Rohr.

    Over the years 

I have enjoyed and valued 

       a number of 

personal contacts with him.

His insights and sharings

have often been the stimulus

for my reflection and sharing here.

Just this week the lead pierce 

about mysticism is an example.


Richard has stepped back 

from leadership at the 

      The Center for 

Action and Contemplation

due to age and health.

Let's hold him in love and prayer.

A little note of care and support

sure would be a blessed gift

and lift.

          Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM

The Center For Action And Contemplation

      1705 Five Points Road, SW

      Albuquerque, NM 87105

            ******

      Looking forward 

  to seeing you next week.

            ******

 








 



Wednesday, November 23, 2022

GIFTING


Dear All of Us, 

Here abouts,

as it gets 

darker and darker 

this time of year, 

things lighten 

and brighten

with the advent 

of a radiant trinity: 

   Thanksgiving

   Christmas 

   New Years


  Winter Lights

for delightful sure.


It's a festival of

   GIFTING

in three parts;

a Thanksgiving for

all the gifts 

we are and have,

a celebration of 

God Gift Christ,

a birthday party

for the gift of 

a fresh start,

a new way to count 

the living of our days.


All the fun and food,

presents and presence's

spin us spiritual.

We receive gift,

we give gift

and all of it 

in gratitude.

We're actively in on

   Inebriated Love's 

Cosmic Creation Bash,

    an effusion of 

 dynamic aliveness

 splendidly spiraling 

   a divine largess.


The Lights of Winter

illuminate any dull dark 

    that threatens

       GIFTING

Brightly about us 

we see and celebrate the

God Good Experience that

      GIVEN WE GIVE

The gift you have been given

        give as a gift.

       Paraphrase of

       1 Perer 4:11


God Gift enlivens us

so much so that 

we just can't keep it 

to ourselves,

so much so that 

we become 

the gift we give.

It's win-win

wondrously wild.


All we are and have is gift.

We live our gratitude by 

        GIFTING


     Time to turn up the 

         Winter Lights


   Blessings this triduum 

               of 

       Divine Largess

      Gratefully yours,

          John Frank

           ******


    Bright Good Wishes 

             and 

      Welcome to All


      frankly speaking

 spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com 


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      Please help share

      frankly speaking

     by passing it on to

 family, friends, colleagues

            Thanks


             Enjoy!

        Our holidays 

     are such wonderful 

          holydays,

      "Whole"lydays"


    See you next week

           ******