Wednesday, August 17, 2022

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!

           ******