Wednesday, June 26, 2024

MARVEL


Dear All of Us,

How about this?

What's mustard 

have to do with 

    Marvel?

     

      Well

  when next 

   we have

        a 

   2:00 AM

   torturous

Charlie Horse

quickly ingest 

half a spoon of 

   mustard.

Charlie Horse

   instantly 

gallops away.

   Honest

No quackery,

    simply 

      a

   counter

   intuitive 

   Marvel


       We all have 

      a lot more than 

     2:00 AM troubles. 

       We live in a 

         torturous 

      "All The Time."

  Our society suffers a

        multitude of 

        debilitating

      Charlie Horses.


   Our spiritual life

  doesn't make them

       go away.

   It does free us 

    from them.

  It does gives us 

    a way to go, 

         one

completely different, 

decidedly wholesome,

genuinely joyous, 

         and

it's unconditionally 

          a 

 counterintuitive

      Marvel

  

   Details to follow. 

   First the situation.

 

Our social symmetry

           is

       Empire

     Evil Empire

    so seductively

      pervasive 

     we assume 

    it's mostly ok.

      EKKKKS!


   Greed grabbing 

    power people

     manipulate

       masses

         into 

devitalizing servitude,

  - upper classes drugged

    on stuff and status,

 - vast populations

   bound in filthy cords

   of abject, painful poverty.

        Diabolical!

Empire demons are legion.

     See Mark 5:1-12

They seduce and 

hold captive both

     the indulged, 

     the denied,

   differently evil. 

      Their grip 

      squeezes 

soul and society sick:

  incessant stress,

  lonely strangers 

  to ourselves,

  off centeredness,

  continuous waring,

  truth trashing,

  cultural chaos,

  nature raping,

  The Common Good

  denied and exiled,

  dehumanizing,

  God Good Creation

      violated.

         It's 

  a horrid herd 

         of

     societal 

       and 

    personal

 Charlie Horses.

  They disable.

  They hurt like hell.

  They are hell.


Fortunately and powerfully

there's more and better.

    Jesus musters us 

           Free 

   right in the middle 

    of the hell that is 

         Empire

Jesus Spirit Springs us

vigorously, beautifully 

           alive 

            in 

That Love that is God,

         united 

            in

The Kin-Domain of God.

     Empire wrong 

     is righted real

     in a wholly new

          reset,

      a refreshing,

      radical righting

       that is totally 

     counterintuitiv

             to 

       Evil Empire 

  We not only survive. 

      We flourish.

          It's a

         Marvel


         Flipping the

     deadly dark doings

              of 

           Empire

            to a 

          counter 

         Life Light,

  Jesus leads us together

              in

         Love Lived 

           Love of

             God

           neighbor

             and

             self.

   Jesus shares his 

    countercultural, 

    counterintuitive, 

    Kin-Domain Life 

       in which

 the last shall be first,

 the greatest is 

 servant of all,

 the put down 

 pop up bright right:

    the poor in spirit

    those who mourn

    the meek

    those craving rightness

    the pure in heart

    peacemakers

    those persecuted 

    for right realness.

Empire Nobodies become

    the salt of the earth,

    the light of the world.

    With them there is

quiet, anonymous giving,

no show to tell fasting,

banking heavenly currency, 

worry free trust,

judgment free and freed,

confidence to 

ask, seek, knock,

at God's Door,

narrow gate entry,

rock solid foundation,

dying to deadly,

rising lively,

childlike trust,

gentle and humble 

      in heart,

   living Jesus 

   at his word:

  "For my yoke is easy 

   and my burden is light."

     Matthew 11:30

We do well to take

a slow soul stroll thru

The Sermon On The Mount

       (Matthrew 5-7)

- ideally and beneficially

     best to pray ponder

       all the Gospels 

  to hear more fully this

      counterintuitive

           Marvel

 that is Kin-Domain living

    Please consider using

       THE MESSAGE

         translation 

         free online


Yes, these are 

terribly tough times.

There is so much 

sad/sick/soul/social sin.

We have to wade through

       cesspools 

            of 

deceit and injustice

just to negotiate daily life. 

The foundation and way of

        truth/reality

      is upside down.


For all that 

we have a clean, clear 

way to go.

Jesus walks us 

real and right.

        He is

  "...the way, 

      the truth  

      the life."

     John 14:6

  Jesus wraps us

          into 

     Realm Real

The Kin-Domain of God.


It does not happen at 

the intersection of 

Easy Street and 

Comfy Corner. 

So much for 

Casual Christianity!

We must take up 

our daily crisscross

and follow Jesus -

do what he taught,

do what he did,

do as he did,

do it in for real 

 community

so he's doing 

  it all in us

  right now,

  right here.


Well, hey!

This is a lot of a lot.

In the coming days 

let's slow go it,

fine comb all

we just brushed over.

What's what here?

What's at issue?

How is Empire 

structured into our

values, assumptions, 

daily life,

however stark, 

however subtle,

       consumption 

       compelled 

        to

       body shaming,

       political slash and kill

           to

       prestige purchasing?

How on board are we 

with the practicals of

Kin-Domain Living,

"Do unto others 

 as you would have then 

 do to you"

- the gold standard -

      Matthew 7:12

             to

"I was hungry, 

you gave me to eat,

I was naked (homeless)..."

    Matthew 25:31-46

- the gold standard

  put into practice -


Companioned by Jesus 

and each other in community 

  ( Read: Real Deal Church)

we can go counterintuitive,

we can go countercultural,

we can cut the mustard.

         What a

         MARVEL

         ******


NEXT ONLINE POSTING

      Wednesday

      July 3, 2924


NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

       Friday

      July 5,2924


LAST FIVE POSTINGS

      AVAILABLE

  by scrolling down

 beneath this posting


       WELCOME

     The coffee pot 

  is always on here at


        frankly speaking

    spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


Praying clarity, courage

    as we all live a 

          YES

           to

       MARVEL

See you next week.

     Love to all.

     God Bless,

     John Frank

       ******

      









 

        


Wednesday, June 19, 2024

THIS'S and THAT'S


Dear All of Us,

I feel like a little kid 

who just got home 

from a school trip

to the museum.

Excited, you want 

to share all the 

"This's and That's"

of the trip's goodness.


Some telling

THIS'S and THAT's

about our spiritual journey

have come my way lately

and I am excited 

to send them your way.

Also, I've added in a few 

from my personal 

Journey Journal 

on the chance 

they might be helpful.


   Slowly over 

 the next whiles 

       let's

   Pray Pause

   with them 

  one at a time

listening for what 

    The Spirit 

might say as we

journey our way to

        Real 

      

  WE WONDER   

    What does 

     The Spirit 

   speak to soul

        about

         self

       society

  sacred creation

  divine intimacy

        as we 

    Pray Ponder 

        over 

THIS'S and THAT'S

      ******



The world is too dangerous 

for anything but truth 

and too small 

for anything but love.

William Sloan Coffin

       

    You only know 

    as much 

    as you do.

    Francis of Assisi  


There is no such thing

as outside.

All is endlessly One.


 No mud, no lotus.

 Thich Nhat Hanh


  Love fills in a lot of 

  life's potholes.


Hell is the truth seen too late.

     William Sloan Coffin

              

When the people lack 

a sense of awe,

there will be trouble 

in the empire.

   Lao Tzu


Why did Jesus die?

To love death to life

        for us.

  

The best criticism of the bad 

is the practice of better. 

       Richard Rohr


As the years open out 

we need less  

to make room for 

        ALL

         

Every day is a journey, 

and the journey itself 

is home.

    Matsuo Basko

      

Raising children: 

long days, 

short years.

   Author unknown,

   The truth of it 

   well known.

   Long on love.

      

Experience is not 

what happens to you. 

It is what you do with 

what happens to you.

   Aldous Huxley


        Death

Moving to a new state,

a new state of being.

Can be stressful.

But, 

        Ah!!!!!!!


  "Tat Taum Asi"

      means

  "You are That"

 - be it flower, 

   river, concert,

   enemy, lover -

   everything and 

   all that is -

     Ultimate Reality

             in

      all and every

        particular

          of it.

        Hinduism

         

The earth is pregnant 

with God.

   Angela of Foligno


If you were on trial 

for being a Christian, 

would there be 

enough evidence

to find you guilty?

   James Turro

         

  Apache Blessing

  May the sun 

  bring you 

  new energy by day,

  may the moon

  softly restore you 

  by night,

  may the rain 

  wash away 

  your worries,

  may the breeze 

  blow new strength 

  into your being,

  may you walk gently 

  through the world 

  and know the beauty 

  all the days of your life.


        God is love.

        1 John 4:8

         ******

      

        Hope these

    This"s and That's

    open to Godness.

         ******


Next Online Posting

      Wednesday

      June 26, 2024

Next Email Delivery

       Friday 

       June 28, 2024


    Mirabile Visu

"Wonderful to Behold"

 say it in Latin

 say it in English

 say it in any tribe tongue

 it's so good 

 to have new folks 

 with us here at


         frankly speaking

    spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


A Special Greeting

to the groups 

of new folks

         from 

India, USA, Hong Kong,

who joined in 

with us this week.

You and all gathered here

are gift and we all

are blessed

with the good company.

         ******


 LAST FIVE POSTINGS

   Simply scroll down

     below this one.


A BIG TIME 

THANK YOU, 

THANK YOU

to all who 

have recently

    shared 

"frankly speaking"

  with others.


Let's keep 

our eyes open 

       for

This's and That's

        that

 Spirit Spark Soul.

     Thank you

  for letting me share

  a few of mine.

  See you next week.

        Love to all.

        God Bless,

        John Frank

          ******























Wednesday, June 12, 2024

MIRACLE


Dear All of Us,

Words come easy for me

(Often too darn many, 

       though )

Not so numbers.

I totally dumb out.

Don't know 

what you're 

talking about,

  EXCEPT FOR RATIOS.

  Them I figure fine.

  Example:

      The faster we go

       the more we miss

       as we go.

.

That factors for miracles.

Miracles are God 

on the job for us.

They're all over the place.

Yet, hell bent on 

achievement, success, 

schedule, destination, 

distraction, fixation,

hurry, profit,

possessions, position,

recognition, results,

Mad-Hatter-Much

we zip right on by and

miss most miracles.


Augustine, genius and

sinner become saint, 

saw-said it like this:

 "We take for granted 

  the slow miracle 

  whereby water 

  in the irrigation 

  of a vineyard 

  becomes wine. 

  It is only when Christ 

  turns water into wine

  in a quick motion, 

  (Wedding at Cana)

  as it were, 

  that we stand

     amazed."


       YES

        to

       both


I was instantly 

amazed and grateful

when a speeding car flipped

and came at me upside down

with only inches to spare, 

inches that spared my life.

Amazing miracle noticed so

for sure! 


It took me years, though, 

to slowly 

Soul See

my conception 

and the nine months 

and billions of cells

it took

becoming me

as the 

   Slow Miracle 

it was.

Almost missed

the amazement 

of that 

slow motion 

miracle me.


     It seems 

most miracles are

   Slow Miracles.

       As we 

    Slow Soul It,

      we get it

    and is it ever 

        WOW!


More than less, 

though, 

our culture

hassle-hurries us

- fast food, 

  quick solutions, 

  internet instant 

  everything,

  Amazon deliveries 

  seeming to arrive 

  before we finish 

  the order.

Pretty crazy.

Fast forward 

     that

blurs and dulls,

missing miracles,

missing God 

on the job for us.


      Imagine 

           a 

Beethoven symphony

played ten time faster 

than scored.

Beauty marred, 

cacophony, 

a dozy of

a headache.

    Slow Miracle 

        missed.


Sure, there are times 

when we really need 

to get a move on

- finishing a delayed

  term paper or tax filing, 

  EMT's in response,

  getting the bride 

  to the church on time,

  taking the barbeque 

  off the grill 

  when it is just right.


Most of the time, 

though,

we need to 

   Soul Slow It

to be in on 

all the miracles 

taking their time 

being God's

   WOW!

things like:

-keeping company 

with a seed 

miracle maturing 

to intricate full flower,

-watching the clouds 

slow dance with God,

-blending into a Van Gogh,

-instep with God 

 on the Appalachian Trail,

-savoring a simple supper, 

-holding a sleeping baby,

-carefully crafting a 

 product/program at work,

-slow soul scrolling scripture,

-watching a wheatfield 

wave hello,

-teaching a child 

to play checkers,

-taking five at home 

to see how wonderful it is

to have a place to live,

-listening as sea and shore

 do a duet,

-sensing the mountains' 

 muscled might and majesty,

-sitting on the porch with God 

 when neither of us have

 anything else but each other.   


We hurry up and slow down 

          because

   so often, so much 

              is

           SLOW

         MIRACLE

          ******


"There are only 

 two ways 

 to live your life. 

 One is as though 

 nothing is a miracle.

 The other is as though 

 everything is a miracle."

    Albert Einstein


Next Online Posting

        Wednesday

        June19, 2024


Next Email Delivery

        Friday

        Jube 21,2024


Every week it is a marvel

as we meet and mix,

many one in The One.

A special welcome to 

first time visitors.

So good to be together 

        here at

      

       frankly speaking

  spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


     PAST FIVE POSTINGS 

            AVAILABLE

      Simply scroll down 

      below this posting


         Miracles are 

           God Gifts.

 Most take time to unwrap.


     Looking forward to 

our gathering here next week.

          Love to all.

          God Bless,

          John Frank  

           ******



      









Wednesday, June 5, 2024

WHOLLY COME UNION

     

     Dear All of Us,

Church is a great place 

            for

WHOLLY COME UNION 

         So are 

          bed, 

     dinner table, 

          pub,

     flower shop, 

   poetry reading,

     Habit For 

     Humanity,

     jam session,

     book club,

     Baltimore Orioles' 

     home games,

     home alone,

     dinner party,

     justice advocacy,

     country meadow.

I can vouch for all except a

Baltimore Orioles' home game.

My dear, late friend John Lindburg

vigorously vouched for that 

more than many times, though! 

      Each and all a

 WHOLLY COME UNION


 I joyously experienced such

      this past weekend. 


Friday last

four of us shared 

a sacred simple

HOLY COMMUNION,

         a

WHOLLY COME 

     UNION

- my wife,

  my daughter,

  my dear friend, 

  my me.

It was the 

fifty fifth

anniversary

  of my 

ordination.

At the altar of

our dining room table

elements of wine,

cheese and crackers

were overspread

with dear, deep mutuality.

They and we

love consecrated. 


Saturday it was 

free ranging

across the 

rolling wonder of

northwest most Virginia,

my dear friend

at the wheel, 

taking this old boy out

for a day in the 

countryside

I so love - 

forest, field, farm,

virgin verdant fresh.

Slow narrow 

winding ways

widening sight, 

delight and soul.

Lunch at the

Butcher and Bottle

in tiny Marshall.

Gentle pairing with a

shy couple 

seated table next.

Sacred Still Stay

and Sext

at remote 

Holy Cross Abbey.

Home for Chinese takeout.

My dear friend and I

slow savored in soul share,

fatigue and wine freed for 

confession of sin and grace.

    Holy Communing

WHOLLY COME UNION


Friend, family

church family,

fellowship fused

Holy Communion

     Sunday


Every day and always can be 

   WHOLLY COME UNION 

        "God is Love."

          1 John 4:8

               So

     Anyone, Anything, 

    Anywhere, Anytime, 

 Love Soaked and Shared 

               is  

   HOLY COMMUNION

               is

 Communing in the Whole 

            that is 

          God Love

         

          God is not 

    communion confined 

 to bread and wine at church.

           God Love

              is the

        Real Presence

               in

         love making,

         lovely music 

         and all the arts,

         a lovely time 

         with family

         and friends,

         love fused 

         and active 

         justice seeking,

         lovely wine 

         and dining

         enjoyed modest

         economy class,

         loving a 

         repugnant person,

         loving children to life,

         loving on 

            turbulent tweens,

            weary, wilting elders, 

            and all inbetweens.

         loving to touch 

         and be touched 

                by 

           God Love 

                in 

       nature, research, 

       creativity, cooking, 

      singing, organizing,  

      reading, visiting, 

      sharing,

           me writing this 

                 and 

         you reading this -

                well

           it is limitless 

                and 

        we can be as well.


            Communion 

          incorporates to 

              Oneness.

          anyone, anything, 

              anywhere

             Love Soaked  

             Love Sharing

                    is 

        precisely and actually

        the time, place, way,

               presence

    God offers to incorporate us 

                   to 

             deeper, fuller 

             more realized

              ONENESS

            That means 

          everything good 

           is an element 

                 for

           consecration 

    bread and wine for sure,

         and just as sure 

       a tomato sandwich

          driving the car

           making love

   (preferably not in the car)

        making silly puns

          learning Latin

           babysitting

      watching Jeopardy

    kibitzing with a friend

    immersion in scripture

    immersion in creation care 

    immersion in prayer

    gathering to be church

    doing our day job well

          All EVERY

       LOVE SOAKED

       LOVE SHARING

          

      You know what? 

We don't have to wait for 

  some shrine or service

              for 

   HOLY COMMUNION


     We are being 

       created, 

       generated, 

       by God for God,

       by Love for Love.

          Our living,

        every bit of it, 

        every moment, 

        every motion of it

   is God wanting to be God 

     in us, with us, for us  

          God wanting 

     to make Love with us,

     the Love that is God

          here, there,

    everywhere, everyway

           always a 

     go for never broke

  WHOLLY COME UNION

          ******


     NEXT POSTING ONLINE

             Wednesday

             June 12, 2024


      NEXT EMAIL DELIVERY

              Friday

              June 14, 2024


         What we do here 

              each week

              sure is a 

      WHOLLY COME UNION

        From many nations

        all round our globe

               we get 

           Love Soaked

           Love Sharing

                  in 

           God's Wholly

             Oneness

              here at


       frankly speaking 

   spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com


    Thanks a lot to a lot of us 

    who shared this blog 

    with others last past week.

   

    We were joined by a host 

    of new folks from 

    many lands and ways. 

           Wonderful.


LAST FIVE POSTINGS

       AVAILABLE

            by

     scrolling down

   beneath this one.


Every goodness.

  Love to all.

  God Bless,

  John Frank

    ******