THE REAL PRESENCE

 

Dear All of Us,

Come on!!

Let's go!!

It's party time!!

What a blast!!

     AND

 What a host!!

It's everywhere and always.

It's a themed party called

           Creation

 The Delighted Creator 

       is wilding away,

    having a heaven of a 

          God Time

         sharing Self 

 here, there, everywhere, 

     this way and that.

The purpose and plan is 

        to presence 

         God Good 

          lavishly, 

   variously, vigorously,

    happily, beautifully.

THE REAL PRESENCE 

is a lot more than bread 

in a church lockbox.

    The real deal,

THE REAL PRESENCE

           is 

    GOD GOOD

in wind and water,

truth and justice,

a newborn, 

a long ago born,

in the Eucharist,

in poetry and prose,

in love making,

a Pieta and a pizza,

skinny dipping,

singing and symphony,

the James Webb Telescope,

raising kids,

raising heaven 

at a block party,

hopefully in writing 

and reading this.

      GOD GOOD

invites us into the fun,

the cosmic romp, 

of this creative wilding.

We plain prosper 

when we are all in.

We people presence

THE REAL PRESENCE

           of 

     GOD GOOD

be we tall, short, 

introvert, extrovert, 

nurd, nun, notable, notary,

programmer, gardener, chef,

friend, stone mason, curator,

funny, serious, sometimes both,

       all the time by

     who, how, where 

       we really are

    and are becoming.

There's wonderful music 

in all this.

Creation is more than 

a monotonous few 

notes of noise.

It's a grand, gracious, 

spacious symphony.

Yet, there are those 

who direct us to voice 

only their self-appointed,

limited and limiting notations

of meaning, purpose, reality.

They demand and direct 

from their perch podium -

the media and market, 

social register, 

company policy,

social class,

approved protocols,

the local pecking order.

We are directed to  

Buy this. Drive that.

Live there.  Ware what 

we deem and design 

as correct/acceptable.

Do this.  Don't do that.

It's so sad sick!

An aborted symphony.

Disconnect, discord,

damnable dissonance.

Dulls the party!!

They try to fashion reality 

by their fictions and fashions.

They want to dictate and direct

the purpose and plan of things.

They're not up to it.

We need to not fall for it.

To switch metaphors,

what they do is like 

trying to put 

a contraceptive on

creativity and creation itself.

              

God Good wants to 

people presence 

and prosper extravagantly, 

uniquely, surprisingly,

make lots of music 

lots of lots of ways.

It's a symphony with 

ever more movements,

tones and tempos.

     A word about 

        "where"

We people presence

      God Good

    in all kinds of 

      "wheres" 

our place, position, 

problems, possibilities,

stages and states of life.

Our "where's" change and 

we change with them so

       God Good 

       presences 

through us where and as

we really are:

single, young marrieds,

in the mid-years, retiring,

gay, straight, living in the

city, country, suburb, 

sick, healthy,

liberal, conservative,

unemployed, well off. 

   God Good 

counts on us to

   "Be there"

so she/he is there 

in our "where"

        

God Good doesn't need 

another of already.

We all are uniquely 

one of a kind in

temperament, talents,

physique, graces, gifts.

     God Good 

counts on us to be

who and how,

we really are, 

self-special, dear delightful.

 

We all blend, complement, 

tone, harmonize as the 

creation symphony 

surges forth unendingly 

varied and fuller.

We breakdance wildly,

without break at this party!

          

          We are 

vigorous and vital elements 

in the cosmic blast of

        God Good

aborning, abounding

in puppies, oceans, farms,

scientific quest, friendships,

sun ups and sets, and 

so stunningly special

in us and all that is 

and is evolving.

In our own way 

and place 

we all host a

       COSMIC 

 HOLY COMMUNION

           in

THE REAL PRESENCE

Delighted to come alive, commune, 

"make a joyful noise unto the Lord,"

party and presence 

with you.

          John Frank

           ******

        WELCOME ALL

      Come as you are

            here at

      frankly speaking

 spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

(Click top left frankly speaking)

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  "You're one of a kind."

    That's just the way

       God Good

         likes it

THE REAL PRESENCE

and what a gift to us all.

          ******

A Shout Out to all workers

in the USA and Worldwide

this Labor Day Weekend.

Thanks for all you do!

See you next week!

          ******

  

  

   

   

SILENT SACRED

Dear All of Us,

Life sure is full 

of opposites 

that aren't. 

For example, 

sometimes restriction 

opens things up.

That was so especially true

a cultural notch or two back.

For instance, there was 

a restrictive insistence on

           QUIET

a semi-sacred silence,

a restriction that opened 

to a freeing fullness.

Going to visit in the hospital 

we were met by a pictured 

white capped-clad, 

starched stiff nurse, 

and if needs be, 

by one in person

insisting on

           "QUIET"

That restriction opened up

a calmed gentle space for both

patient recovery and visitation.

The same was so when 

I was a teen visiting our 

public library in Montclair, NJ.

           "QUIET"

was required and opened

space and place 

for undistracted focus.

That restriction open for me

the sacred as I got lost

in the stacks reading 

Thomas Merton.

In the novitiate and seminary, 

it was 

         Silentium Magnum

from night prayer to after breakfast.

It invited expansive freeing into the

           Silent Sacred

Many, well ok, 

most of us today 

live in agitated noise 

outside and inside.

We are spun out, 

noised in and out.

How about we restrict

some of that so we are

opened up, freed up, 

calmed down for the

  SACRED SILENT

It comes 

highly recommended.

Let's take time here.

Let's paradoxically 

"hear" about silence 

and how it "speaks" 

to the particulars of 

our deepest self and 

how inviting, opening to 

 THE SILENT SACRED

    it is and offers.

      What does 

   The Spirit Speak

        to our 

     Soul Center

- "In silence God ceases 

   to be an object and 

   becomes an experience."

       Thomas Merton

- "Silence isn't shutting up.

   It's opening up."

          John Frank

- "Silence is the language of God, 

    all else is poor translation."

               Rumi

- " In the silence of LOVE

    you will find the spark of LIFE."

                Rumi

- "Be still and know that I am God."

             Psalm 46:10

Our circumstances vary:

raising kids, paying the mortgage,

getting spun out in mid-life,

sorting sexuality,

being slowed down on our way 

to the stop and start fresh of death,

struggling for social and 

ecological justice.

We can be in them 

and go beyond them

into the deep, 

dear depths of the

 SILENT SACRED 

and deep in encounter

        with 

   GOD GOOD

May we take time 

and give preference

to place and way

so we can turn off 

the surround sound 

that numbs head and heart.

If it helps, let's consider,

let's personalize 

and "practicalize"

the wisdom shared in the

      Ponder Prayer

      that follows.

           Let's 

       "Hush Up" 

       so we can

      "Listen Up"

        in the

  SILENT SACRED 

Quietly beside you,

    John Frank

      ******

          PONDER PRAYER

            Seeking the 

         SILENT SACRED, 

        we listen to Jesus:

   "Here's what I want you to do: 

    find a quiet, secluded place 

    so you won't be tempted 

    to role-play before God. 

    Just be there as 

    simply and honestly 

    as you can manage. 

    The focus will shift 

    from you to God, 

    and you will begin 

    to sense his grace."

       Matthew 6:6

       The Message

In that place and way 

Silence frees us Sacred.

We hear and see

   God Good

at the center 

of who we are.

We sense a solidarity

that goes beyond 

concept or word,

a oneness with 

The One of All

    That Is

We are held 

tenderly close,

   merged.

It's like the 

quiet union 

after love making, 

only indescribably deeper. 

So centered, we notice

      God Good

at the center of all else

and flowering forth:

the marvelous 

intricacy and coloration 

of a summer azalea

the pump of a seven year old

scoring a first ever homerun

the transparent communion

of Salvador Dali's 

The Sacrament of the Last Supper

the mystical stillness 

of an English meadow

the majesty and wonder 

of images from the 

James Webb Telescope

the rich mellow transport 

of a robust red

Silence is stillness enough to see.

         Other seers say the

            Silent Sacred:

"Listen to God in the silence 

 of your heart and 

 you will know 

 His perfect plan for you."

        Psalm 46:10

"The media transforms 

the great silence of things 

into its opposite. 

Formerly constituting a secret, 

the real now talks incessantly. 

News reports, information, 

statistics, and surveys 

are everywhere."

    Michel De Certeau

"There is in all visible things

  an invisible fecundity,

  a dimmed light,

  a meek namelessness,

  a hidden wholeness...

  There is in all things 

  inexhaustible 

  sweetness and purity, 

  a silence that is 

  a fountain of action and joy. 

  It rises up in 

  wordless gentleness, 

  and flows out to me 

  from the unseen roots 

  of all created being."

    Thomas Merton

 "Keep silent,

  because 

  the world of silence 

  is a vast fullness."

           Rumi

         ******

 A quiet deep welcome to

       frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

(click top left, frankly speaking)

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             ******

  One more for good measure.

     "Silence is an ocean. 

      Speech is a river. 

      When the ocean 

      is searching for you, 

      don't walk into the river."

                Rumi

     Swim away oceanically!

       See you next week!

             ******

 

       

TIME OUT

Dear All of Us,

In sports when the going 

isn't going so well, 

it's sometimes best 

    to call a 

   Time Out 

catch our breath, 

    reassess, 

adjust the game plan

Such so for sports.

Such so for soul.

Such so for society.

Such so right now for both.

So let's have a go 

at what's going on 

      TIME OUT

Today the turf, teams 

and terms are

radically different than

when we first took the field 

in the world's series 

of shared living seasons ago.

Seismic shift in just 

a generation or two.

So, play as was, we lose.

And losing we are,

losing to losers, to

Team Terrible

See scoring:

*" ...humanity is just 

  one misunderstanding, 

  one miscalculation from 

  nuclear annihilation."

  Antonio Guterres,

  United Nations

  Secretary General 

  AP August 1, 2022

That's not only 

a game changer.

That's no more 

game at all, 

nor field, life,

never mind a win.

 

*"The effects of 

   human-caused 

   global warming 

   are happening now,

   are irreversible

   on the timescale 

   of people alive today,

   and will worsen 

   in the decades to come."

    Current website of

       NASA GLOBAL 

    CLIMATE CHANGE 

There could go 

the field of dreams -

  no go grounds!

*"Historians privately 

   warn Biden that

   American democracy

   is teetering"

        Headline  

  August 10, 2022

The Washington Post

Things going south.

What was in play

isn't playing at all well -

loss looms large 

and what a loss

it could, would be!

It doesn't get more current

or critical than these scorings

in our world's right now 

series of shared living.

    - August 2022 -

   We're up against 

    Team Terrible 

         and

they're winning a loss 

      for us all.

The challenge for 

our spiritual lives 

in this current, 

volatile, dangerous 

season and series

isn't so much how 

to solve the terrors 

of the times 

as it is to learn how 

to play clean 

in the midst of 

dirty plays, 

to stay in the game.

That's not to say 

we shouldn't try 

to break free,

but manifestly 

there is not the

social cohesion and will

to do so at this 

stage of the game.

Few of us have much of a

national/geo-political say so.

We don't get to call out

the foul plays of

Team Terrible.

We don't have to settle 

for their threatening 

foul ups, but

we do have to live 

in their midst

and deal with them.

We really can't leave 

the field.

So what do we do?

We do as do 

The Baltimore Oriels.

We keep on keeping on.

We play hard, real and clean.

We don't leave the field.

We don't cede the series to 

Team Terrible.

If The Bible 

was being written today, 

The Oriels would be 

an apt image for

the faithful remnant,

The People In Exile,

the Suffering Servant, 

the Kin-domain of God.

In their 118 seasons of play

the franchise made the playoffs 

          14 times

and won the championship

           3 times.

Not much of a win yet

for all that time and try.

Yet, they play to win and 

will play until they do win.

           So us.

     That's the call of 

our spiritual lives right now.

Our world is in 

the greatest danger

of all history.

Just because 

real and right 

are not winning

doesn't mean 

we forfeit the series.

Right now, many 

are tempted to, though.

Frightened, depressed,

confused, disillusioned, unsure,

they more than know 

the dangers, 

and even more they know 

they can do little about them,

that they can't wish or work 

back to some sort of 

supposed security and sanity 

of a long-ago season and series.

They are tempted to quit,

curl up and hide.

That would be a win 

for evil and a loss

for them and all of us.

We all need to know 

what's come down

and stand tall together.

Like the early Christians 

who lived in the terror 

of the Roman Empire,

of the Russians who lived

in the sickness of Stalin,

of the Italians who lived 

in the madness of Mussolini,

of the Germans who lived 

in the Satanic evil of Hitler,

we may have to live

under neo-fascists

in lands degrading to death -

theirs and ours.

For all of that and more, 

Team Terrible

may, even likely, 

will foul play away,

but we will still

take the field and

eventually the series.

Our playbook

has a winning strategy.

In every moment, move  

and way we put into play 

practices strategically paced 

with the focus and energy of 

              Love 

               of

              God 

           neighbor

              self

- the way and what we drive

- as much as possible 

  developing a 

  plant based diet

- being grateful for enough

  and sharing the rest 

  so others have enough

- bonding deeply and actively

  in a for real spiritual community

- committing to active contemplation:

  Letting God show us around and 

  get us in on it

- soaking in sacred scriptures

- giving family, friends, partner

  priority of time, attention

- really living Shabbat

- in every interaction

  doing to others as 

  we would have them 

  do to us - at work, voting, 

  talking about another,

  dealing with a real stinker

- giving full hearing, head and heart

  to what another is saying 

  in words or otherwise

- giving children toys, experiences,

  media exposure, recreation  

  that is non-violent, real, 

  creative, expansive and positive

- lavishing respect and care on

  the elderly with the completeness 

  we give a newborn as the elderly 

  slow to stop and

  start anew - a new forever

- taking time to give God 

  the chance to make love 

- facing future fear straight on

- rather than be slowed down

  carting around any kind of 

  security blankets,

  being Reality Based 

- not letting phony or faux

  anybody or anything

  fake us out - 

  Reality TV that isn't,

  but is vulgar and demeaning,

  social media not at all social,

  nationalist Christianity 

  that is neither,

  unfounded, non-factual claims

  that fly in the face of truth,

  that undermine public trust,

  throwing the populace 

  into chaos and conflict

- adjusting to what is,

  not insisting on what isn't

- admitting danger

  and learning to lean into it,

  however difficult/painful

- courageously responding 

  to whatever 

  Team Terrible 

  may inflict on our league

  knowing they're winning 

  some games and that

  we'll take the series.

For now, what's ahead of us 

most likely is not going to be 

     middle class nice.

  It probably will hurt

            a lot

       BUT BY GOD 

we're going to outplay, 

        outlive 

the death dealers.

That's because 

we are based, 

enlivened, 

empowered, 

sponsored and

coached by the 

     Pure Energy

           of

     Being Itself

 Absolute Realness

The Love That is God

   God Goodness

We live a Blessed Assurance.

That doesn't mean easy. 

It does mean 

so real 

and right 

and powerful 

that the series is ours -

 The Kin-Domain Win

Thanks for the chance 

to huddle together

and share this

     TIME OUT

OK, time to get back 

into play.

  your teammate,

     John Frank

      ******

PS

   A word of thanks to 

   John Lindburg,

   an ever faithful 

   Oriel's fan,

   for help with the   

   baseball material.

       ******

We're going to need 

a lot of focus to live our

  Blessed Assurance

Some Sees:

God Goodness is

our rock and refuge.

   Psalm 18:2

"In him we live and move 

 and have our being."

       Acts 17:28

"I've told you all this 

so that trusting me, 

you will be unshakable 

and assured, 

deeply at peace. 

In this godless world 

you will continue 

to experience difficulties. 

But take heart! 

I've conquered the world." 

      John 16: 33 

      The Message

"When you go out looking 

for your old adversaries, 

you won't find them - 

Not a trace of 

your old enemies, 

not even a memory.

That's right. 

Because I, your God, 

have a firm grip on you 

and I'm not letting you go. 

I'm telling you, 

'Don't panic. 

I'm right here 

to help you.'" 

Isaiah 41: 12-13 

  The Message

"Even though 

I walk through 

the valley of death, 

I fear no evil for 

you are with me."

 Psalm 23: 4

"For we know that 

God causes all things 

to work together 

for good to those 

who love God..."

  Romans 8:28

"Pile your troubles 

on God's shoulders-

he'll carry your load, 

he'll help you out. 

He'll never let good people 

topple onto ruin."

    Psalm 55: 22 

    The Message

        ******

Sincere Thanks

to all who

who have shared

frankly speaking 

with others.

This past week

there was a tree fold

increase in those

gathered here.

What a blessing!

And a hearty 

   Welcome 

to all new here.

   ******

         frankly speaking

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

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    How great that we all 

 get to team up together!

           ******

  

 

  

  

  

 

 

ONEING

Dear All of Us,

"Go figure!"

 And we sure do try!

   Self-Identity

   Relationships

   Reality

   Religion

   Right and Wrong

   Raising Kids

   Life Changes

   In-laws

   Finances

   Politics

     (Good luck!)

   Purpose 

   Values

   Vocation 

   Work

   Recreation

   Our spiritual life

Lots of lots

all over the place.

It's a day in and 

day out deal.

How do we 

put it all together?

How does it all add up?

     "Go Figure!'

The mystic, 

Julian of Norwich, did.

She was shone and 

shows that

  it all adds up to

        ONE

Actually and paradoxically 

we start, stay, go, remain,

end up, always are,  

always will be 

  VARIOUSLY ONE

For sure it's

a higher math

factoring endlessly

the dynamic of

   Goodness

        

    Goodness 

is loving, outgoing, 

giving, positive, 

creative energy.

That energy

is what we call God.

God Goodness is 

the base, the genesis, 

the source, 

the very presence 

in which all that is is.

God Goodness radiates out

in form, manner, intensity, 

dynamically and beyond count.

God Goodness is The Being 

in which all being exists.

Come to find out 

everyone, everything

is marvelously unique 

in the shared

       ONEING

that is God Goodness.

That One is busy 

bursting forth in

uncountable, ecstatic, 

beautiful ways -

        Creation 

us and all that "is" 

rooted and emerging from it,

the most element pulsation 

of energy to its most 

complex configuration -

           all 

     one in being, 

varied in expression.

      We're all 

         ONE

   in unendingly 

  different ways.

       PHEW!!

  OK. Let's take 

  a deep breath.

           ONEING

              is

        One in all 

            and 

       all in One.

   It is God Goodness

    in different ways.

  At the core of all is

          One

    in expression 

    vastly varied.

A vital, fruitful apple tree

can be an icon for us

of this divine unity 

variously expressed and present -

the oneness of rooted trunk 

branching, 

flowering forth,

fruitful in each unique apple.

Same one life/being

presenting variously.

Our spiritual life,

indeed, life itself,

is in large part 

catching on how to 

   "Go figure" 

        the 

 God Goodness, 

  of all that is,

  how to see 

  and live this

    ONEING

   It is active 

 contemplation.

Active contemplation 

    is letting God 

    show us around

    and getting us in 

    on it all.

For us it starts in 

our here and now 

and never stops

in our everywhere 

and always.

It's a given, not a gotten.

We just let go and let God 

      SHOW SHARE

   THE PARTICULARS 

             OF

            ONE

Our spiritual "practices" 

        are simply 

relaxation exercises

to loosen us up so 

God Goodness can 

introduce us to ourselves,

and to our ourselves

in all the different ways

we are one with all that is,

getting us active

in the dynamic of 

      ONEING

in having a blast

      Be-ing,

       One 

    with/in all.

Julian words God:

 "See that I am God. 

  See that I am in everything. 

  See that I do everything.

  See that I have 

  never stopped 

  ordering my works, 

  nor ever shall, eternally. 

  See that I lead everything 

  on to the conclusion 

  I ordained for it 

  before time began, 

  by the same power, wisdom, 

  and love with which I made it. 

  How can anything be amiss?"

             ONEING

So, when we feel that "other" 

people, places, 

energies, elements, 

activities - 

are strangers,

we realize it's 

an estrangement 

on our part. 

We ask God Goodness 

to warm us open,

     to get us

     ONEING

    free us to 

    embrace 

      and 

    engage,

   Oneness 

   in all its

  delightfully 

 different ways.

Hey, as that aborns

we find ourselves 

in love with All.

Julian of Norwich:

  "The fulness of joy 

   is to behold God 

   in everything."

No chance then for 

violating, waring,

for any kind of 

us against them

because at core we are 

         ONE

Julian of Norwich: 

 "The love of God creates 

  in us such a oneing 

  that when it is truly seen, 

  no person can separate 

  themselves from another."

Everyone, everything 

is family and more.

Everyone, everything 

is a particular of One.

We are the same 

in different ways  

We're kin at core.

Thus, Godly Kin-Ness.

"Whatever you do to 

 the least of these 

 you do unto me."

      Jesus

Matthew 25:40

Unfortunately, it takes

lots of time for lots of us 

to grow up, to wake up to 

who, how and what 

we and all are, to our

        ONEING

So we sin.

It's like cancer.

The body attacks itself.

Sin is the sickness of soul

trying to split our Oneness -

us and them,

haves and have nits,

preferred and rejected.

Fortunately, as Julian assures:

"The love of God is 

hard and marvelous. 

It cannot and will not 

be broken because 

of our sins."

As we see and embrace our 

          Oneness

    we are free to fly.

Other things, other people 

are the me I haven't met yet.

We don't have time to 

grab, hoard, or hurt.

We reverence, we celebrate, 

we delight, we care, 

we love

         ALL

because that's us.

We're freed to get 

wildly carried away 

making love with 

every bit of existence.

We help, we give, 

we receive, we share, 

we create, we celebrate, 

we enjoy, we rejoice, 

we heal.

One and never done!

"...Thy kin-domain come

on earth as it is in heaven."

            Jesus

That's our prayer.

That our life.

That's the wholly-ness of

         ONEING

       Delighted that 

     together we are      

          ONEING

        John Frank

          ******

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 to first timers this week.

 You help us open ever more 

 to our 

           ONEING

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